Published on May 8, 2017  

It is a stellar class, including Walt Barnes, Lauren Blankenship, Bobby Bowden, Wally Burnham, Cortland Finnegan and Charlie Owens.  As they spoke, the inductees caused the members of the audience to laugh, to cry and to be inspired.  Perhaps the most poignant moment came during the remarks of Cortland Finnegan, standout football athlete at Samford and NFL star, when he spoke across the crowded room to his mother, acknowledging her challenges as a single mom and thanking her for the sacrifices she made on his behalf.  Cortland credited Samford for his success, as well, but every person in the room on Saturday night knew that his character was shaped by a slight lady, beaming through her tears as her son spoke of his love for her.

The world is better because of Cortland Finnegan and the gentle toughness of his mother.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 5,791 students from 49 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.