George Washington University Athletics
Six Selected for Jersey Enshrinement
9/9/2026 2:58:00 PM | Baseball, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Basketball
A glittering collection of George Washington Athletics alumni were selected to have their careers celebrated in 2026-27, as voted upon by GW Athletics' jersey committee. The sextet will join a distinguished group of 13 who have previously been celebrated in this way by the institution.
John Flaherty (baseball) will have his jersey retired after a long and distinguished career in Major League Baseball, which was launched from 1986-88 during his time at GW. The 1988 A10 All-Conference Team member and All-Century catcher for George Washington was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1988 and made his major league debut in 1992 with Boston. He tallied a 27-game hitting streak in 1996, the third-longest by a catcher at that time in MLB history. In his career, he played for five MLB teams: Boston Red Sox (1992-93), Detroit Tigers (1994-96), San Diego Padres (1996-97), Tampa Bay Rays (1998-2002) and New York Yankees (2003-05). He broke up a potential no-hitter by Pedro Martinez in the ninth inning of a game in 2002 and finished his MLB career with 849 hits in 1,047 career games. He hit 80 career home runs in the big leagues and provided the walk-off hit for the Yankees in a game against Boston on July 1, 2004, that is most-remembered for Derek Jeter's tumbling catch into the stands. Flaherty is the program's most decorated professional player and continued to contribute to the game at the major league level until his recent retirement as a broadcaster for the Yankees on the YES Network.
Pat Tallent (men's basketball) is arguably the program's best pure scorer of all-time as he ranks fifth overall all-time in scoring and graduated as the team's second all-time leading scorer, despite playing just three seasons. Tallent's number will be retired after he was named Team MVP in 1975 and 1976 and earned Academic All-American honors in 1975 and 1976, with the '76 accolade being on the First Team. His scoring average of 575 points per season would put him atop the all-time scoring list if extrapolated over a four-year career, but Tallent played when freshmen were not able to compete at the varsity level. He trails only Joe Holup (who will have his jersey, which was honored last season, retired this season) in made field goals at GW, as he played before the introduction of the three-point shot. Drafted in the sixth round of the NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, he later became a decorated amateur golfer, having won the United States Golf Association's Senior Amateur Championship as the top amateur golfer in the country aged 55-and-older.
Women's basketball's Kim Beck and Cathy Joens will both have their numbers honored this upcoming season. Beck is a two-time All-America Honorable Mention (2006-07 & 2007-08), the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, 2006-07 A10 Defensive Player of the Year, three-time A10 All-Conference First Team honoree and A10 All-Defensive Team member. GW's all-time leader in career assists (7th in A-10 history), she also packed a scoring punch and ranks 15th in scoring in program history. Beck led the team in scoring in back-to-back Sweet Sixteen years. The defensive menace is second all-time at GW in steals and was later drafted with the 36th overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by Seattle. She played one season with the Storm.
Joens accrued All-America Honorable Mention honors just before Beck in 2003-04, and was a two-time A10 Player of the Year (2002-03 & 2003-04), as the only player for the most decorated team at GW to be named the conference's player of the year twice. The three-time A10 All-Conference First Team honoree ranks third in program history in career points and holds the school record for career three-pointers made. Drafted 30th overall by the New York Liberty in the 2004 WNBA Draft, Joens played two seasons in the WNBA and nine seasons of pro ball overall overseas.
Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans planted George Washington football's flag on the national stage in 1936, when he was named MVP of the College All-Star Game that saw collegiate All-Stars battle to a 7-7 tie with the NFL Champion Detroit Lions. He played on offense and defense at GW and is the leading rusher in school history. Better known to NFL fans, he was a second round pick of the NFL's New York Giants and led the league in rushing yards as a rookie. He played in two Pro Bowls and won the NFL Championship in 1938. The famed footballer was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
Andrea Bolognesi was at the front end of men's swimming & diving's dominance in the last decade. The two-time All-American in 2016 and 2017 was GW's first-ever All-America First Team honoree, finishing 8th nationally in the 100-breast A-final in 2016. A two-time A10 Most Outstanding Performer (2016, '17) and former A-10 record holder in the 100-yard breast, he is a six-time individual A10 Championships gold medal winner (twice-100 fly, twice-100 breast, once-200 breast, once-200 IM). He garnered the maximum amount of golds possible in a two year reign of dominance at the conference level, which culminated in GW's first-ever A10 team championship in 2016-17.
2026-27 will also see the rededication of the banner that currently hangs in the Smith Center rafters for men's basketball's Arnold "Red" Auerbach and the retirement of women's basketball's Jonquel Jones' jersey, after it was rescheduled last season.
