Gary Robinson is Gardner-Webb’s only first team All-American baseball player.  He received this honor in 1975.  In 1974, Robinson was named first team All-State by the Greensboro News and Record, first team All-District 26, first team All-Region and team Most Valuable Player.  He served as team captain during the 1974 season.  In 1975, Robinson was named All-District 26 and All-State once again in addition to his All-American honors.  His .466 batting average in 1974 still stands as a Gardner-Webb single season record.  Robinson is currently the head baseball coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he has compiled a 280-244-3 record during the last 10 years.  He has coached five teams to 30 or more wins and was the 1984 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year.  Robinson is also noted as having coached four players who have played in the major leagues, three of them still active, and has coached eight players that are still active in the minor league system.  Altogether, 34 of Robinson’s players have signed professional contracts in his 10 years at UNC-C.

Rodney Robinson’s final season of varsity competition at Gardner-Webb was magical, both for the individual and for the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ team.  In 1992, the Shelby, NC wide receiver made his mark on the school’s football record book, smashing nearly all career and single-season receiving records while helping Gardner-Webb to a 12-2 record and the NAIA National Championship Bowl.  Robinson finished the 1992 season with a school record 114 catches, 1,792 yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games, earning first-team All-American honors from Kodak, The Associated Press and the NAIA.  Robinson’s single-season marks still stand as Gardner-Webb and South Atlantic Conference records.  In addition to his All-American honors in 1992, Robinson was also named 1992 SAC Offensive Player of the Year, and was named first-team All-Conference for the second time.  Robinson, who played at nearby Shelby High under Gardner-Webb graduate and high school coaching legend Jim Taylor, finished his career as the Gardner-Webb career leader in receptions (188), receiving yards (3,189), career yards per catch (17.0) and receiving touchdowns (29) – records that still stand 10 years after his final season.  Robinson’s 29 career touchdowns are also still a South Atlantic Conference record, as is his mark of 1,063 receiving yards per season.  Following his college success at GWU, Robinson went on to a successful career as an Arena Football League receiver for the Charlotte Rage. 

Ken Sanford of Rutherfordton, NC was destined for greatness at Gardner-Webb after a stellar four-year varsity football career at Hart County High School from 1956-59.  An immediate impact player for the Bulldogs in 1960, Sanford tied for the Most Valuable Player award as a freshman halfback and defensive back.  That year he was selected conference Player of the Week twice be4fore being named an All-Conference performer at season’s end.  Sanford’s sophomore year in 1961 yielded even more honors as he was named Most Valuable Player for a Bulldog team he led to the conference championship.  That year, Sanford was also selected to the All-Conference team and later named as a First Team All-American Junior College performer.  In addition to his accomplishments on offense and defense for the football team, Sanford also starred on the school’s track team, and was a member of the mile relay team that won the conference title his freshman year.  His talents were later showcased at Western Carolina University, where he broke the school rushing record in 1962, was named as the team’s Most Valuable Player and earned honorable mention All-American honors.

Kristen (Lott) Setzer finished her playing career as one of the most decorated soccer players in Gardner-Webb University history, laying the groundwork for a program in its early stages of development.  Setzer made her impact quickly, scoring an impressive 19 goals as a freshman in 1992, a single-season record that still remains for the freshman class.  One of the most prolific goal scorers to ever to play in Boiling Springs, Setzer finished her career s the Bulldogs’ career leader in total points (113) and goals scored (49), and remained tied for the career lead in goals scored 11 years later.  Setzer’s postseason honors during her playing career rival those of any student-athlete, as she earned All-South Atlantic Conference honors four times and was a two-time NAIA All-District 26 selection.  She was the first female student-athlete in Gardner-Webb University history to earn All-SAC honors four years consecutively in the same sport.  As a freshman in 1992, Setzer helped take a Bulldog program that had just one conference win in its first two seasons to a 4-3 league record and a 12-7 overall mark.  That overall record stood as the program’s best for seven seasons.  At the time of her Hall of Fame induction, Setzer remained among the South Atlantic Conference’s career leaders in goals, ranking 10^th in league history, and ranked 12^th in career points scored.

