LAKE CHARLES – All-Americans, Southland Conference champions, record setters make up the 2026 McNeese Athletics Hall of Fame which was announced on Thursday.
The 2026 inductees are:
• Jessie Burton – Football (1998-2001)
• Charlie Kingrey – Baseball (2004-2007)
• Jarrett LeBlanc – Track & Field (2008-2013)
• Heather Moreaux – Softball (1999-2002)
• Adrien Mork – Men's Golf (2001-2004)
• Rod Royal – Football (2002-2003)
These six McNeese legends will be officially enshrined during a Hall of Fame Ceremony on Saturday, August 29 and then honored at halftime during the football season opening game when McNeese hosts defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin.
The class was voted on by the Hall of Fame Committee from a list of nominations. To nominate for future consideration, send to
Matthew Bonnette at
wbonnette@mcneese.edu. Once nominated, the committee will review the nominee to make sure criteria are met.
2026 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
JESSIE BURTON | FOOTBALL | 1998-2001
Ranked 8th all-time in rushing with 2,637 yards... McNeese, Southland Conference and Louisiana record holder with seven rushing TDs in one game (vs. Southern Utah, 1998)... ran for 1,162 yards as a freshman in 1998, ranking as the second-most by a freshman in school history... scored 18 touchdowns in 1998, sharing the school record with legendary running back Buford Jordan... named team outstanding offensive player in 1998... 28 career rushing touchdowns ranking tied for sixth all-time in school history... averaged 107.7 yards per game rushing as a junior in 2000, ranking as the 7th-best average in a single-season in school history... 17 games in his career rushing for 100 yards or more, ranking No. 2 all-time and had seven 100-yard rushing games in 1998, tying for the school record... All-SLC and All-Louisiana in 1998... Southland Conference and Louisiana Freshman of the Year.
CHARLIE KINGREY | BASEBALL | 2004-2007
A 2-time, 1st Team All-SLC selection in 2006 and 2007... 2-time Team MVP (2006 and 2007)... 244 career hits ranks 4th all-time... 56 career doubles ranks 3rd all-time... 15 home runs in 2007 ranks tied as 7th-most in a season... 35 career home runs ranks as 4th-most all-time... 170 career RBIs ranks 2nd all-time... still holds the school career record with 132 walks and 417 total bases.
JARRETT LEBLANC | TRACK & FIELD | 2008-2013
A two-time SLC Champion after capturing gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters at the 2011 Southland Conference championships... second place finish in the 10k at the 2013 outdoor conference meet... once held the school record in the 10k... became the first Louisiana native to run a sub 4-minute mile on Louisiana soil, that occurring on May 23, 2015 at the McNeese track when he clocked a 3:59.95 time... currently ranked 4th all-time in school history in the 1500-meters (3:46.23 in 2013)... ranked fifth all-time in the 10,000m (29:46.26 in 2013)... member of 4x800-meter relay team that's ranked fifth all-time with a time of 7:53.24 (2013) and on the distance medley relay team that's is third all-time with a mark of 9:59.14 in 2011... in 2023, he set a new world record by running a half marathon on a treadmill, clocking a time of 1:02.50 for the 13.1 mile run and breaking the old record of 1:03.08 that was set in 2020... three times qualified and competed in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
HEATHER MOREAUX | SOFTBALL | 1999-2002
Earned 1st Team All-SLC in 2000... 2nd team in 1999 and honorable mention in 2001 and 2002... SLC Player and Hitter of the Year in 2000... All-Louisiana in 1999 and 2000... 2nd Team All-South Region in 2000... team Triple Crown winner in 2000 and 2001... in 2000, hit .329 with 17 home runs and 58 RBIs... in 2001, hit .265 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs... led the team with 24 RBIs in 2002 and tied for the team lead with six home runs that season... also led the squad in doubles hit from 2000-2002... still holds the school record with seven RBIs in a game, most grand slams in a season (3, 2000) and in a career (4), and most put outs in a career (1,433).
ADRIEN MORK | MEN'S GOLF | 2001-2004
Mork was the team scoring leader and team MVP all four years at McNeese… only the second player in school history to earn both awards four times (all-American and Hall of Fame member Tim Graham did it from 1976 to 1979)... named to All-Southland Conference team and All-Louisiana team twice (freshman of the year in 2001)… lowest collegiate tournament score of 67 (twice)… three times led team in the Southland Conference tournament… league runner-up in 2001 when leading team to a second place finish… won the Moe O'Brien championship in 2002… twice played in NCAA regionals… earned Business degree in 2004… went on to a professional career on the PGA-European tour following his McNeese playing days… he won five times on the Challenge tour and the Alps Tour… in the 2006 Morocco Classic he became the first player in any European tour event to shoot 59… he also placed in top 10 in the European Tour's Russian Open in 2006… a native of France where represented his country in the World and European team championships. He's currently the head coach at Florida Atlantic where he guided his team to the 2025 NCAA Regionals.
ROD ROYAL | FOOTBALL | 2002-2003
A two-time Consensus All-American, two of the 17 selections in school history... First-team All-American in 2002 by the Associated Press, Walter Camp, Football Gazette, and STATS Perform... and 2003 First Team All-American by the AFCA, Associated Press, STATS Perform, and Football Gazette... 2002 Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year... SLC 2000s All-Decade Team.... in just two seasons, racked up 33 tackles for a loss, ranking 10th all-time in school history, and 276 career tackles, ranking 18th all-time... ranked 8th all-time with 33 tackles for a loss and 16th with 276 career tackles... recorded 160 tackles in 2002, ranking as the second-most in a season in school history.
