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. Guided by Paul Wulff, the Big Sky’s Coach of the Year, the Eagles beat top-seeded Southern Illinois in the first round of the playoffs before bowing out in the quarterfinals against Sam Houston State in the first-ever home playoff game at Woodward Field (now Roos Field). The team finished 9-4 and ranked eighth in I-AA. The 2004 Eagles boasted five All-Americans, including Meyer, Kimble and program great Michael Roos, an offensive tackle.
Chatman captured first-team All-America honors and was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2001 after amassing 2,096 rushing yards for an EWU team that led the nation in total offense and scoring. He broke five conference and 19 program records during his three seasons at EWU, totaling 4,173 rushing yards and 53 touchdowns before playing in the NFL between 2002-08.
Aggers coached the Eagles men’s basketball team to its first Big Sky regular-season title in 1999-2000. In his last three seasons, Aggers led EWU to a 41-40 record (29-19 in Big Sky play) and was twice named the Big Sky Coach of the Year.
Kuiper was the first EWU woman to compete in the NCAA Track and Field Championships, qualifying for nationals in both indoors and outdoors in 1991 to cap a record-breaking career. She was a four-time Big Sky champion in the shot put and a two-time champ in the discus, winning four conference titles at Boise State before transferring to EWU, where she claimed two. Kuiper held the program’s shot put record (50-11) for 20 years.
Taucher picked up All-Big Sky first-team honors in 1991 and ‘92 and became the second player in EWU basketball history to tally at least 1,000 career points and 300 assists. She played in every game for the Eagles from 1989-92, starting 95. Taucher set a program record in 1991 for minutes played per game (38.67). Her 341 career assists ranked fourth in program history at the time, and her 1,105 points ranked seventh.