The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame is thrilled to announce that Green Bay Packers all-time leading wide receiver Donald Driver and Wisconsin Badgers Men’s Basketball coach Bo Ryan have been selected for induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame’s 65th Anniversary Class. The pair join over 130 of the state’s greatest athletic icons, including Hank Aaron, Vince Lombardi, Oscar Robertson, Bob Harlan in one of the country’s most historic halls of fame.
Ryan and Driver will be inducted during a special event celebrating their distinguished careers and contributions to athletics in Wisconsin on April 30th, 2016 at the historic UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena- the site of the first Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame induction event in 1951. Tickets to the one-of-a-kind celebration event, which will be attended by Ryan, Driver and past Hall of Fame inductees, are available for as little as $15. Tickets are on sale now at the Milwaukee Theatre Box Office, the Wisconsin Center Rotunda, select Walmart stores, 1-800-745-3000 or online at Ticketmaster.
Itinerary:
6:00 pm - Arena Doors Open
7:00 pm - Induction Program
- Andi & Alex from NBC's The Voice singing National Anthem
- Opening remarks by Governor Scott Walker
- Induction of "Bo" Ryan
- Induction of Donald Driver
- Salute to Super Bowl I Team with Jerry Kramer
- Community Leadership Award - Senator Herb Kohl
- High School Athletes of the Year recieving $1,000 college scholarships
- UW Band 5th Quarter
*Remember to arrive early to check out Associated Bank’s sports experiences, located on the second level near sections 208 and 224. Enjoy the Packers Football Toss, Brewers Home Run Challenge and Badgers Pop-A-Shot™. Get into the action with a fun photo session including crowd backdrops, sports cut-outs and props.
Donald Driver’s induction comes after a record-setting 14 year NFL career with the Green Bay Packers. A seventh-round draft pick in 1999, Driver set the franchise’s all-time marks for career receptions (743) and yards (10,137) and has more 1,000 yard seasons (seven) than any other player in franchise history. A four-time Pro Bowl performer, Driver is widely considered to be one of the best receivers of his generation. In 2010, Donald helped lead the Packers over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV, earning Donald his first Super Bowl ring and the Packers a record 13th world championship. With an ever-present smile and inspirational story of overcoming poverty and homelessness as a child, Driver remains one of the most popular players to ever wear a Packers uniform.
Entering his 15th season as head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men’s basketball team, and 32nd season as a head coach in the state of Wisconsin, Bo Ryan has worked tirelessly to grow the game of basketball across the state. As the coach of UW-Platteville, Ryan led the school to a 353-76 overall record while guiding the program to the highest winning percentage (.908) of any school in college basketball during the ‘90s. Ryan also steered the Pioneers to unprecedented tournament success, winning four Division III national championships while compiling a 30-5 NCAA Division III tournament record. After two years at UW-Milwaukee, Ryan took over as the head coach of the Badgers and firmly established both himself and the program among the best in the country. During his tenure, Ryan’s Badgers have won a school-record 357 games, seven Big Ten titles and made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, including back-to-back Final Fours in 2014-2015. In 2015, Ryan took home his fourth Big Ten Coach of the Year honor, trailing only Purdue's Gene Keady (7) and Indiana's Bob Knight (5) for the most conference coach of the year awards.
The Wisconsin Athletic Walk of Fame, located on 4th Street in Milwaukee’s downtown sports and entertainment district, contains bronze plaques commemorating the over 130 members of the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. The Walk of Fame is free and open to the public 365 days a year.