Lezak, Goldberg enter Jewish Hall of Fame

Wrestler Bill Goldberg and Olympic swimmer Jason Lezak were among seven inductees into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

The five others inducted April 18 at the Hall of Fame in Commack, N.Y., were Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach Seth Greenberg; female judo champion Rusty Kanokogi; Penn State women’s volleyball coach Russ Rose; Achilles Track Club founder Dick Traum; and former NFL offensive lineman Alan Veingrad.

Goldberg, an all-American defensive end at the University of Georgia, was taken in the 11th round of the 1990 NFL draft, but he turned to pro wrestling after an injury. World Wrestling Entertain-ment twice recognized Goldberg as the world heavyweight champion.

Lezak came to national prominence as the unassuming hero of the U.S. 400-meter freestyle relay team that won the gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and set a world record. His dramatic final lap of the race made international headlines and helped teammate Michael Phelps notch a crucial victory on his way to a record eight gold medals at the Games. — jta