Craig Littlepage, Monica Wright Rogers and Chris Long are forever University legends. Littlepage served in the athletic department for 35 years — plus 9 years in various roles with the men’s basketball program — while the latter two inductees each enjoyed lengthy professional careers in the WNBA and NFL, respectively. This weekend, all three will officially be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Serving as Virginia’s first Black Athletic Director from 2001-2017, Littlepage oversaw 13 National Championships for the Cavaliers, plus 76 ACC titles. He also hired Tony Bennett to lead men’s basketball and Brian O’Connor to lead baseball. Both are still with Virginia and continue to be respected leaders and revered coaches.
A WBCA All-American, Wright Rogers was the Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year in 2006. With the Cavaliers, she was named ACC Rookie of the Year in 2006-2007, was selected to the ACC All-Defensive team twice and was honored as the ACC Player of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year in 2009-2010. After her senior campaign, she was drafted second overall by the Minnesota Lynx in 2010.
Long, a 2007 NCAA First-Team All-American and Hendricks Award recipient, is the son of NFL Hall of Fame inductee Howie Long. Chris Long was the first player in Virginia history to have his number retired while actively playing for the Cavaliers. Like Wright Rogers, Long was drafted second overall, going to the St. Louis Rams in the 2008 NFL Draft. Long led the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl victory in 2017 and the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory in 2018. Long was also honored as the 2018 Walter Payton Man of the Year.
According to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, their mission is “to serve as a non-profit resource which celebrates athletic excellence in the Commonwealth of Virginia, highlighting philanthropy through sports, while inspiring sports fans through programming and engaging entertainment.” Littlepage, Wright Rogers and Long will be joining an extensive list of Cavaliers to receive the honor of induction — the full list of members can be found here.
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