Athletic Hall of Fame
The Gustavus Adolphus College Hall of Fame was established in 1978 at which time 19 "Charter Members" were inducted either as coaches or as athletes. As of the fall of 2022, 348 individuals (321 athletes, 16 coaches and 11 benefactors) have been elected to the Hall of Fame.
The former Hall of Fame room on the second floor of the Lund Center was originally partially endowed by the families of both Dwight Holcombe's (the only father/son combination holding membership in the Hall). The hardwood plaque upon which the individual plates are permanently displayed, now in the Hall of Champions, was donated by the family of former football coach and Hall of Fame member Jocko Nelson, who passed away in 1978.
Neil Johnson
Golf
Inducted: 2019
A consistent work ethic paired with an unshakeable focus allowed Neil Johnson to become one of the greatest men’s golfers Gustavus has ever seen. Johnson earned All- America honors all four seasons wearing the Black and Gold, finishing in the top-13 at the national tournament each year. Johnson culminated his illustrious career as the No. 1 golfer in a lineup that went on to win the 2004 NCAA championship.
His unwavering approach to the game and skill to methodically hit greens and fairways helped Johnson finish in the top-five 20 times. Although golf is innately an individual game, Johnson was never about personal accomplishments but rather focused his energy on the success of the team. The River Falls, Wis., native helped the Gusties place second at the MIAC Championships and fifth at the NCAA Championships in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, followed by consecutive MIAC titles his junior and senior year.
Johnson was a model Division III student-athlete, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America as well as Golf Coaches Association of America All-America Scholar honors.
After graduating cum laude in 2004 with a degree in finance, Johnson has played professional golf on a variety of tours for the past 15 years. He has qualified for two PGA Tour events and the Korn Ferry Tour in 2014. Johnson spent two years on the Canadian Tour and one year on the Latin American Tour. He has won over 20 professional tournaments. Neil is based out of Arizona but travels extensively to compete in professional tournaments.