C.W. Post Will Induct Five New Members Into Football Hall Of Fame On Oct. 7
BROOKVILLE, N.Y. (Sept. 22, 2010) – The C.W. Post Department of Athletics announced the Class of 2010 Football Hall of Fame inductees. Major Finklin '77, Peter Gibson '82, Russ Cellan '80, Director of Athletics Bryan Collins and Ian Smart '03 will be honored as members of the Class of 2010 on Oct. 7 at the Tilles Center on campus.
Finklin played from 1973-76 and was part of the first Pioneer squad in program history that qualified for the NCAA tournament in 1976. At running back, he amassed 2,071 yards in his career and captained the team to a 9-3 record in 1976.
Gibson lined up at wide receiver during the 1980 and 1981 seasons and was also a member of the lacrosse team. Over the years, Gibson has been a tremendous supporter of C.W. Post's athletic programs and has served on several boards and committees. A successful entrepreneur in the field of computer technology, Gibson owned and operated BusinessEdge Solutions for 10 years and currently serves as President of 4Sight Ventures Group. He is also a Student-Athlete Development Advisor at Rutgers University.
Cellan played linebacker for the Pioneers for four years and flourished as a high school coach at Freeport High. One of the most successful coaches on Long Island, Cellan is 167-79-1 as a head coach and 157-63-1 at Freeport. Through the years he has mentored outstanding athletes, including NFL stars Morlon Greenwood (Houston Texans), D'Brickashaw Ferguson (New York Jets), Jerry Mackey (New York Jets) and Clifton Smith- Cleveland Browns. Cellan's Red Devils have made 16 playoff appearances and have won three Nassau County titles and three Long Island titles, most recently in 2009.
Collins is in his 13th season as head coach at C.W. Post and has a 94-41 overall record. Under his leadership, the Pioneers have become a perennial nationally-ranked squad that won four undisputed Northeast-10 Conference championships (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005) and a share of another NE-10 title (2006), as well as three times earning a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
Smart had an outstanding career at C.W. Post, amassing a remarkable 6,647 yards rushing in 45 games. He registered two games of 300+ yards rushing and six touchdowns, and ended his career in green and gold as the school's all-time leading rusher with 95 touchdowns. His senior season, he set school records with 2,536 yards rushing and 33 touchdowns. Smart also broke several national records as his 94 rushing touchdowns and 570 career points set new NCAA records. After graduation, Smart signed with the New York Jets before being allocated to NFL Europe to play for the Scottish Claymores. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004 and was active for six games. Smart most recently played for the British Columbia Lions of the CFL.