On Saturday, April 5, 2025, Johnston County Public Schools (JCPS) inducted the 16th class into the JCPS Hall of Fame with a special recognition ceremony at Smithfield-Selma High.
Since 2007, the Hall of Fame celebration has honored the rich athletic history in Johnston County by recognizing the efforts and accomplishments of these dedicated educators, athletes, and coaches.
“This year, we are celebrating four individuals who each had a profound impact on their communities at-large, and the overall experience of student-athletes involved in education-based athletics. This is a special day each year for JCPS Athletics as we remember those before us, their lessons, their impact, and what is special about being a part of a supportive community like Johnston that has had so many special individuals lay the foundation for where we are today,” Director of Athletics and Driver Education Josh Plisko said.
The 2025 JCPS Athletic Hall of Fame inductees are:
Nathan Alford, Jr. - “Mr. Alford” is a name that is familiar, not only to former Benson Middle School students, but to most Benson’s local population as well. Nathan Alford grew up in the Benson/Four Oaks schools, graduated from St. Augustine’s College, and began his career in the Johnston County Public School System in 1969.
Nathan’s parents were Mrs. Annie Mae and Mr. Nathan Alford. He grew up and has continued to live in Benson with his wife Shirley. He taught in Benson schools his entire career, teaching social studies and health/pe. His former students praise him for being a knowledgeable and fair teacher, and they love to talk about his coaching- basketball, football, and total dedication to the sports program. Through his four plus decades serving in various roles as a dedicated educator, coach, and athletic director his impact on the fundamental athletic programing values of the area were surely established and pasted on.
Faculty members say the words “respect and caring” describe this man who taught many students about life and family as well as subject matter. Teachers remember how he could advise young men on and off the field or court, always taking time for others.
Nathan was honored in 2019 as Benson’s Black History Award recipient, to the delight of all who know him. Mr. Alford was presented a book composed of former students’ comments that were shared through media. There will be many more of those after this award. “No one is more deserving” they will say.
Today the former athletic director is a licensed ministered pastor. He is active in Freedom of Christ Ministry in Selma. He has served as Deacon of New Disciples Church in Fayetteville for years and leads a growing congregation along with his wife. His leadership and insight are community wide as the church continues to be strong.
Mr. Nathan Alford – Our JCPS honoree will always dwell in the hearts of all students he taught and to those he did not teach or coach but gave direction. Congratulations to an excellent citizen of Johnston County...Benson’s own Nathan Alford Jr.
Coach John Jacobs - Coach John Jacobs grew up in the Cleveland community as a young boy where he played Little League baseball and Junior High football, basketball, and baseball. Upon entering high school, the family moved to the Smithfield area where he was a standout football, basketball, and baseball player. He was also a member of the golf team.
John was an outstanding football player and in 1985 he led the Smithfield- Selma Spartans to the Eastern North Carolina finals where they lost to Terry Sanford in overtime. He was ranked as one of the top five football players in the state of North Carolina. He was named All-State and was selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas.
John was recruited to play football by many schools, but chose to play at the University of North Carolina. He was also a Morehead Scholarship nominee at UNC. While at Carolina, John had an outstanding freshman year nearly breaking the single-season receiving record for a freshman. One of his fondest memories playing football at UNC was blocking a punt against NC State in 1987 which was returned for a touchdown.
Upon graduating from UNC, he was a successful businessman but his love for kids eventually brought him to the classroom where he began his teaching and coaching career. John taught Social Studies and coached various sports including football, basketball, and baseball. He taught for 16 years, 9 at Princeton and 7 at Cleveland.
While at Cleveland John was the Head Varsity Boys Basketball coach and head JV Baseball coach. He was also an assistant football coach. The teams he was a part of had a record of 373 wins,268 losses, 1 tie, winning 12 conference championships at both the varsity and JV level. He was very proud of the 2015 Boys basketball team that went 22-4 and advanced to the 3rd round of the playoffs.
In August of 2016, John was diagnosed with skin cancer and over the next year the cancer spread to other parts of his body. John continued to coach although he attended treatment weekly. He continued to fight the disease even coaching the first 5 football games of the season that year. On October 24, 2017, John lost his battle with cancer to go be with the Lord.
Rooster Narron - Samuel Richard “Rooster” Narron is a part of the rich baseball traditions of Eastern North Carolina. Rooster grew up in the Corinth Holders area in Emit, NC.
He played baseball at Corinth Holders High from his freshman year until his junior year. In 1964, during his senior year, he played for and graduated from Goldsboro High School under Coach George Whitfield. From 1962 to 1964, Rooster was a standout American Legion baseball player for Post 11 in Goldsboro. His primary position throughout his career was catcher.
A native of Johnston County, Rooster’s high school accolades include two-time All-State honors during his junior & senior years. He concluded his senior year by playing in the high school East-West State Games.
His talent of receiving the ball, having a strong arm, and a loud bat garnered the interest of East Carolina University’s Coach Earl Smith, who happened to be from Micro, NC. His next stop was East Carolina University as a member of the baseball team. In 1966, Narron was named All-Southern Conference, All-State, and was an All-America and All-District nominee.
