Hart, Worthy inducted into Hall of Fame
Two Madison County natives were inducted into the Holmes Community College Sports Hall of Fame last week.
Former Holmes Community College Bulldog player and defensive coach Larry Hart of Madison and Richard Worthy of Canton were inducted in a ceremony last week in Goodman.
Hart, a Madison Central graduate earned All-State honors at Holmes under Hugh Shurden and Danny Robertson. After Holmes, Hart transferred to the University of Central Arkansas, where he recorded 21.5 sacks in two seasons — a total that still ranks among the top five in the school’s career record books. Hart was chosen as an All-American and the Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Year as both a junior and senior. He was later named to the league’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s.
One of Hart’s fondest memories at Holmes was when Coach Shurden ended practice early and abruptly because it was “hotter than blue blazes.”
After UCA, he was chosen in the fifth round of the National Football League draft — going 143rd overall, the second highest selection in UCA’s history — by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He went on to also sign with the Green Bay Packers and Oakland Raiders. He also played in both the Canadian and United Football Leagues.
After his professional career, he got into coaching at Arkansas State University serving as a graduate assistant from 2014 through 2016. He then came back to Holmes as a defensive assistant for the 2016 season and then went back to UCA for one season as a defensive assistant. He then went to South Alabama for three seasons as a defensive assistant before moving to the University of Houston in (March 2021-2023). Currently, he is at the University of Louisiana Lafayette.
Since starting his coaching career, the teams he has been a part of have had several bowl appearances such as the Independence Bowl Champion (2022) Southland Conference Champion (2017) and Sunbelt Conference Champion (2015) with appearances in the NCAA FCS playoffs (2016 & 2017)
“I appreciate my time at Holmes because of the opportunity that it afforded me,” Hart said. “For me personally, I know junior college was really good. I needed to grow a little bit more, and I needed to get away from home even though I was not that far. It bridged the gap. I enjoyed the faculty and staff and the coaches.”
He said he still talks with former Head Coach and Athletic Director Shurden from time to time.
“I have a high appreciation for Holmes,” he said. “If it wasn’t for Holmes Community College, I don’t know where I’d be today.”
Hart is now making his mark off the football field, as well, as an author. His booked titled, “The Recruit’s Playbook: A 4-year Guide to College Football Recruitment for High School Athletes” was released on Amazon in 2021 and is currently ranked No. 1 in two categories — Young Adult and Teen for Football and Teen and Fitness. The book is designed for eighth through 12th graders, and it tells the young athletes how to position themselves to become college football players.
Hart holds a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s degree in media and communications. He is married to the former Juliet Rentz.
Richard Worthy
Worthy was an outstanding forward at Holmes from 2005-2007 under Todd Kimble.
Worthy is a Canton native and graduate of Canton High School. He played on back-to-back state championship teams for the Bulldogs and was named All Region XXIII for basketball.
What a season it was for the 2005/06 Holmes Community College Bulldog basketball team. The Bulldogs, who finished 21-9, captured the 2006 MACJC State Championship and made it to the semifinals of the Region XXIII Tournament.
In the 2006 Regional Tournament, the Bulldogs knocked off the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Bulldogs, 79-64, before falling to the Pearl River Wildcats in a heartbreaker, 71-70. In the state tournament held at Northwest, the Bulldogs knocked off the Gulf Coast Bulldogs, 106-94; Pearl River, 81-79 and Northwest, 99-80.
Not only was Worthy a standout basketball player, he played football for Holmes during the 2006 season, where he also held All-State honors under Coach Robertson.
Worthy was a part of the 2007 Holmes men’s basketball team that made history after claiming their second straight MACJC state title. He tied as the leading scorer for the Bulldogs with 22 points in the game. The Bulldogs took all three games in the tournament by defeating Pearl River, 78-72; Northwest, 84-78 and then Copiah-Lincoln in the state title game, 71-68, in overtime. The Bulldogs finished 22-7 overall.
After Holmes, Worthy continued to play basketball at Oklahoma City University and Mississippi College. Worthy resides in Canton with his two children, Richard Worthy (17) and Joidan (15).