Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame
From the time he arrived on campus as a slim quarterback to his completion of two degrees at Gardner-Webb, former Runnin' Bulldog Jim Maxwell set the bar for excellence on the field and in the classroom. Maxwell never played on the offensive side for the Runnin' Bulldogs, instead earning a starting role in the secondary before eventually starring at linebacker on two Big South Conference championship teams. Maxwell earned All-Big South Conference honors in both 2002 and 2003 and was an honorable mention Division I-AA All-America selection by the Football Gazette in 2002. That season he led the Runnin' Bulldogs to a 9-1 mark, the inaugural Big South football crown and final national ranking in the top-20 of both major I-AA polls. In 2003, Maxwell helped GWU to an 8-4 mark and was named CoSIDA Academic All-District III in addition to Big South Conference Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year. He played a key role in Gardner-Webb's move to Division I on the gridiron, which saw the Runnin' Bulldogs post a 30-13 overall record during his four years on the field. Maxwell finished those four seasons with 306 total tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. His 100-yard fumble return for a touchdown in 2001 vs. Morris Brown remains the longest in the school's record book. Maxwell went on to sign with the New York Giants and played with the Giants, 49ers, Dolphins and Bengals during a five-year NFL career. Maxwell was recognized by the NFL in 2005 for returning to Gardner-Webb to complete his MBA.