Narron played on East Carolina’s first two Southern Conference championship baseball teams, helping the Pirates to a 17- 10 record in 1966 and a 23-6 record in 1967. In 1967, Narron was the team captain and received All-American honors. During his college career, he received the NCAA All-American Award, a first for ECU’s athletic program. Narron went on to sign with the New York Mets in 1967 and played there until moving to the Baltimore Orioles for the 1970 season.
After playing professionally, Rooster, along with a friend, opened up Sportsman’s World, which operated for 46 years, selling sports equipment to the communities of Eastern North Carolina. He had this to say about his time with Sportsman’s World: “It’s a tough business, but it was a lot of fun, especially the people you meet and the people you deal with.” By staying engaged with local coaches and schools, he made a difference in those communities. Being a good person first and a businessman second led to his continued success for many years.
Through the foresight and wishes of Rooster to pass on his father Sam’s story, he unknowingly created and enhanced the Johnston County baseball experience. Since 1998, this has been done by his commitment to the presentation of the Sam Narron Award. The perpetual plaque is located in the JCPS Board of Education Building. The plaque reads, “This Award is presented to the Johnston County High School baseball player who has shown the most love for the game of baseball through ‘Determination, Dedication and Sacrifice’”. The award also includes a small scholarship. As of 2025, 28 senior baseball players are listed on the plaque, and JCPS is proud that the Narron family plans to continue this tradition.
At the time of his induction, Samuel Richard “Rooster” Narron has been married to his lovely wife Robin since 1978, and stays busy playing golf and gardening. He also enjoys visiting and caring for his family’s farm off of Hwy 39. He deeply enjoys being involved in his four grandchildren’s lives: Lillie, Trey, Eleanor, and Win. His daughter Ginny is a school nurse in Wayne County, and his son Sam is a pitching coordinator for the Washington Nationals. He is proud of his whole family and all of their accomplishments.
Johnnie Stott - Coach Stott was born and raised in Wilson NC, across the street from the Historic Fleming Stadium. He graduated from Charles L. Coon High School where he excelled in football and baseball. He was recruited by colleges to play football and baseball, but chose to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to play baseball for Coach Walter Rabb. He played a major role in the team’s first-ever trip to the College World Series in Omaha in 1960. He played baseball professionally in the Minnesota Twins organization with Hall of Famer Tony Olivia and future MLB manager Jack McKeon until an arm injury ended his playing career in 1962.
Soon after, he began coaching at Rocky Mount High School, where he was blessed to be part of the Blackbird’s coaching staff that won the State Championships in football and baseball during the 1962-63 school year. He was fortunate to coach football-great Jim Clack of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the talented Danny Talbert of UNC baseball and football fame.
He married Jean Pope Stott and had three children, Lynn and twin boys, Ray and Jay. To better support his family, Stott left the classroom and moved to Smithfield in 1966 where he quickly became involved in faith and community activities. He was a long- time member of Johnston Union FWB Church, where he served as a deacon, choir director, and Sunday School teacher. He worked at Burlington Industries (where he played on the softball team, of course) and was the Johnston County Tax Administrator for 19 years. Stott passed away in 1994 at the age of 54.
Along the way, he coached many baseball teams in Smithfield and Johnston County including the Orange Charger T-ballers and the Brack Wilson Forders Little Leaguers (1973-1977). He became the Johnston County American Legion head coach in 1979 (assisted by Ray Tanner, a fellow JC Hall of Famer) and was the winningest coach in the program’s history when he left in 1984. Many of those games were chronicled by Jim Laughter, (a fellow JC Hall of Famer) in the Smithfield Herald over the years!
Incredibly, for over 25 years he also found time to officiate high school football and umpire high school and college baseball (some of those games with fellow JC Hall of Famers Amby Foote and Mike Wooten). He particularly enjoyed calling games at the Johnston County Easter Tournament hosted each year by South Johnston High School. The family is grateful to Coach Pat Smith (a fellow JC Hall of Famer) who named the tournament MVP award in his memory, which continues to this day.
It is inspiring that he coached, coached with, or worked with 10 members of the current JC Hall of Fame. His legacy continues today through his sons who started Purpose Driven Baseball in his honor. Purpose Driven Baseball intends to equip players for the sport of baseball, but more importantly for a life with purpose. Coach Stott found his purpose through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. If you knew him, there was never any doubt that life for Coach Stott was about Faith, Family, and Baseball!
He is survived by his wife, Jean, sons Ray and Jay, his daughter Lynn, 7 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren (and two on the way!).
On Oct. 27, 2014, JCPS established a permanent display of all inductees as a way to say thank you to the individuals who have helped shape athletic history in Johnston County. The Johnston County Athletic Hall of Fame display is in the Evander S. Simpson Building, located at 2329 US 70 Business, Smithfield, NC, and can be viewed during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.
Nominations for possible future inductees can be made through the athletic director at each high school. See all former inductees and past programs HERE.