Steve Sherman’s two seasons with the Gardner-Webb golf program proved fruitful, as the Bulldogs captured an NAIA National Championship in 1977 and finished second during Sherman’s senior year of 1979.  The Shelby, NC native was a major factor in the Golden Era of Gardner-Webb golf under legendary Coach Garland Allen, becoming one of only three golfers in school history to be honored as a two-time All-America selection.  Sherman joined the Bulldogs’ program after transferring from Appalachian State University in 1977.  In his first season with Gardner-Webb, Sherman fired a four-round score of 296 to place fifth at the NAIA National Tournament in Saginaw, Mich.  He earned first-team All-America honors while leading the Bulldogs to their second-straight national crown.  Sherman was also named All-District 26 that season and was the low amateur in the 1977 North Carolina Open Tournament. As a senior in 1979, Sherman was solid again, shooting 291 in the National Tournament to lead the Bulldogs to a second-place team score.  Sherman was also an All-District 26 selection that season and won the first annual Gardner-Webb Fall Invitational.  After his playing career at Gardner-Webb, Sherman remained close to the sport.  Currently the Golf Director for Shelby City Parks and Recreation, Sherman has also served as assistant golf pro at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte and remains active in the Cleveland County Golf Association.

Former Gardner-Webb standout Henry L. Smith (’53) ranks as one of the top student-athletes to play two sports in the school’s rich history.  Smith competed for the Bulldogs from 1951-1953 on the gridiron and the hardwood.  In football, he led the Bulldogs to a pair of junior college bowl games, rushing for 716 yards and an average of 5.8 yards per carry.  As a sophomore, he also led the team with a 36.9 punting average – a testament to his versatility.  An All-State selection in football, Smith held the school record for the longest punt from scrimmage until 1973, when his 71-yard boot was surpassed by Rich Chapman’s 73-yard kick.  In basketball, Smith led the Bulldogs in scoring as a sophomore, averaging better than 17 points per game.  On the hardwood, Smith was a two-time All-State selection and team captain, also earning All-Tournament honors for two straight seasons.  Off the field, Smith also excelled.  The Gaston County native was president of the Letterman’s Club and the Dormitory Council.  He also served as a freshman class officer and was a member of the Student Council.  After earning his two-year degree from Gardner-Webb, Smith matriculated to Lenoir-Rhyne College where he played both football and basketball for the Bears.  Upon graduation from the Hickory, NC school, Smith went on to earn his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from the University of Virginia, where he served as a student assistant coach with the Cavaliers.  A renowned educator during his professional career, Smith currently resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he lives with his wife, LaVonne Stroup Smith, of 45 years. Still an active athlete, Smith has competed in four national Senior Olympic Games and 12 state Senior Olympics, winning numerous medals.

Chip Stuart is the most recognizable player to ever play football at Gardner-Webb.  He is the holder of many school, South Atlantic Conference, and NAIA passing records and was a first team All-American in 1982.  Stuart holds Gardner-Webb single game records for passing yards (401), passes attempted (64), passes completed (32 on two occasions), TD passes (6) and total offense (388 yards).  He holds school single season records TD passes thrown (23 in 1982), most yards passing (2,389 in 1982), most passes completed (211 in 1982), best completion percentage (58.6 in 1982), and total offense (2,177 yards in 1982).  This outstanding player also holds Gardner-Webb career records for TD passes thrown (58), passing yards (7,455), passes completed (648), passes attempted (1,170), completion percentage (55.0) and total offensive yards (6,984).  Stuart still holds South Atlantic Conference single game records for passing attempts (64), most passing yards (401) and most TD passes (5).  He holds single season SAC records for passing attempts (360), completions (211), passing yards (2,389) and TD passes (23).  He holds career SAC records for passing attempts (1,179), completions (648), passing yards (7,455), TD passes (58) and most consecutive passes without an interception (172), which is also a NAIA national record.  After leaving Gardner-Webb, Stuart played professionally in Canada and entered the high school coaching ranks.  He is presently the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director at Irwin County High School in Ocilla, GA. 

Frank Taylor of Columbia, SC exploded upon the collegiate football scene, becoming Gardner-Webb’s first freshman running back to break the 1,000-yard barrier.  He finished his rookie campaign with 1,014 yards on 201 carries and five rushing touchdowns.  His efforts helped lead the Bulldogs to the 1973 Poultry Bowl, the school’s first appearance in a bowl game aw a four-year institution.  He was a key component in the Bulldogs offensive attack over the next three years and finished his career as Gardner-Webb’s all-time leading rusher with 2,602 yards on 501 carries for a 5.2 yards per carry average.  He scored 16 touchdowns on the ground and was the school’s first back to run for 200 yards when he collected 214 yards on 25 carries versus Newberry.  Taylor graduated from Gardner-Webb in 1978 with a degree in Health and Physical Education.  He is a successful businessman and community leader in the Columbia area.