EMORY, Va. - James H. Brooks Field House, a $5.5 million athletic facility well on its way to completion, will be a rare feature among NCAA Division III schools and will help take Emory & Henry College Athletics to a new level of excellence, according to two E&H football players who spoke Saturday afternoon prior to a public tour of the facility.

"No other school in Division III or Division II has what we will have," said junior linebacker Devan Sproles from Norton, Va., who spoke about what the building means to athletic recruitment. The new field house will strengthen the competitiveness of the athletic program and will be a "home where precious memories are made."

The new two-story facility that stands at the east end of Fred Selfe Stadium is already creating enthusiasm among current E&H athletes, according to Kyle Boden, a sophomore quarterback from Knoxville, Tenn. The field house will strengthen the commitment of the E&H football team to "play with heart and play with passion every time we step to the line."

Speaking before a crowd of more than 100 people, Emory & Henry President Rosalind Reichard, who has become known at the College as "the building president," said the College is committed to the "very best facilities" for all aspects of the E&H community and "we are committed to honoring the people who have made a difference to this college."

James H. Brooks Field House is named in honor of a long-time supporter of the institution who served on the College's Board of Visitors. Three of his sons – Jimmy Brooks (E&H Class of 1992), Danny Brooks (1996) and Tommy Brooks (1998) - attended Emory & Henry.

The construction of the field house is the final stage of the development of Fred Selfe Stadium, which honors a long-serving member of the Emory & Henry coaching staff and former athletic director.

Reichard encouraged visitors to the field house to look from there down upon the football field and "envision Fred Selfe walking on the sideline and James Brooks standing in the end zone."

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- photo and story courtesy of E&H Office of Public Relations