Last Updated on August 27, 2025 7:29 pm
BOONE, N.C. — App State's Former Athletes Association is excited to announce the 2025 App State Athletics Hall of Fame class.
In alphabetical order, the 2025 inductees are Ryan Arrowood (Baseball — 2008-12), Pete Camelo (Football/Baseball — 1978-1982), Dr. Sabrina Hill-Johnson (Women's Track & Field/Volleyball — 1989-92), Dexter Jackson (Football/Men's Track & Field — 2004-07) and DJ Smith (Football — 2007-10).
This is the 50th class in the history of the App State Athletics Hall of Fame. The group will be recognized with an on-field ceremony during the Oct. 18 home football game against Coastal Carolina.
There also will be four Special Service Award winners recognized that evening: Earl “Junie” Bradshaw, C. Philip Byers, Joseph Gibbons and Jerry Harmon.
2025 APP STATE ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Ryan Arrowood (Baseball — 2008-12)
One of the most accomplished pitchers in App State Baseball history, Arrowood led the Mountaineers to a Southern Conference regular season championship, an at-large berth in an NCAA Regional (where App State started 2-0) and a program-record 41 wins in 2012 while posting an 11-0 record on the mound. In the regional round of the NCAA tournament, Arrowood took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of a victory over Oklahoma, bookending a season that also featured a combined three-hit shutout over No. 7 LSU for the team's first nationally ranked win in 30 years. Arrowood ranks first in program history in career wins (28) and strikeouts (252) while ranking second in career starts (52), career innings (298.2), single-season wins (11) and single-season strikeouts (93). A two-time All-SoCon pitcher, he was named SoCon Pitcher of the Year, an all-region performer and an NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team selection in 2012. He was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 2012 and played five professional seasons, reaching Triple-A. More than a decade after his collegiate career concluded, he returned to App State to complete his degree in recreation management in 2023.
Pete Camelo (Football/Baseball — 1978-1982)
Originally a walk-on member of App State's football team, Camelo parlayed his collegiate career on the gridiron into a professional baseball career. After totaling 750 rushing yards and another 770 receiving yards as a four-year running back for the Mountaineers from 1978-1981, he made his transition to the diamond in the spring of 1982 and produced one of the best power hitting seasons in program history. Camelo belted a conference-leading 16 home runs and added six triples to post the best single-season slugging percentage in program history on his way to being named to the All-Southern Conference team as a designated hitter. His .804 slugging percentage that season is still the seventh-best mark in a season in SoCon history. Camelo signed a professional contract with the Montreal Expos and played five seasons in their minor league system, totaling 63 home runs.
Dr. Sabrina Hill-Johnson (Women's Track & Field/Volleyball — 1989-92)
Competing on the Mountaineers' track and field and volleyball teams as a two-sport athlete, Hill-Johnson won seven Southern Conference titles as a high jumper and triple jumper, competing on both the indoor and outdoor teams. She helped lead the Mountaineers to SoCon team titles all four years in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. She currently is tied for the program record in the women's outdoor high jump with a clearance of 5 feet, 10 inches, is tied for sixth all-time for the indoor high jump with a clearance of 5-8 and is tied for ninth all-time for the women's outdoor triple jump with a leap of 41-7. Hill-Johnson also competed for four seasons on the volleyball team, culminating with first-team All-Southern Conference honors and all-tournament honors in 1991. She earned second-team all-conference recognition in 1990, when she helped App State win the SoCon's regular season title.
Dexter Jackson (Football/Men's Track & Field — 2004-07)
A three-time national champion at wide receiver, Jackson rose to the occasion to create some seminal moments in App State Football history. He caught touchdown passes in the 2005 national semifinal game victory and 2007 national championship game victory as well as two touchdown passes (covering 68 and 20 yards) during the first half of the 2007 victory over Michigan to land on the cover of Sports Illustrated. A two-time all-conference selection, Jackson ranks seventh in program history with 17 career touchdown receptions and 12th with 1,846 career receiving yards. A prolific return man, Jackson also ranks third in program history for both career and single-season punt return yardage, highlighted by two punt return touchdowns in a 2006 win against Gardner-Webb en route to a national player of the week selection. Jackson also competed as a sprinter on the App State track and field team, winning the 200-meter dash at the Southern Conference Championships in 2007 and placing second in the 100-meter dash in just his second-ever collegiate meet. After showcasing his talents at the East-West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl, Jackson was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second round in 2008, becoming the second-highest selection by a Mountaineer. He also spent time with the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets and averaged 23.4 yards per kickoff return during his NFL career.
DJ Smith (Football — 2007-10)
Smith started the final nine games of App State's 2007 national championship run as a true freshman and had more than 120 tackles in each of his four collegiate seasons, including two in which he earned recognition as a first-team All-American (2009-10). A three-time All-Southern Conference selection, Smith finished his career with 50 straight starts and ranks second behind only Dexter Coakley on the App State career tackles list with 525 stops. A sixth-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2011, Smith made three starts in 16 games as a rookie and started six more games the following year. He totaled 82 tackles, two sacks and one interception with the Packers before spending time with the San Diego Chargers, Houston Texans, Carolina Panthers and Cleveland Browns from 2013-14. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Smith first returned to Boone as a member of Scott Satterfield's staff in 2016, helping App State amass a 42-10 overall record, four Sun Belt titles and a 4-0 bowl record over four seasons. After going to Missouri for five seasons, he is back in Boone as a first-year defensive coordinator.
