Jim "Tiger" Nicholson '69 (South Salem High School 1965 graduate, who now lives in Salem) led the Northwest Conference in rushing as a sophomore (1,085 yards) and a junior (1,138 yards). The latter mark remains as the single season school record at Willamette. Following his junior season (1967), he was named NWC Player of the Year and first-team NAIA All-American. Both his freshman and senior seasons were cut short due to injuries. Nicholson is the only running back in school history to record two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. After college, he played two years (1969-1970) for the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League. Nicholson joins his coach (Ted Ogdahl) and 1968 teammates Mike Shinn, Gib Gilmore and Calvin Lee in the Hall of Fame. The 1968 squad was inducted in 1993.