Hall of Fame event gives Rock Hill unique chance to connect with ‘heroes of the past’
William Cureton has seen handfuls of athletes with enormous talent grow up in Rock Hill and then do big things away from home.
Because of that, it’s perhaps not too surprising that Cureton, who graduated from Northwestern High in 1987 and who almost exclusively goes by the name Q-Rock, has developed a sort of instinct — a skill at determining who’s bound to what destiny.
“We always knew Ben (Watson) was special,” the longtime football coach and teaching assistant told The Herald on Tuesday night, his mask covering up but not hiding his excited smile. “Just by the way he carried himself. I told Coach (Jimmy) Wallace, ‘He’s a special player.’ You know who’s really got it and who doesn’t. And Ben had it.”
Stories like this one from Q-Rock, over time, consume and decide a town’s memory. And those kinds of stories were everywhere Tuesday night, scattered across the Trojans’ gym where Benjamin Watson, Tom Sparks and Benjie Young were officially welcomed into the Northwestern High School Hall of Fame. The three of them were inducted at halftime of the Rock Hill-Northwestern boys’ basketball game.
Two others, runners Brandon Hudgins and Angelina Blackmon, weren’t present but were honored, too, as inductees in the Class of 2020.
“As a little boy, all I wanted to do was play here,” said Young, a two-year starter at USC who returned to Northwestern upon college graduation. He has stayed at NHS for nearly 30 years as a coach and a teacher.
In a royal blue jacket and freshly shined shoes, Young (Class of 1992) said he was blessed that his father, who picked him up every day after practice, was there with him to celebrate the night with him. He also said he remembered his coaching days more than his playing days because of how he was able to make an impact on kids’ lives.
“I never have been comfortable (talking about myself), but, you know, ask about any of the athletes I’ve coached, and I can rattle some stuff off,” Young said. “It’s always more gratifying getting those kids to go to another level.”
A lot of people were like Young Tuesday night, dodging the spotlight and recalling someone else’s heroics.
Longtime track and field and cross country coach Calvin Hudgins reminisced on the days when Watson, a future Georgia football and NFL star for 15 seasons, was on the Trojan track team. I joked and asked him if the rumors were true — that Watson was known more for his prowess on the track than on the football field.
“I don’t think anyone would agree with that,” Hudgins replied and laughed. (When asked, Watson didn’t agree either — although he said he loved the sport of track and especially loved competing in events like the 100 and 200 against runners half his size.)
On Tuesday, Watson himself had stories to tell about others, too: The tight end reflected on moving to Rock Hill from Norfolk, Va., when he was in the 10th grade. He was the only sophomore on that 1996 team, he said, which was then coached by Jimmy “Moose” Wallace.
Wallace was there on Tuesday to give a hug to and catch up with his former player, and Watson had a lot to say about him.
“I can remember his motivational speeches before we’d run out in District Three Stadium on the field. But he always talked about the importance of being a complete person, and understanding that your character is important,” Watson said. “Even at 70 years old, he hasn’t lost his intensity or his strength. The man will grab you right now and squeeze your arm and you’ll lose blood flow to your fingers. He’s still intense. He’s still strong.”
Watson also talked about his NFL playing days and his pride in being a Trojan and calling Rock Hill home Tuesday.
“So many times in the NFL locker rooms we are arguing who had the best high school team, and who came from the best hometown, who got the most guys in the league,” Watson said. “So there was great pride. And you know my last year, I was on a team with Stephon Gilmore and we sat here and were like, ‘Look, we’re both from the same town.’ So... I just have such an appreciate for this honor.”
Before leaving, Watson was approached by Mason Rudolph, current quarterback on the Pittsburgh Steelers and another Northwestern High alum. The two are friends, and they talked quietly about shoes and moving into new homes and other regular people stuff as camerapeople and reporters acted like they weren’t paying attention.
It’ll be a few years until Rudolph is inducted into this group. But the stories about him and what he meant to this town are already spreading — just as the stories of other Hall of Fame athletes had before him.
“Tonight was about connecting heroes of the past and their stories,” said Northwestern athletic director Jimmy Duncan, “which is important for learning who we are.”
This story was originally published February 3, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
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