Utah Athletics: Receiver Steve Smith highlights latest Crimson Club Hall of Fame class

One of the most prolific receivers in NFL history — and one of the league's most ruthless trash talkers — highlights the latest Crimson Club Hall of Fame class, announced Friday afternoon.

Steve Smith, who played 16 seasons in the NFL for after earning all-conference honors twice for the Utes, is the biggest name in a group of honorees that includes several notable pros.

His former Carolina Panthers teammate Jordan Gross, who was an All-American in 2002, will also be honored, as will former Detroit Tiger Chris Shelton, who was a standout for Utah baseball. Soccer player Staci Burt, tennis player Kent Crawford and softball player and coach Jo Evans also will be inducted.

The honorees will be inducted on Oct. 20 and also be honored during Utah's football game the following day against Arizona State.

Smith retired after this past season after playing for both the Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens. His 14,731 receiving yards rank seventh-most all-time in NFL history. The four-time Pro Bowler and two-time NFL All-Pro also scored 81 receiving touchdowns in his career. Smith still holds a Utah record for 20.55 yards per catch after leading the team in receptions in both 1999 and 2000.

Gross was a three-time Pro Bowler in Carolina, and played 11 seasons before retiring in 2014. He played for two bowl-winning teams at Utah.

A Cottonwood High alum, Shelton earned Mountain West MVP honors in 2001 for the Utes, hitting 19 home runs. His best major league season was in 2005, when he hit .299 and slugged 18 homers.

Burt is the second all-time leading scorer at Utah, and helped the program win a conference championship as a senior. She earned a cap for the U.S. National Team in 2001.

Crawford was a two-time All-American for the Utes and helped the program secure a top-20 ranking.

Evans helped lead Utah to the 1982 College World Series as a player, then coached the program from 1990 to 1996. The program went to the CWS in 1991 and 1994, and won two WAC titles. One of Evans' players during her tenure was current Utes coach Amy Hogue. Evans has coached at Texas A&M for the last 21 seasons.

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