
Bobby ‘Rocket’ Robinson, a standout multi-sport player and coach for the Dark Horses, takes his seat on the stage to receive his award.
Brandt Young|Sampson Independent
Two of Sampson County’s most storied football coaches — Midway’s Tommy Sloan and Clinton’s Bobby Robinson — were inducted into George Whitfield’s coaching Hall of Fame Friday night.
With long buffet-style lines on the blistering night, the foyer at Wayne Community College was filled with conversation, cheer, and old friends reminiscing about seasons past. After the meal, the ceremony — held by the prestigious member of various coaching organizations — kicked off on Forest Kirk Keller Stage in the auditorium at WCC with a prayer from Coach Clyde King’s son-in-law.
“They’ve dedicated their lives and careers to giving their lives sacrificially,” he remarked.
The night was filled with accolades, remembrance, and stories of days gone by. Athletes., coaches, and even sportswriters and broadcasters from across the state — from youth sports through professional — were recognized, celebrated, and given their time to shine by the former baseball coach, who noted that “every sport you could think of” has been recognized by his organization.
Whitfield’s hall of fame started in 1985, 13 years after his baseball clinic began. He told the story of starting the camp. which he puts on every year, free of charge. Included in the camp are a lunch for the attendees and a day full of instruction. This year’s took place on Saturday, so the hall of fame enshrinement prefaced the camp for this edition.
The camp, he said, was the idea of both his assistant coaches and his players five decades ago. Coaches that have joined in the instruction have included scouts, managers and players of professional baseball organizations such as the Kansas City Royals, Washington Nationals, and Boston Red Sox, as well as others.
This year, inductees included football, baseball and basketball players and sports media members with playing and broadcasting careers dating from the 1960s to present day.
One of the first awards of the night went to a Medal of Honor recipient, which Whitfield noted is the highest honor an American could receive. Brian Miles Thacker drove from Wheaton, Md. to receive his award. Thacker was a First Lieutenant in the 92nd Artillery Division in the United States Army, serving as a team leader when his unit came under attack from the North Vietnamese Army. “Although wounded and unable to escape from the area himself, he successfully eluded the enemy forces for eight days until friendly forces regained control of the fire base,” his award citation says.
Other people recognized by Whitfield included a national Special Olympics athlete, as well as last year’s state championship baseball team for each NCHSAA baseball division. Adam Pate, the head coach for Wayne Country Day was recognized as well, as he won the NCISAA 2A state championship with the Chargers as well as the American Legion state championship, which is Wayne County’s first.
But, beyond the various athletes from across the state — including Barry Foote, who spent about a decade in the MLB, and Alex Byrd, the NCAA’s first-ever baseball player with a prosthetic leg after a tragic boating accident — the two Sampson County football coaches were standouts themselves.
The first of the two to be recognized and awarded was Tommy Sloan, the legendary coach of the Midway Raiders, with a state title to his name — which is displayed at Midway’s current football stadium where his son, Barrett, is the head coach.
Tommy, who coached the Raiders first from 1974 to 1998 and again from 2010 to 2013, amassed a 214-121-1 record in his time in Spivey’s Corner, for a .638 winning percentage. In conference play, he went 120-69-1. His teams scored a total of 7,725 points under his rule and held opponents to 5,267, while they pitched 57 total shutouts.
In 1978, his Raiders were state champions after their 12-1 season after defeating Cherokee 26-6 in the state title game. In 1988 they were runners-up in the 1A classification, with their only loss on the season being to Swain County in the championship bout, 23-7.
Sloan coached in various all-star games, including as an assistant in the 1993 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. From 1985 to 1999, he served as the athletic director for the Raiders on top of his coaching duties.
Next up for the Sampson County awardees was Bobby ‘Rocket’ Robinson, the second-winningest coach in Clinton history, just behind Bob Lewis.
Robinson, Whitfield noted, was the only person inducted Friday that coached against the host of the night’s events, someone he said he considers a “dear friend.”
“He was a great student-athlete, graduating from Clinton in 1957,” Whitfield said in his introduction of the famed Clinton coach. “He was all-conference and all-state in baseball, and all-state, all-conference, and all-American in football, where he played in the North Carolina-South Carolina Shrine Bowl.”
‘Rocket’ went on to play football and baseball for the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest before returning to his Sampson County roots, but not before amassing over 1,000 and nine touchdowns for the football program. A brief period after collegiate studies saw Robinson coach and teach in other areas of the state, but the 1971 season was the first for the Dark Horses under his reign.
Robinson coached to a 137-54-3 record from 1971 through the 1987 season, with a state runner-up to his name in 1976. He was 81-21-2 in conference play.
Reach Brandt Young at (910) 247-9036, at byoung@clintonnc.com, or on the Sampson Independent Facebook page.