Zeno Wall was a standout on Gardner-Webb athletic teams of the early 1930s.  He lettered in football, basketball and baseball during his days at the College.  He stared at quarter back on the 1930 football team that won the North Carolina Junior College Football Championship and was selected as quarterback on the North Carolina Junior College All-Star Team.  Wall was also an outstanding defender, intercepting nine passes.  He averaged 43 yards per punt on 51 punts in 1930 and also kicked on field goal.  He scored eight touchdowns and was selected Outstanding Player in the North Carolina Junior College conference.  After leaving Gardner-Webb, Wall went on to Wake Forest University, where he was a standout on the 1930s teams.  He remains an active athlete today on the golf course.  He has recorded 19 holes-in-one as a golfer.  Wall is employed with the Chamber of Commerce in Gatlinburg, Tenn., where one publication has referred to him as, “the world’s biggest promoter of the city of Gatlinburg.

One of the most dominant defensive linemen to ever suit up for Gardner-Webb, Ralph Warthen made an impact during his two seasons with the Bulldogs.  The Warthen, GA product transferred to Gardner-Webb from the University of Georgia in 1980 and was an immediate starter on the line under Coach Tom Moore.  Warthen led the Bulldogs with eight sacks as a junior in 1980, earning second-team NAIA All-America honors in the process. He was a force, totaling 22 tackles in his first two starts of the season.  Warthen finished with 107 total tackles in 1980, one of the highest totals for a defensive lineman in school history.  His sack total as a junior still rates as the fourth-best single-season total in school history.  The 6-foot-5, 255-pounder became the first Gardner-Webb football player to be drafted by the National Football League, going in the eighth round of the 1982 NFL Draft to the Washington Redskins.  Warthen is one of only three Gardner-Webb players to be drafted by the NFL in 31 years of senior college football competition.  Warthen was also the first Gardner-Webb defensive lineman to be selected to an All-America team and is one of only four defensive linemen in GWU history to be recognized as an All-American.  Warthen currently resides in Shelby, NC.  

Washburn (1950-52), known for years to the Gardner-Webb University athletics family as “Dr. Gene”, has been synonymous with the Bulldogs’ since his days as a player with the GW football team in the 1950s.  Washburn came to Gardner-Webb College in 1950 and quickly joined the school’s football team under legendary coach Norman Harris, despite not having played football in high school.  Washburn played on the school’s first Golden Isle Bowl team in 1951 under Harris and earned the reputation as a durable player, never missing a practice or a game during his playing career.  The Bulldogs posted a perfect 8-0 regular-season record in 1951 before falling, 6-0, to South Georgia Junior College in the second annual Golden Isle Bowl.  A pre-med major during his days at Gardner-Webb College, Washburn went on to finish his four-year degree at Wake Forest University and later graduated from the Bowman-Gray School of Medicine.  He began practicing medicine in Boiling Springs in November 1962 and has been an integral part of Gardner-Webb athletics ever since.  During his tenure as the school’s team doctor, Washburn has cared for hundreds of talented athletes including former NBA standout Gabe Wilkins among others.  Washburn has been on the sidelines for countless wins and championships for several Gardner-Webb teams, ensuring the health and safety of the school’s student-athletes for over a third of a century.

Jim Wiles finished his coaching career at Gardner-Webb as one of the winningest men’s basketball coaches in school history.  Wiles spent 12 seasons at the helm of the Runnin’ Bulldogs, posting a 221-149 record during that time.  Wiles’ victory total is currently second on the Gardner-Webb career list, trailing only Hall of Famer Eddie Holbrook in that category.  Success was evident on the court during Wiles’ career at Gardner-Webb, as his teams posted six 20-win seasons, including a top mark of 25 wins in 1980-81.  Wiles’ teams advanced to the NAIA District 26 playoffs seven times, and to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City twice.  In 1978-79, Wiles led his Runnin’ Bulldogs to a national top-10 finish.  In addition to victories, Wiles produced outstanding players during his time in Boiling Springs.  He tutored four All-Americans during his tenure, including NBA players Eddie Lee Wilkins (New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers) and Ben Davis (Cleveland Cavaliers) and International professional standout Stan Easterling.  The 6-foot-10 Wilkins remains second on Gardner-Webb’s career scoring and rebounding lists, with 2,361 points and 1,103 rebounds to his credit.  The 6-foot-8 Easterling is still third on both lists, with 2,134 points and 1,062 rebounds during his time at Gardner-Webb.  Davis, a high-scoring guard, ranks just behind Easterling with 2,039 career points.  Wiles is the only basketball coach in Gardner-Webb history to coach three 2,000-point scorers.  Prior to joining the Gardner-Webb family, Wiles posted exceptional results at Anderson (SC) Junior College.  His record in charge of the Trojans was an amazing 248-65, which calculates to a .792 winning percentage.  Wiles’ 1977-78 Anderson squad finished with a perfect 27-0 record.

