DAVIS, Calif. -- Former UC Davis quarterback and Arena Football standout Mark Grieb will receive the Aggie Legacy Award, while Darlene Hunter will be bestowed with the Special Recognition Award as part of the Cal Aggie Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday, September 27.

Founded in 2011, the Aggie Legacy Award honors former student-athletes for their post-UC Davis athletics achievements. The Special Recognition Award, which dates back to 1994, honors meritorious volunteer service to Aggie intercollegiate athletics.

The 1996 Colby E. "Babe" Slater Award winner as the outstanding male athlete of the year, Grieb went on become one of the all-time greats in the Arena Football League, mostly with the San Jose Sabercats. He amassed almost 48,000 passing yards with 922 touchdowns, still ranking second and third on the league's respective career lists for those categories. The 1997 biochemistry grad still holds three league records for passing efficiency. 

Grieb even earned his master's degree in education and served as a graduate assistant at Stanford during his pro career. He also saw stints in NFL Europe (Scottish Claymores) and the XFL (Las Vegas Outlaws) before retiring from his playing career. Grieb continues to put his football IQ at work, currently entering his third season as the head coach at Sacred Heart Prep in Atherton, Calif. 

Before his pro career, Grieb starred at UC Davis from 1994 to 1996. In that senior season, he passed for a then school-record 3,230 yards and 25 touchdowns, making him a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy. Grieb earned All-West Region and All-America honorable mention, the school's Slater Award, plus such academic honors as CoSIDA Academic All-District and an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award.

Hunter, the university's senior director of undergraduate admissions, continues a family tradition of service and volunteerism for UC Davis athletics. Her father, Milt Silva, was longtime research associate in the plant pathology department and a 1995 recipient of the Special Recognition Award for his 33 years of volunteer contributions at track meets, baseball, football and basketball games. 

Although Hunter attended Aggie events as a young child and often accompanied her father with his volunteer work at UC Davis athletics events, her service to the department began in 1972 with the Cal Aggie Boosters. When the CAB transitioned from an off-campus entity to a departmental unit now known as Team Aggie, Hunter served on that implementation team, as well as the inaugural fundraising committee and Team Aggie Board (for which she presided during the 1990s). She also coordinated on such projects as the Sochor Invitational golf fundraiser, and served on numerous committees, including the current Marya Welch Initiative. Perhaps her longest service was on the CAAHOF committee, which she chaired for more than three decades. 

Milt and Dar will become the first parent-child recipients of the Special Recognition Award since Liz and Jim Belenis, who won the 2000 honor three years after their father, George.

Grieb and Hunter will be honored as part of the September 27 CAAHOF ceremony for Quincy Amarikwa (soccer), Alex Arbios (swimming), Chris Carter (football), Robby Flannery (football), Matt Kamigawachi (baseball), Katie Yamamura (gymnastics) and Pete Motekaitis (coach), whose inductions were announced last Friday. 

Founded in 1980, the CAAHOF honors outstanding achievements in UC Davis intercollegiate athletics. A selection panel considers the annual pool of nominees and selects up to five student-athlete inductees, with the occasional exception to expand the class to six; up to one non-participant inductee, plus the recipients of the Aggie Legacy and Special Recognition awards. The Chancellor's Office then gives final approval of the awards class.

For more information, including past honorees, awards criteria, and nomination forms, please visit ucdavisaggies.com/sports/2018/5/29/hallfame-ucda-hallfame-html.aspx. 

The September 27 inductions, part of the university's Homecoming Weekend, are open to the public. Ticket and/or RSVP information will be available at ucdavisaggies.com this summer. Any questions about this event may be directed to caahof@ucdavis.edu.

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.