Meyer, Kimble, 2004 football team headline Eastern Washington athletics' 2026 Hall of Fame class
Apr. 8—Eastern Washington athletics' 2026 Hall of Fame class, revealed by the school Wednesday, is headlined by a pair of All-American football players who starred for the celebrated 2004 team, which is also being inducted when EWU holds its ceremony Oct. 10.
EWU quarterback Erik Meyer (2001-05) and his favorite receiver, Eric Kimble (2001-05), will join four other former Eagles in the school's athletics Hall of Fame. The other inductees are: Running back Jesse Chatman (1998-01), men's basketball coach Steve Aggers (1995-2000), track and field standout Nancy Kuiper (1990-91) and women's basketball guard Nancy Sugarman (Taucher), who played at Eastern from 1988-92. As a senior, Meyer became the first EWU player to win the prestigious Walter Payton Award, given to the top player in NCAA Division I-AA (now Football Championship Subdivision) competition.
He was a two-time I-AA All-American and the Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Year in both of his last two seasons. Meyer finished his career with 10,261 passing yards and 84 touchdowns against just 17 interceptions across 42 games. He broke the I-AA record for efficiency rating among QBs with at least 400 completions.
A Big Sky Hall of Fame inductee in 2024, Meyer spent most of his professional career in the Arena Football League, primarily with the Spokane Shock. He earned AFL MVP with the Shock in 2013. Kimble, a unanimous All-American in his last two seasons, totaled 46 career touchdown receptions, ranking second at the time in the I-AA career record books behind only Jerry Rice's 50 amassed at Mississippi Valley State.
Kimble set the Big Sky career receiving yards record with 4,140. The three-time All-Big Sky honoree broke nine career and four single-season records at EWU. Meyer and Kimble were the leaders of the 2004 football team, which claimed a share of the Big Sky title and clinched the program's fourth I-AA/FCS playoff appearance.