Eddie Lee Wilkins was perhaps Gardner-Webb’s most well-known athlete of the 1980s.  The two-time All American ranks as Gardner-Webb’s second all-time scorer (2361 points) and rebounder (1103 rebounds).  He was named All-District 26 three times and Honorable Mention All-American as a sophomore.  He averaged 24.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game as a junior.  Wilkins still holds several records at Gardner-Webb including single game records for free throws attempted (23 vs. Barber-Scotia), single season records for games played (360) and career records for games played (126) and most free throws made (577).  Wilkins has been an active professional basketball player since leaving Gardner-Webb.  He has played five seasons with the New York Knicks and split one season between Spain and the Continental Basketball Association.  He is also the sponsor of a youth basketball camp and other programs for youth in his hometown of Cartersville, GA.

Gabe Wilkins dominated the gridiron during his days in Boiling Springs, and finished his career as one of the most decorated football players in school history.  The Cowpens, SC native was a three-time All-America selection as a defensive end at Gardner-Webb, spending plenty of time in the opposing backfield with sights set on sacking the quarterback.  In 1992, Wilkins’ finest season as a GWU player, he recorded 79 total hits (51 solo), 13.0 tackles for loss, three pass break ups and 11 sacks – leading the Bulldogs to a 12-2 record and a South Atlantic Conference title.  Wilkins and the Bulldogs advanced to the 1992 NAIA National Championship Bowl, which was held in Ernest W. Spangler Stadium.  Wilkins finished his career with an impressive 265 total tackles, a school record 53.0 tackles for loss, a school record 29.0 quarterback sacks and 10 passes batted down.  Wilkins earned first-team All-America honors from the NAIA in 1992 and was an honorable mention choice in 1991.  In 1993, the former Broome (SC) High standout earned first-team Associated Press Little All-America honors and first-team Kodak All-America honors after registering 76 hits (44 solo), 17.0 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks and three pass break ups.  Wilkins was drafted by the NFL’s Green Bay Packers in the fourth round of the 1994 draft, and began a successful career with one of the league’s most storied franchises.  Wilkins played four seasons with the Packers, helping the team to consecutive NFC championships and a Super Bowl title in 1996.  Wilkins came into his own as a starter in 1997, starting 19 games, registering 52 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and an ESPY nominated 77-yard interception return vs. the Chicago Bears.  Following the 1997 season, Wilkins signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a free agent and spent two seasons with the team before retiring with over 100 career tackles and 13.5 sacks to his credit. 

Terry Wright’s playing career at Gardner-Webb is legendary, as the speedy outfielder manned the leadoff spot in the Diamond Dogs’ batting order and produced at a Hall of Fame level for four seasons (1991-1994). Wright was named All-South Atlantic Conference in each of his four seasons, becoming the first student-athlete in Gardner-Webb history to do so in the same sport.  He earned NCAA Division II third-team All-America honors in his final campaign, blistering the division’s pitchers in the process. Wright led the nation and set a new GWU record with 12 triples in 1994, batting .408 with 11 doubles, 21 steals, 49 runs and 44 RBI in the process – arguably the best all-around season in the school’s senior college history (1.114 OPS).  Even more impressively, Wright struck out just four times in 1994.  Wright finished his career with a strong .367 batting average, 254 hits, 155 runs scored, 65 stolen bases and batted .336 in his first professional season.  He then signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 1995.  Wright played for the Reds’ Class A affiliate in Charleston, WV, batting .288 to earn a spot in the South Atlantic League All-Star Game alongside current Major League All-Stars Vladimir Guerrero (Angels) and Andruw Jones (Dodgers).

Zim Zimmerman was a standout golfer for Gardner-Webb from 1973-77.  Zimmerman was named All-American in 1975 and 1976 as well as All-District 26 in 1975.  He played on the 1975 team that finished third in the nation as well as the 1976 and 1977 teams that won Gardner-Webb’s only two national titles.  He was a captain on both national title teams.  Zimmerman has remained active in golf since his days at Gardner-Webb.  He is presently the golf professional at Cedarbrook Country Club in Elkin, NC and president of Zim’s Golf Shop, Inc.  He has been the host PGA professional and tournament coordinator of five NAIA Collegiate golf tournaments and has been elected to Class A membership to the Professional Golfers’ Association of America.  He has been active in the Gardner-Webb Bulldog Club and is President of the Surry County Gardner-Webb Alumni Association.