RALEIGH, N.C. – Former Clemson All-American cornerback Donnell Woolford was among five new members elected to the board of directors of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame on Monday.

Woolford and two of the other new board members — retired Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Wellman and former Murphy High head football coach David Gentry – are also in the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Wellman and Gentry were inducted in 2024 while Woolford entered the Hall in ’21.

Also joining the three Hall of Famers on the Board are former N.C. A&T State quarterback Alan Hooker and long-time North Carolina sports journalist John Dell. The five new board members begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2026.

“We are delighted to welcome these five North Carolinians to our Board of Directors,” President Rick Webb said. “This diverse group of athletes, administrators and media will bring a unique perspective to our mission of honoring the best of this state’s rich sports history.”

Woolford, who is from Fayetteville, North Carolina, was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Bears in 1989. The cornerback came to the Bears after having an All-American career at Clemson, where he helped the Tigers win three straight ACC Championships from 1986-’89.

A two-time first team All-American, including a Consensus All-American in 1988, Woolford had 10 interceptions in his college career and was one of Clemson’s all-time best punt returners. He led the ACC and finished third nationally in 1987 with two returns for touchdowns and a 15.5-yard average per return.

Woolford had 187 career tackles at Clemson, including 12 tackles for loss.  

During his time at Clemson, the Tigers won three bowl games (against Stanford in 1986, Penn State in 1987, and Oklahoma in 1988). Clemson finished ranked in the top 10 nationally in both 1987 and 1988 and in the top 20 in 1986.^[4]

Woolford was later voted as one of the Greatest Clemson Tigers of the 20th Century and inducted into the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame.

The cornerback played 10 seasons in the NFL, including eight with the Bears, where he was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1993 and named All-Pro in 1994. He also played one season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997, where he had four interceptions.

Woolford, who played his last season with the Carolina Panthers, finished his NFL career with 36 interceptions.

The former Clemson star recently created the Donnell Woolford Dream Center to help children, military veterans and seniors grow together and help each other.