Five Outstanding Former Scholar-Athletes To Be Inducted Into Verizon Academic All-America Hall Of Fame

NEW YORK, N.Y. - Five outstanding former college student-athletes who have attained prominence in a variety of professions will be inducted into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame® at ceremonies today in New York at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

This year's inductees are:
• Lynn Norenberg Barry(William & Mary, class of 1981), the school's all-time leading scorer in basketball and currently a special advisor to the WNBA;

• Cris Collinsworth (University of Florida, class of 1981), all-America wide receiver who played nine years in the NFL and is currently an NFL analyst for Fox Sports and HBO;

• Jennifer Harris Trosper (MIT, class of 1990), four-year letterwinning volleyball star who now serves as lead systems engineer for NASA's Mars Exploration Rover mission; and

• John R. Hall (Vanderbilt University, class of 1955), four-year football starter, first Academic All-America in Vanderbilt's history and retired CEO of Ashland, Inc.

In addition, Dr. Gary Hall, Sr. will be named an honorary member into the Hall of Fame. Hall (Indiana University, class of 1973) was a swimmer who won 18 conference championships and went on to become a prominent ophthalmologic surgeon and pioneer in the field of laser eye surgery. Honorary inductees are eligible candidates whose individual sport was not part of the Academic All-America program when they were in college.

CBS sportscaster and Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame member Dick Enberg will be the host for the ceremony. The theme of the program is "Classic Tales of Achievement" to reflect Verizon Communications' commitment to improving literacy in America.

"Literacy is the foundation of excellence in academics and life," said Verizon Chairman and co-CEO Charles R. Lee. "Many of our Academic All-America Hall of Famers are involved with us in programs that support the improvement of literacy across the country. The 2001 inductees into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame are proof that academic and athletic success can form the basis of a highly successful life after college and beyond the arena of sports."

Verizon, in conjunction with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), established the Hall of Fame in 1988 to honor former college scholar-athletes who have excelled in their professions and have made substantial contributions to their communities. There are now 68 members of the Hall of Fame, including this year's class.

To be eligible for induction, an individual must have been a Verizon Academic All-America Team member and have graduated from college at least 10 years ago. The 2001 inductees were selected from a group of 100 individuals who were nominated by members of CoSIDA.

"All of this year's inductees are tremendous role models," said Enberg. "The class of 2001 will help elevate the level of excellence established by the previous group of former student-athletes who make the Hall of Fame induction such a prestigious honor."

"This group of former student-athletes perfectly represents the types of individuals we had in mind when the Hall of Fame was created. They will uphold the continued tradition of this outstanding event," said Fred Stabley, president of CoSIDA.

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Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 112 million access line equivalents and 27 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with approximately 260,000 employees and more than $65 billion in annual revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.