After the nomination process, candidates are considered and voted on by the ENMU Hall of Honors Committee. The committee which selected this year's inductees was made up of the following members: Mike Maguire, Dr. Kathleen Saulter, Wayne Moore, Bill Joy, Charles Chambers, Thurman Elder, Jerry Wright, Buck Wilson, Bryan Principe, and Jeff Geiser (ex-officio).
Tickets can be purchased through the ENMU athletic office for $15. For more information, please contact Karen Doherty in the ENMU Department of Athletics at 575.562.2153. The event will begin on Saturday, October 15, with a "Meet-and-Greet" at 6:30 p.m., with dinner to follow at 7 p.m. The other Hall of Honors inductees will be: Rufus Smith (football), Marjorie Goble-Houghton (volleyball), Darwin Pauley (men's basketball), Bria Galt (women's basketball), and Charles Bennett (support).
Michael Benton was the elusive and explosive foundation of the Greyhound football team's triple-option offense from 2004-2007. During the final three seasons of her ENMU career, he was the top rushing quarterback in the nation.
As a senior he ran for a (then) team-record 1,458 yards and 18 touchdowns. Benton was an Honorable Mention All-LSC South player in 2005 and chosen as the Offensive Player of the Week on two occasions in 2007. One of those selections came after he rushed for 243 yards against Central Oklahoma, with touchdowns of 51 and 39 yards.
One of Benton's crowning achievements was when he led ENMU to its fourth-ever victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville. He accounted for four touchdowns in that game, with two on the ground, a touchdown pass, and a 55-yard reception. For his career, Benton compiled 5,047 yards of total offense, 49 rushing touchdowns, 13 passing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown.