The Chattanooga Central High School Alumni Association is pleased to announce the Chattanooga Central High School Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Induction to the Hall of Fame takes place annually at one of the school’s home football games. Inductees have distinguished themselves as accomplished members of the athletic community in high school, college, and beyond. They are also recognized leaders, and their actions favorably reflect upon Central High School.
The Sports Hall of Fame first inducted athletes in 2013 and has grown to include over 75 Purple Pounders with esteemed sports careers.
The athletes will be inducted in the Central High School cafeteria at a barbeque dinner at 5:00 p.m.
on Friday, September 5, 2025. Dinner will be provided for free by the Alumni Association.
Following the induction, the Purple Pounders football team will face an opponent on Etter-Farmer Field at 7 p.m. The new inductees will be recognized at halftime.
The 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees:
William L. “Chink” Brown (CHS Class of 1958)
William L. “Chink” Brown was one of the most accomplished quarterbacks in Central High School history, running Coach Etter’s famed “Belly Option” offense to perfection. As a senior in 1957, he led the Purple Pounders to a 10–1 season, capped by a state championship, despite being the only returning starter from the prior year. That season, Brown earned All-City, All-State, All-Southern, and Honorable Mention All-American honors, and served as team captain.
Brown received numerous football scholarship offers before committing to Auburn University, the reigning 1957 national champions. His leadership extended beyond the field—he was Sergeant of Arms for the senior class, ROTC captain, voted “Most Athletic,” and a May Day King candidate. After transferring to the University of Chattanooga and later earning a Juris Doctor from Cumberland Law School at Samford University, Brown embarked on a distinguished legal career.
He served as a judge for the City of Red Bank, was appointed Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge by the Governor, and later elected to a full eight-year term in 1990. He was also appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to a committee on alternative dispute resolution, conducted over 1,750 mediations and arbitrations, and became a partner at Miller & Martin Attorneys. His portrait hangs in the Hamilton County Courthouse, and he was honored with the prestigious Jac Chambliss Lifetime Achievement Award.
Brandon Deal (CHS Class of 1995)
A multi-sport standout, Brandon Deal excelled in soccer, football, and cross country. He was a four-time All-Region Honorable Mention selection in soccer (1992–1995) and earned the Soccer Offensive Player Award in 1995. Known as the career leader in goals scored by a defender, he was named MVP of the Conyers, Georgia Tournament in 1991 and played for both the East Tennessee and Tennessee Olympic Development Teams.
In football, Deal received the Most Improved Award in 1994. In soccer, he collected multiple team honors, including the Defensive Player Award in 1995, 100% Award in 1996, and Coaches Award in 1998. Deal made history as the first Central High School boys soccer player to sign a college scholarship, playing at Tennessee Wesleyan College from 1995–1999.
After college, he continued his passion for the sport by competing in the San Luis League in 2001. His career is marked by his dedication, versatility, and trailblazing role in Central’s soccer program.
Van Shumaker (CHS Class of 1981)
Van Shumaker was a three-sport athlete, earning letters in baseball, football, and basketball. In football, he was named All-County as both a kicker and end in 1980. On the baseball diamond, he was a four-year letterman and team captain, hitting .338 with six home runs and 41 RBIs at Chattanooga State in 1984. That year, he was also named the Old Timers Club Baseball Player of the Year.
Shumaker continued his career at Birmingham-Southern College, earning Southern States All-Conference honors in 1985 and 1986, and setting a single-season home run record with 15 in 1985. He was named NAIA District 27 Player of the Week and was offered an opportunity to play professionally in the New York–Penn League.
Beyond his collegiate career, Shumaker excelled in slow-pitch softball as a shortstop for various senior teams and achieved notable success in golf, including winning the 1989 Creeks Bend Golf Club Championship and recording five career holes-in-one, with a lowest competitive round of 65 at WindStone Golf Club.