Four new members will be inducted into the East Texas Baptist University Athletic Tiger Hall of Fame in 2021 in a ceremony on the ETBU campus on Saturday, April 24. The class includes Donald Rominger, a former ETBU administrator, Janice (Sanders) Hearn, Women's Basketball, Arden (Tunnell) Johnson, Volleyball, and Jabori Jackson, Football.
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Dr. Donald Rominger served at ETBU from 1987-2000, fulfilling the roles of Vice President of Academic Affairs and Chief Student Affairs Officer, in addition to other positions on the Hill. He played an instrumental role in the addition of the Tiger Football program at ETBU in 2000 and the founding of the ETBU Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame. Rominger graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University and received his master's degree from the University of Oklahoma. He spent his early years teaching and coaching at several high schools throughout Oklahoma before being named Head Track Coach and Assistant Football Coach at Northeastern A&M College, where the football team won the Junior College National Championship in 1969. He also helped start the Track and Field program in 1970. After completing his Ph.D. at Oklahoma State, Rominger was named the Head Football Coach at McPherson College in 1973, where he also served as an Assistant Professor, and for two years as the Director of Athletics and Head Track and Field Coach. Following his stint at McPherson, Rominger was named the Director of Student Development at University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Rominger is married to Janelle, a former college piano professor, and they are members at First Baptist Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma. They have five children and 13 grandchildren. Rominger is the 13th member of the Hall of Fame for Special Recognition.
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Janice Hearn was a two-year member for the ETBU Women's Basketball team from 1987-88 and 1988-89. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 1989 from East Texas Baptist University. ETBU won 33 games within those two years and qualified for the NAIA District Tournament both years. She tallied 633 points, averaging 13.4 points per game, while recording 270 rebounds (5.7 per game), and 117 assists (2.4 per game). She shot 44% from the floor and 75.2% on free throws. Hearn is the Assistant Director of Claims Administration and Customer Service and Records Research at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) in Dallas, Texas, where she oversees the payment of deposit insurance for insured banks located in the United States in the event an insured bank fails. Hearn began her career as a Bank Liquidation Specialist in the FDIC's Division of Liquidation in 1990 and has since held various positions within the FDIC, including Department Head of Claims Administration, Senior Executive Assistant, Records Manager in the Chicago Regional Office, Assistant Director for Receivership Operations during the sunset of the California Temporary Satellite Office, and Acting Assistant Director for Receivership Operations at the Illinois Temporary Satellite Office. Hearn was a participant in the Women's Executive Leadership Program, completed the FDIC Perspective on Organizational Leadership, and FDIC Leadership Cohort Program, and is a past recipient of the Chairman's Excellence Robert F. Longworth Award for Leadership. Janice is married to her high school sweetheart, Lazar Hearn, and is the proud mother of two amazing daughters, Ashley and Alicia. Hearn is the sixth member of the Hall of Fame for ETBU Women's Basketball.
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Arden Johnson enjoyed four Tiger Volleyball seasons (2002-05) at ETBU, and finished as the all-time ETBU and ASC leader with 2,015 kills and 223 aces. She set the single-season record of 580 in 2005, averaging 4.91 kills per set and has the single game record of 34 in 2003 against Austin College. She ranks fifth in program history in blocks with 67, posting a career-high of eight vs. Concordia-Texas in 2004. A four-time All-ASC player and All-ASC East first team member, she helped ETBU win back-to-back ASC tournament championships in 2002 and 2003, and made the NCAA Division III tournament both seasons, where in 2003, ETBU advanced to the second round with the ETBU Volleyball program's only NCAA Tournament victory. Johnson was also named the 2003 ASC Tournament MVP and was an AVCA All-Region player. The two-time All-ASC Tournament selection is in the 400 Kill Club four times and the 50 Ace Club three times, holding the single season record with 82 in 2003. While Johnson was a Tiger, ETBU won 94 matches in four years and posted a 57-9 ASC record going 14-0 in 2002. She has served as the Head Volleyball Coach and Girl's Coordinator at Troup High School for the past 14 years, which have included 12 playoff appearances, two district championships, seven bi-district championships, and two area championships. Johnson graduated from ETBU with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology and a minor in American Studies in 2006. She is married to Ryan, also an ETBU alum, and has three daughters. Johnson is the first member of the Hall of Fame for Tiger Volleyball.
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Jabori Jackson was a part of the freshman class of 2000 that restarted the Tiger Football program at East Texas Baptist University after a 50-year hiatus. As one of 13 original players who stayed the full four years with Coach Ralph Harris and the program through the growing pains of reestablishing a football team, Jackson led the conference as a freshman in kickoff returns. He continued to be a major force on the offensive side of the ball throughout his career at ETBU. The 2000 class of freshman Tigers went from a 2-8 original season to going 8-2 and making the conference playoffs their senior season. Jackson was a four-year starter, helping ETBU win a part of the 2003 American Southwest Conference championship. He finished with 2,372 yards receiving, catching 126 passes, and 20 touchdowns. In the record books, he is third in receiving yards and touchdowns, fourth in receptions, and fifth in yards per reception (18.8). As a kick return specialist, he holds the record for most kick return attempts (71), yards returned (1,816), returned touchdowns (5), and is third for yards per return (25.6). His 93-yard kickoff return in 2001 against Southwestern Assemblies of God is fourth longest all-time in ETBU history, and he had six returns of 50+ yards with five touchdowns. As a wide receiver, he posted seven 100-yard receiving games, with a career-high of 187 yards against Texas Lutheran in 2001. He is a three-time All-ASC selection at wide receiver (first team, second team, honorable mention) and a first team selection as a kick returner. ETBU won 22 games in Jackson's four seasons on the Hill, going 6-4 in 2002 and 9-3 in 2003, winning the program's only NCAA Division III playoff game against Trinity University, 42-41. Jackson graduated from ETBU in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a minor in American Studies. While at ETBU, Jackson met his wife, Chaka (Baker) Jackson, a Tiger Volleyball player. The Jacksons have remained deeply embedded in the community of East Texas and are both educators in the Longview Independent School District. Jackson is the Middle School Coordinator for Athletics at Forest Park Magnet School, and Chaka is the Head Volleyball Coach at Longview High School. They have three children together: Jacquez, Triniti, and Trent. Jackson is the 13th member of the Hall of Fame for Tiger Football.
