Alex M. Rivera Athletics Hall of Fame
Gerald L. Patton was a four-year starter and all-conference offensive lineman at North Carolina Central University from 1982-85.
Patton earned All-CIAA Second Team honors as a sophomore in 1983, then stepped up to All-CIAA First Team recognition as a junior and senior during the 1984 and 1985 campaigns.
A 1986 graduate of NCCU with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, he went on to represent the CIAA in the 1986 Freedom Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, and signed a professional contract with the Memphis (Tenn.) Showboats of U.S. Football League in June of 1986.
A native of Charlotte, N.C., Patton was a member of South Mecklenburg High School’s 1981 Football State Championship team.
On August 24, 1995, Patton was appointed to the United States Probation Office for the Western District of North Carolina. At the time of his appointment, he was the third African American male hired in the Western District of North Carolina since the establishment of the U.S. Probation Office in 1939.
In 1998, Patton was one of the first recipients of the Chiefs Award for his professional commitment to the U.S. Probation Office. In 2002, he was named the Hugh Martin Line Officer of the Year.
He is married to Sharon Oakley and has two children, Gerrel and Gerlea Patton.
(bio from program at the time of induction)
