RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech Kodak All-American and two-time national champion Angela Turner and former Bulldog quarterback and nationally-known outdoorsman Phil Robertson will join six others as the star-studded group of eight 2020 competitive ballot inductees chosen for the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Turner and Robertson will be joined by former LSU football coach Nick Saban, eight-time Mr. Olympia world bodybuilding champion Ronnie Coleman, Harlem Globetrotters Sweet Lou Dunbar, New Orleans Saints Pro Bowl receiver Joe Horn, UL-Lafayette standout and Chicago Bears cornerback Charles "Peanut" Tillman, and New Orleans native Kerry Kittles, a two-time All-America guard at Villanova and an eight-year NBA professional.

Robertson, a Vivian native, was Louisiana Tech's starting quarterback ahead of a young Terry Bradshaw until he gave up football to focus on his love of hunting and fishing. His passion, personality and business acumen ultimately led to a multi-million dollar business in West Monroe and inspired the wildly successful "Duck Dynasty" reality TV show. Robertson becomes only the third outdoorsman elected to the Hall from the competitors' ballot, joining Grits Gresham (1989) and BassMasters Classic champion Jack Hains (2018).

Robertson, recognized on sight around the world thanks to his iconic long, rugged beard, began his Duck Commander business in a dilapidated shed, where he spent 25 years making duck calls from Louisiana cedar trees. Robertson built his first call from a piece of walnut in 1972.

From its humble beginnings, the Duck Commander brand has become a household name in quality duck calls and has branched off to make an array of other products, from DVDs, Duck Commander shotguns to Cajun-style marinade to television shows. The Robertson family had a wildly successful venture into the entertainment industry through their reality show "Duck Dynasty" on the A&E Network.

A four-year starter from 1978-82 and a prestigious Kodak All-American in 1982, Turner helped Louisiana Tech to four Final Fours, four national title game appearances and two national titles (1981 AIAW, 1982 NCAA). The 5-foot-8 forward was a key in an undefeated season in 1980-81 when the Lady Techsters went 34-0 and defeated Tennessee 79-59 in the title game, when she was named Final Four MVP. The following season as a senior, she led Tech to a 35-1 record and the NCAA national title as Tech defeated Cheyney State 76-62.

She helped the Lady Techsters set the Division I women's basketball record with a 54-game winning streak during the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons. "A.T." scored 2,262 career points, still ranking third all-time at Tech, and averaged double figures all four seasons. Her 817 points scored in 1979-80 still ranks as the second most in a single season in school history.

Turner ranks No. 2 in field goals made (1,021), No. 3 in scoring (2,262 points), No. 3 in steals (358), No. 6 in rebounds (1,073) and No. 9 in assists (466) in the storied history of the program. Known for her picture-pretty jump shot, she made the 20-member LSWA All-Century Team for college hoops chosen in 1999. Her No. 5 jersey is retired.

After graduating as valedictorian for her senior class at Shady Grove High School, Turner was named to the U.S. National Women's U20 team in 1978, leading the team in scoring at the Pam American Games. She scored 3,780 points in high school.

The Class of 2020 will be enshrined Saturday, June 27, in Natchitoches to culminate the 61^st Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Induction Celebration June 25-27.
The 2020 Induction Class will be showcased in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum, operated by the Louisiana State Museum system in a partnership with the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. The striking two-story, 27,500-square foot structure faces Cane River Lake in the National Historic Landmark District of Natchitoches and has garnered worldwide architectural acclaim and rave reviews for its contents since its grand opening during the 2013 Hall of Fame induction weekend.

A 35-member Louisiana Sports Writers Association committee selected the 2020 inductees. The panel considered a record 150 nominees from 31 different sport categories on a 33-page ballot, said Hall of Fame chairman Doug Ireland. 

The eight new competitive ballot inductees will raise the total of Hall of Fame members to 350 competitors honored since the first induction class --  baseball's Mel Ott, world champion boxer Tony Canzoneri and LSU football great Gaynell Tinsley -- were enshrined in 1959 after their election a year earlier.

The 2020 Induction Celebration weekend will be hosted by the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Foundation, the support organization for the Hall of Fame.  The LSHOF Foundation was established as a 501 c 3 non-profit entity in 1975 and is governed by a statewide board of directors.  For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Foundation President/CEO Ronnie Rantz at 225-802-6040 or RonnieRantz@LaSportsHall.com.  Standard and customized sponsorships are available.