David Corley, Jr. '03 ended his career as one of the most prolific offensive players in the football program's great past, and this spring he will take his place among the top athletes in Tribe history when he is inducted into the William and Mary Athletics Hall of Fame.
The Class of 2014 consists of 10 former Tribe legends, including
Ashleigh Akens Rabe '94 (Women's Basketball),
David Corley, Jr. '03 (Football),
Ann Ekberg Saunders '03 (Field Hockey),
Debbie Hill (Head Volleyball Coach),
Tracey Leinbach '81 (Women's Golf),
Carrie Moore '99 (Women's Soccer),
Billy Owens '95 (Men's Soccer),
Lisa Rayner '96 (Women's Track and Field),
Trevor Spracklin '01 (Men's Tennis), and
Dan Stimson (Director of Track and Field/Cross Country).
The event is scheduled to take place April 12, 2014 at the Fort Magruder Hotel and Conference Center. Please contact
Meagan Bedsaul in the Tribe Club's Special events office for more information at either 757-221-3365 or
mmbedsaul@wm.edu.
Corley ended his senior season as one of nation's elite players at the I-AA level and was one of the top 14 finalists for the 2002 Payton Award, given annually to the top player in Division I-AA (now-FCS) football. At the conclusion of his four-year career as a starter, he had broke nearly every passing mark in the W&M record books. He remains as the last four-year starter at quarterback for the Tribe, and only other for current head coach
Jimmye Laycock '70 was fellow William and Mary Athletics Hall of Famer Stan Yagiello (1981-85).
At his graduation, Corley was the most prolific performer in Atlantic 10 history (now CAA Football) in terms of total yards, as he has amassed a then-league record 10,948 yards (which currently is third all-time). Corley started the last 42 consectutive games of his career, the most consecutive starts by a quarterback in school history. Amazingly durable, Corley never missed a snap due to injury over his 45-game collegiate career. He currently holds the Tribe's careeer records in total offense (10,948 yards), passing yards (9,805), and touchdown passes (72). He also remains the only player in school history to throw for better than 9,000 yards and run for more than 1,000 yards (1,193).
Overall, he averaged 245.0 yards per game of total offense (218.0 passing, 27.1 rushing) for his career, and had a career completion percentage of 57.9% (676-1168). He completed better than 50 percent of his passes in 33 of 42 career starts and threw for two or more touchdowns 21 times. Corley gradutated with a career TD:INT ratio of nearly 1.8:1 (73 TDs:39 INTs).
He started his career by being named as the A-10's Rookie of the Year (1999) and earned second team all-conference honors as both a junior and senior. Corley helped lead the team to the 2001 league championship and a first-round NCAA Playoff apperance. Overall, the W&M was 25–17 with him at the helm. In the Tribe's 2001 Homecoming contest vs. Maine, Corley became just the second player in school history to run, pass, and catch a TD pass in the team's 42-20 win over the Black Bears.
