GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa Department of Athletics will induct two former student-athletes into their Hall of Honor this weekend as a part of the homecoming festivities on campus. This year they will induct two former football student-athletes.
 
The Mavericks first inductee is Jeff Tootle who starred for the Mavericks from 1980-83. Tootle was a two-time NAIA All-American linebacker (1982-83) who played in 39 career games with the Mavericks. Tootle led the Mavericks to a pair of NAIA National Championship runner-up finishes in 1982 and 1983, which those teams were later inducted into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
 
Tootle was a three-time All-RMAC recipient and was named to the All-Century Team on the defensive side joining several notable athletes from the century. He finished his Maverick career with 294 tackles and 136 solo tackles which ranks 10^th in Maverick program history.
 
The Denver native later went onto play for the New York Giants and appeared in three games during the 1987 season.
 
The second inductee is former running back Charles Dukes who starred in the Mavroon and White from 2001-04. Dukes played in 43 career games for the Mavericks and led them to the 2003 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship and into the NCAA Playoffs. Colorado Mesa (then Mesa State) would go onto lose a heartbreaker 20-15 to Central Oklahoma at snowy Stocker Stadium.
 
Dukes rushed for 2,835 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career. His rushing yards rank fifth and his rushing touchdowns rank seventh in Maverick history all-time. To add to his athletic accomplishments, he also was a two-time RMAC All-Academic Team recipient.
 
The Colorado native currently serves on the Colorado Mesa University Board of Trustees.
 
Tootle and Dukes will be presented at halftime of the football game on Saturday (Oct. 29) when the Mavericks take on CSU Pueblo at 1:00pm at Stocker Stadium.