Like every year, the 2026 inductees in the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame had a wide variety of significantly notable achievements.
That latest class consists of five new members, who were inducted during an Oct. 14 evening dinner ceremony at the Knights of Columbus Hall. The addition of Robert Asher, Tony Bentley, Clayton Deskins, Marcus Ginyard and Brian Rosenberger brings the total number of inductees to 80 in an organization that began in 1958.
Hall of Fame president Peter Weilenmann, a 2018 inductee, welcomed the inductees and guests, then college and pro basketball analyst Glenn Consor did the same when he took the podium as the master of ceremonies.
Asher was a football standout and multi-sport athlete at Arlington’s private Bishop O’Connell High School. He later was a standout college and pro football player, playing in the 1971 Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.
Asher wasn’t able to attend because of a recent medical procedure. His sister, Beverly, spoke for Asher, reading what he wanted to say.
“Teamwork, teamwork. That’s what sports is all about,” Asher wrote.
Bentley was a standout athlete at what then was known as Washington-Lee High School, and is the current and longtime head boys basketball coach at Wakefield High School, where he has won more than 400 games.
During his address, Bentley thanked many, including John Phillips, his first varsity high-school basketball coach.
“He put discipline into me, and I learned a lot from coach Phillips,” Bentley said.
Deskins also attended Washington-Lee, where he excelled in football and track and field. Later, he attended Appalachian State University, becoming one of the school’s first Black football players. When he returned to Arlington, Deskins worked 28 years as an Arlington County firefighter and paramedic.
“No matter how far I went, Arlington was still calling me,” Deskins said. “Arlington was the place where it all began and will always be home.”
Ginyard was a standout basketball player at O’Connell, then in college at the University of North Carolina, playing on the 2009 national championship team.
“I am honored to be part of this Hall of Fame,” Ginyard said. “It’s special to be here and hear all of these amazing stories.”
Rosenberger was an all-conference lacrosse player at O’Connell and Marymount University, both Arlington schools. He was a conference Player of the Year in 1998 at Marymount, where Rosenberger is a member of the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Rosenberger is the first lacrosse player, coach or contributor, male or female, to be inducted into the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame.
“This class is remarkable and I’m truly honored,” said Rosenberger, who also thanked many, including his former O’Connell coach Dick Abood.
Much more detailed information about the inductees can be found on the Hall of Fame website.
Along with Weilenmann, several former inductees, including Joe D’Emidio, Bill Murray, Craig Esherick and Noel Deskins, attended the event.
This year, individual baseball-style cards were made and distributed at the dinner of each of the 2026 inductees.
The Hall of Fame has become much more popular in recent years, with an increasing number of individual nominations each year.
Nominations for the 2027 induction class are due by March 1. Information about the nomination process can be found on the website.
