Photography by Mary Claire Stewart Coleman (14C)
What do Atlanta Braves legend John Smoltz, record-setting NFL quarterback Drew Brees, former major-league pitcher Collin McHugh (09c) and award-winning Wake Forest University professor Debbie Best have in common? All played a role in saluting Trustee Steve Cage (74C) and now-retired President Steve Briggs at Berry’s 2025 Evening of Honors.
Emceed by McHugh, a former World Series champion, the event celebrated the “Two Steves” for their shared legacy as champions of a different sort – that of the Berry student experience.
Their contributions span two decades, dating back to Cage’s decision in the early 2000s to help jumpstart fundraising for a new athletic and recreation center with the largest alumni gift in Berry history – $10 million. Completed in 2008, the facility bearing his name immediately became the hub of student activity at the heart of Briggs’ efforts to revitalize the campus and invigorate the residential community, two signature accomplishments of his 19-year presidency.
Smoltz’s appearance by video message was a nod to those early days, as the Hall-of-Famer had been scheduled to help celebrate Cage’s gift at an ice storm-canceled event all those years ago.
Brees also checked in with a video message for Cage, his fellow pickleball aficionado, surprising the award-winning Indiana entrepreneur with news that Berry’s pickleball courts would be named in his honor – a salute to his passion for the sport and longtime support of Viking athletics. The ongoing generosity of the former Berry pole-vaulter, including subsequent leadership gifts to Valhalla and the Briggs Beach volleyball facility, helped fuel Berry’s rapid emergence as a competitive force in the Southern Athletic Association and NCAA Division III – another significant triumph of the Briggs’ era.
Joining Smoltz and Brees was Best, a champion in a very different sense as professor emerita at Briggs’ undergraduate alma mater.
In recorded remarks, the influential mentor who helped spur his lifetime of service to students reflected on the young man she once taught and the joy she felt when he found his “home” at Berry. Then, to Briggs’ surprise and delight, she disappeared from the video screen – leaving her chair spinning – and walked into the room to deliver his retirement gift in person.
Further amplifying the vibe of the “sneaker-chic” event were the students in attendance, including the Viking Drumline and many student-athletes. Their interactions with the honorees and other guests enriched an already special night, and their presence brought into sharp focus the motivations of Cage, Briggs and so many others involved in sustaining and enhancing the opportunities and experiences for which Berry is renowned.
“The student experience is something these two individuals care so much about,” McHugh shared. “When I first came onto campus, there was no Cage Center. When President Briggs came in, I was new on campus, too. When I go back now, the thing that is just wild to me is how different the campus looks and feels, specifically because of their contributions. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.”
Fittingly, many alumni and friends chose to honor the Two Steves with gifts that will build on that legacy. From the podium, Randy Berry, longtime trustee and great-nephew of Martha Berry, proudly announced that more than $1 million had been contributed to Berry’s Purposeful Experiences Fund, with an additional $220,000 going to the new Athletic Director’s Excellence Fund.
Moved by the show of support, Briggs thanked Berry’s many benefactors for their lasting impact on students.
“To all of you in this room and a few, like Audrey Morgan, who had to miss out on this special moment, I want to share the honor of this evening along with Steve [Cage],” he expressed. “Together, you’ve put the needs of students first, which is consistent with Martha Berry’s conviction that an education of the head, heart and hands is not just an honorable profession, but a sacred endeavor. We are deeply grateful for the privilege of serving with you.”
Briggs closed his remarks with a ceremonial passing of the torch – in the form of oversized Berry Journey sneakers – to incoming President Sandeep Mazumder.
“Some of you have suggested to Dr. Mazumder that he has big shoes to fill, which is rather awkward since most of you know that the Briggs family does not have big feet,” the retiring president joked. “In the spirit of the aspirational intent of the message you had for our new president, I want to offer Sandeep something practical for the journey ahead, something for him to grow into. Nothing says aspiration quite like a pair of size 17 Chuck Taylor Converses. Lead on, Dr. Mazumder.”
Brasfield and Gorrie was the supporting sponsor for the event. Truist was contributing sponsor.
