Inducted 2009. All-State Linebacker Anchored 1974 Football Team That Went 12-1.
When Quincy Catholic Boys rolled to a 12-1 record during the 1974 season and a spot in the Class 3A semifinals, Dale Inman was in the middle of a defense that proved to be the backbone of the squad.
Inman, a 1975 Catholic Boys graduate, was an offensive lineman and middle linebacker for the Raiders, who held the opposition without a touchdown in six games that season and held the other seven opponents to no more than one touchdown in a game. He received all-state honors, and he received interest from NCAA Division I schools like Louisville and Southern Illinois. However, he injured his knee midway through his senior season, and then he reinjured it in his team’s quarterfinal victory over Morton. Inman had to listen to his team’s 3-0 loss to Mount Carmel in the semifinals from a hospital bed after he underwent knee surgery earlier that week.
“Dale was just a leader,” said John Rodemann, coach of the 1974 team. “He wasn’t a real vocal type. He wasn’t like you would perceive a middle linebacker to be, a real rah-rah guy. He just led by example. He was a very dedicated person, whether it was leading the weightlifting or doing drills.”
Inman also played first base on the baseball team. As a senior, he batted .322 with a team-high 15 RBIs for the 1975 baseball team that reached the quarterfinals of the single-class state tournament and finished with a 16-4 record.
Inman now lives in Troy, Mich., with his wife, Ann. They have three children — Jill, Alex and Lisa. He has been in the real estate development business for 30 years, spending the last eight years in land development in southeast Michigan.
Thanks to the committee for an honor I will treasure, and thanks to Ray Heilmann for his kindness in calling me to let me know. I am blessed in many ways. Blessed when my parents sacrificed so I could be surrounded by dedicated teachers and coaches. Coach Rodemann and Coach Morrow motivated, inspired and taught us to be a genuine team. Good lessons learned early can be carried a long time. Blessed again meeting Ann and later with our children Jill, Alex and Lisa. It’s proof that God has given me more than I deserved. Blessed again with great teammates in the fall of 1974. No way I get this honor if that team had been just average. I remember Mike Hummert’s respect for all teammates, Marvin Smith’s focus, Marty Peters’ competitive fire, Jeff Johnson’s skills, Rollie Thomas’ work ethic, Greg Fischer’s good humor, Randy Till’s steadiness, Tim Oitker’s lack of size and talent while backing down from no one. Many others should be mentioned. I’m blessed and proud to be part of this group.