USC great Sossamon, Clemson icon Bourret among SC Hall honorees

The S.C. Athletic Hall of Fame on Monday announced five annual special award recipients.

Tim Bourret, Sam Wyche, Louis Sossamon, Phil Kornblut and Paul Kennemore will be honored for their contributions to sports in South Carolina when the Hall of Fame hosts its annual banquet and induction ceremony May 14 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Bourret, of Clemson, will be recognized with the Bobby Richardson Sportsmanship Award which is sponsored by the Sonny Dickinson Family. Bourret is concluding his 40th season with the Clemson Sports Communications Department, and for 24 years, he served as its director.

Wyche, from Greenville, will be honored with the Willie Jeffries Ambassador for Sports Award which is sponsored by Defender Services. A former Furman University quarterback from 1963-65, Wyche is a former player and former head coach for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals and quarterbacks coach for the San Francisco 49ers.

Sossamon, of Gaffney, will be recognized with the Felix “Doc” Blanchard Athlete/Citizen Award. He is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame (1974) and the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame (1968). The former center and linebacker played for the Gamecocks under coach Rex Enright.

Kornblut, from Latta, will be honored with the Herman Helms Excellence in Media Award. Kornblut has been behind the statewide SportsTalk microphone, a part of the S.C. Radio Network, for 34 years. He is a six-time recipient of the S.C. Sportscaster of the Year Award and covers recruiting for The State and other outlets.

Kennemore, of Greenwood, will receive the Dom Fusci Leadership in Action Award that is sponsored by Founders Federal Credit Union. After Greenwood native Paul Kennemore graduated from Greenwood High and Baptist College (now Charleston Southern University) in 1970, he joined the family business, Greenwood Saw Company and continued its prosperity until his retirement in 2014. He always has been an avid sports fan, especially boxing and football, and has fostered longtime relationships with the best in both industries.

The five will be recognized along with the Hall of Fame Class of 2018, which includes basketball standouts Ray Allen of UConn and Dalzell, Casey Manning of USC and Dillon, and Kenny Washington of Beaufort and UCLA, Clemson wrestler Sammie Henson, USC baseball player Drew Meyer, S.C. State athlete Sam Goodwin and marathon swimmer Kathleen Wilson of Charleston.

Tickets (table of eight for $600) and program sponsorships are available by calling the Hall of Fame at (803) 779-0905. The event, which includes a reception and dinner, begins at 5:30 p.m. May 14.

This story was originally published April 9, 2018 at 2:35 PM with the headline "USC great Sossamon, Clemson icon Bourret among SC Hall honorees."