Samford Hall of Fame Members
Biography
Induction Class: 2018
Sport: Men's Basketball
Craig Beard played basketball at Samford from 1982-85, after transferring from Tulane. Beard is the program’s all-time leading scorer with 1,925 career points, playing just three seasons and without the benefit of the 3-point line. He also left school holding career records for scoring average (21.9 ppg.), field goals made (826), field goals attempted (1,625) and consecutive double-figure scoring games (84). He also set single-season records for points (703 in 1984-85), scoring average (23.4 ppg. in 1984-85), field goals made (309 in 1984-85) and field goals attempted (617 in 1984-85). He led the team in scoring for three-consecutive seasons, in 1982-83, 1983-84 and 1984-85, and helped lead the 1983-84 team to an impressive 22-8 record under head coach Mike Hanks. Following his playing career, Beard was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the fourth round of the 1985 NBA draft, the first Samford player ever drafted.
