Inside The Knights

Six Ex-UCF Stars To Be Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

Bryson Turner|
Dec 12, 2010; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Mike Sims Walker (11) celebrates with receiver Jason Hill (83) after scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at EverBank Field. The Jaguars defeated the Raiders 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2010; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Mike Sims Walker (11) celebrates with receiver Jason Hill (83) after scoring on a 10-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Oakland Raiders at EverBank Field. The Jaguars defeated the Raiders 38-31. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Three former UCF Knights football players and one former basketball player join the UCF Athletics Hall of Fame this year, according to a Wednesday press release.

Six former Knights student-athletes comprise the 2025 UCF Athletics Hall of Fame class, three of whom are football players: wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker, running back Alex Haynes and offensive lineman Cornell Green. It also features a former basketball player in forward Dexter Lyons, track and field athlete Aurieyall Scott and volleyball player Miriam Metzcus-Ochoa.

UCF's on-campus hotel, The Celeste Hotel, plays host to the induction banquet on Oct. 17, starting with a 6 p.m. cocktail reception followed by the ceremony proper at 7 p.m. The inductees are also honored during the following day's football game, when the Knights host West Virginia for Homecoming weekend.

Read more about the football and basketball inductees below:

1. WR Mike Sims-Walker

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker (11) warms up before his game against the Washington Redskins.
Dec. 26, 2010; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Mike Sims-Walker (11) warms up before his game against the Washington Redskins at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Stamey-Imagn Images | Matt Stamey-Imagn Images

A local product from Edgewater High School, Sims-Walker spent most of his UCF career (2003-2006) alongside another future NFL receiver and UCF Hall-of-Fame inductee, Brandon Marshall. The duo recorded a combined 2,050 receiving yards in 2005, the third-most by a tandem of receivers inprogram history.

Once Marshall left for the NFL in the 2006 Draft, however, Sims-Walker got his time to shine. His 90 receptions in 2006 remain a program record, and he led the team with 1,178 receiving yards.

Sims-Walker finished his time in Orlando with 2,561 career receiving yards, the fourth-most in program history. He was named All-CUSA First Team in 2006 and All-CUSA Second Team in 2005. He also recorded three interceptions, two of which were in one game, during his sophomore season in 2004.

Sims-Walker was drafted in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he spent the majority of his four-season career. He led the Jags with 63 receptions and 869 yards in 2009.

2. RB Alex Haynes

The Central Florida Golden Knights running back #4 Alex Haynes on his way to 101 yards against the Kent State Golden Flashes.
Nov 23, 2004; Orlando, FL, USA; The Central Florida Golden Knights runningback #4 Alex Haynes on his way to 101 yards against the Kent State Golden Flashes in second half action at the Florida Citrus Bowl. The Kent State Golden Flashes defeated the University of Central Florida Golden Knights 41-24. Mandatory Credit: Photo by Paul Chapman-Imagn Images (©) Copyright 2004 by Paul Chapman | Paul Chapman-Imagn Images

Running back Alex Haynes, an Orlando native out of Maynard Evans High School, played for the Knights from 2001 to 2004, mostly spanning the team's short time in the Mid-American Conference.

Haynes was the Knights' leading rusher for all four years of his career, finishing his career with 3,359 yards, the most in program history. It would only be surpassed by two other Knights since, Kevin Smith (2005-2007) and RJ Harvey (2020-2024), both future NFL Draft picks. He also ranks sixth in program history in rushing touchdowns (27) and seventh in all-purpose yards (4,021 yards).

Haynes had a brief appearance in the NFL, playing just 10 games for the Carolina Panthers in 2007.

3. OL Cornell Green

Oakland Raiders offensive tackle Cornell Green (74) blocks against Cleveland Browns linebacker Matt Roth (53).
Dec 27, 2009; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oakland Raiders offensive tackle Cornell Green (74) blocks against Cleveland Browns linebacker Matt Roth (53) during the game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The Browns defeated the Raiders 23-9. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Traveling up I-4 from St. Petersburg, Green was one of several offensive linemen who protected future NFL quarterback Daunte Culpepper. He was a starter for the majority of his UCF career, which spanned 1995-1998.

Green signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons in 1999. He played a season in NFL Europe with the Scottish Claymores in 2000 and spent a couple of seasons with the New York Jets (2000-2001), but he ended up not seeing the field in the NFL until he signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. He played in 19 games, three of them starts, for the Super Bowl Champions that season, becoming the second UCF alum in program history to receive a Super Bowl ring.

Green logged 51 starts out of 94 games played across his career, which wrapped following the 2010 season. Most of his starts came during his three-season stint with the Oakland Raiders, where he signed in 2007, reuniting with Culpepper.

4. F Dexter Lyons

Hailing from College Park, Georgia, Lyons transferred into UCF after two seasons at Daytona State College.

While Lyons spent two seasons as a Knight and recorded one of only four triple-doubles in program history during the 2002-2003 season, most will remember him for his 2003-2004 season, in which he helped the Knights get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996.

Lyons was named the ASUN's Defensive Player of the Year, yet he still led the Knights in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game and getting 567 points total, the fourth-most in a single season in UCF's Division 1 era. He was also named All-ASUN First Team and the 2004 ASUN Tournament MVP.

Lyons played professionally across the globe from 2004 to 2015, mostly in Spain and Japan.

Catch up on more UCF News below:

McKenzie Milton Named One Of College Football's Rising Coaching Stars

Two UCF Players Selected For Comeback Award

Top 25 UCF Knights Football Games of the 21st Century: No. 1

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Bryson Turner
BRYSON TURNER

Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.

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