Dates for all of the jersey ceremonies will be announced at a later date.
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John Flaherty (baseball) will have his jersey retired after a long and distinguished career in Major League Baseball, which was launched from 1986-88 during his time at GW. The 1988 A10 All-Conference Team member and All-Century catcher for George Washington was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1988 and made his major league debut in 1992 with Boston. He tallied a 27-game hitting streak in 1996, the third-longest by a catcher at that time in MLB history. In his career, he played for five MLB teams: Boston Red Sox (1992-93), Detroit Tigers (1994-96), San Diego Padres (1996-97), Tampa Bay Rays (1998-2002) and New York Yankees (2003-05). He broke up a potential no-hitter by Pedro Martinez in the ninth inning of a game in 2002 and finished his MLB career with 849 hits in 1,047 career games. He hit 80 career home runs in the big leagues and provided the walk-off hit for the Yankees in a game against Boston on July 1, 2004, that is most-remembered for Derek Jeter's tumbling catch into the stands. Flaherty is the program's most decorated professional player and continued to contribute to the game at the major league level until his recent retirement as a broadcaster for the Yankees on the YES Network.
Pat Tallent (men's basketball) is arguably the program's best pure scorer of all-time as he ranks fifth overall all-time in scoring and graduated as the team's second all-time leading scorer, despite playing just three seasons. Tallent's number will be retired after he was named Team MVP in 1975 and 1976 and earned Academic All-American honors in 1975 and 1976, with the '76 accolade being on the First Team. His scoring average of 575 points per season would put him atop the all-time scoring list if extrapolated over a four-year career, but Tallent played when freshmen were not able to compete at the varsity level. He trails only Joe Holup (who will have his jersey, which was honored last season, retired this season) in made field goals at GW, as he played before the introduction of the three-point shot. Drafted in the sixth round of the NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, he later became a decorated amateur golfer, having won the United States Golf Association's Senior Amateur Championship as the top amateur golfer in the country aged 55-and-older.
Women's basketball's Kim Beck and Cathy Joens will both have their numbers honored this upcoming season. Beck is a two-time All-America Honorable Mention (2006-07 & 2007-08), the 2007-08 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, 2006-07 A10 Defensive Player of the Year, three-time A10 All-Conference First Team honoree and A10 All-Defensive Team member. GW's all-time leader in career assists (7th in A-10 history), she also packed a scoring punch and ranks 15th in scoring in program history. Beck led the team in scoring in back-to-back Sweet Sixteen years. The defensive menace is second all-time at GW in steals and was later drafted with the 36th overall pick in the 2008 WNBA Draft by Seattle. She played one season with the Storm.
Joens accrued All-America Honorable Mention honors just before Beck in 2003-04, and was a two-time A10 Player of the Year (2002-03 & 2003-04), as the only player for the most decorated team at GW to be named the conference's player of the year twice. The three-time A10 All-Conference First Team honoree ranks third in program history in career points and holds the school record for career three-pointers made. Drafted 30th overall by the New York Liberty in the 2004 WNBA Draft, Joens played two seasons in the WNBA and nine seasons of pro ball overall overseas.
Alphonse "Tuffy" Leemans planted George Washington football's flag on the national stage in 1936, when he was named MVP of the College All-Star Game that saw collegiate All-Stars battle to a 7-7 tie with the NFL Champion Detroit Lions. He played on offense and defense at GW and is the leading rusher in school history. Better known to NFL fans, he was a second round pick of the NFL's New York Giants and led the league in rushing yards as a rookie. He played in two Pro Bowls and won the NFL Championship in 1938. The famed footballer was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978.
Andrea Bolognesi was at the front end of men's swimming & diving's dominance in the last decade. The two-time All-American in 2016 and 2017 was GW's first-ever All-America First Team honoree, finishing 8th nationally in the 100-breast A-final in 2016. A two-time A10 Most Outstanding Performer (2016, '17) and former A-10 record holder in the 100-yard breast, he is a six-time individual A10 Championships gold medal winner (twice-100 fly, twice-100 breast, once-200 breast, once-200 IM). He garnered the maximum amount of golds possible in a two year reign of dominance at the conference level, which culminated in GW's first-ever A10 team championship in 2016-17.
2026-27 will also see the rededication of the banner that currently hangs in the Smith Center rafters for men's basketball's Arnold "Red" Auerbach and the retirement of women's basketball's Jonquel Jones' jersey, after it was rescheduled last season.
Dates for all of the jersey ceremonies will be announced at a later date.
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Tuesday, September 08
Monday, August 31
Thursday, June 18
Thursday, May 21