TSD’s Fondren ‘just loved running’
Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame will be August 21
By Steve Williams
Forty years ago, a special athlete at Tennessee School for the Deaf not only excelled on the high school level in football, basketball and track, but twice ran on the USA Deaf Track and Field team.
Charles Fondren, a native of Memphis, was a Deaf Prep All-American running back for TSD in the fall of 1984 and also received honorable mention on the All-State team.
The following spring, Fondren earned Deaf Prep All-America honors in four track events – the 100 meters, 200, 400 and 800.
Later that year, he made the United States’ Deaf track team and competed in the 1985 World Games of the Deaf in Los Angeles and won the Gold medal in the 400 and also in the 4×400 relay plus earned the Silver medal in the 800. His time in the 400 was 47.3.
With his high school days long behind him in 1989, Fondren made the USA team again for the World Games of the Deaf, which were held in Christchurch, New Zealand. But he had to overcome some major adversity prior to that event as he was injured when hit by a car while riding his bike to work.
His lower leg was shattered in the accident and a rod had to be put in his leg, but he still came back to make the team and won two more medals.
Fondren will be one of nine inductees into the 44th Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame this summer. The induction ceremony and reception will be held Aug. 21 at the Knoxville Convention Center.
Jeanne Fair, a longtime coach and teacher at TSD, which is in the historic Island Home Park neighborhood in South Knoxville, still vividly remembers that track was Fondren’s love.
“Troy Haydon was the AD at the time,” said Fair, “and Troy came to us from Carson-Newman and he was a track coach. So Troy could inspire a kid early. And I remember in P.E. class when Charles was little, Troy saying: ‘He’s going to be a runner.’ You could just tell.
“He never really was interested in anything else,” added Fair. “Of course, they wanted him to play football and basketball, but he never really wanted to. He just loved running.”
Gus Termon was TSD’s track coach, but the school didn’t have a track. So Missy Kane and Tiny would bring Fondren over to UT and work with him, Fair said.
Others to be inducted:
Nicky Anosike (Basketball)
Anosike grew up in Staten Island where she attended St. Peter’s High School for Girls. She played for the Lady Vols from 2005-08 under head coach Pat Summitt and was named to the 2005 SEC All-Freshman Team. She was a member of two Tennessee national championship teams (2007-08).
Anosike was named to the WNBA All-Rookie team in 2008 and was a 2009 WNBA All-Star. She played for the Los Angeles Sparks and the Minnesota Lynx.
In 2018-19, Anosike returned as a graduate assistant at UT.
Nicky became the girls’ head coach at Anderson County High School in 2020-23.
Since then, she has been a Program Director and Athletics Director at the Girls Inc. of Tennessee Valley, which offers after-school programs in Anderson, Blount and Knox counties.
Adam Brock (Tennis)
Brock was a four-year letter winner at the University of Virginia and the No. 1 singles player his senior year in 1980.
He competed on the European Satellite Pro Circuit (ATP Minor Leagues), reaching a career high world ranking of 650.
Bryan Brown (Coaching)
During his 14-year tenure at Hardin Valley Academy, Brown guided programs to 13 state championships in cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field.
Bryan now serves as System Athletic Director for Knox County Schools.
Ken Johnson (Football)
The former NFL defensive end was known for his strength, durability and impact on the field.
Johnson was a Knoxville College standout and played six seasons with the Buffalo Bills (1979-84) and his pro career extended into the 1987 season with the Kansas City Chiefs during the league’s strike-shortened season.
Conchita Owenby (Athletic Director)
A trailblazer in athletics and education, she had a lot of “firsts” in her career.
Owenby was the first woman to receive a full athletic scholarship at Carson-Newman. She also was the first person in TSSAA to receive the A.F. Bridges Coach of the Year and AD of the Year awards.
Conchita’s career included four decades in the Sevier County School system.
Dr. Jerry Punch (Media)
According to Google, Dr. Punch is currently working part-time in sports broadcasting while also working full-time as a physician in clinical trials. He continues to do some broadcasting for ESPN, including college football sideline reporting. He is also involved in clinical trials, testing new drugs and hoping to make a difference in people’s lives according to his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Dr. Punch can be heard on the Sports Animal’s Tyler and Will Show on Tuesdays.
Frankie Randall (Boxing)
The 3-time world champion lightweight and junior welterweight is being honored posthumously. He passed away on Dec. 23, 2020 at the age of 59.
One of the biggest wins in Randall’s career, if not the biggest, came when he handed Julio Cesar Chavez his first loss in 91 fights in 1994.
Gary Toulson (Golf)
At age 26 in 1967, Toulson became the head professional at Cherokee Country Club and held that position for 34 years,
He was the PGA Knoxville Open winner in 1991.
The PGA, Tennessee Section, also honored Gary with the Distinguished Career Award in 2006.
