The Ohio Valley Athletic Conference is set to expand once again.

A Super Bowl champion and a standout collegiate wrestler comprise the athlete selections from the decade of the 2000s for the OVAC Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

The next two members, who will be inducted during the annual ceremony in August at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, were multi-sport standouts during their prep days before taking their athletic talents to the next level.

Martins Ferry’s Clay Tucker and Beaver Local’s Derek Wolfe are the next members to have their names announced and others will be announced in the coming weeks by the hall of fame committee.

Here’s a capsule look at the honorees from the decade of the 2000s:

CLAY TUCKER, Martins Ferry (Class of 2005) – The Purple Rider wrestling program has produced numerous standout performers over the course of time. Tucker is certainly among the best with a resume that includes basically everything an Ohio Valley prep wrestler can attain.

Tucker was a four-year letterman for the Purple Riders and finished his vaunted career with an impressive 169-10 career record. Tucker never had a season in which he won fewer than 38 matches. He set the school record for single-season wins as a junior with 46. He broke onto the scene with a 42-win freshman campaign and followed that with 43 as a sophomore.

At the time of his graduation, that was the school record for most wins. He also established school records for technical falls in a career (47) and single season (18).

Tucker joined an illustrious company in the Ohio Valley wrestling world by winning four championships in the OVAC Tournament. He won the coveted Bierkortte Award, which is given to the OVAC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler as a senior.

He was also a four-time All-Ohioan, including a state championship at 130 pounds in 2004. He was runner-up in 2003 at 125 pounds. Those trips to the title bouts were surrounded by a fourth-place finish as a frosh and sixth-place as a senior.

En route to the state tournament, Tucker also won four sectional and district championships.

With his resume, accolades followed in bunches. Tucker competed in the Eastern Ohio All-Star Meet, earned all-OVAC four times and was the Wheeling News Register’s Ohio Wrestler of the Year as a senior.

After his senior season, he took part in the NHSCA Senior Nationals, finishing second at 140. By doing so, he became the first Purple Rider to earn All-American status.

Tucker also shined in football for the Purple Riders, earning three letters as a wide receiver and defensive back. He earned First-Team All-OVAC as a senior with more than 500 yards receiving and five touchdowns. He was part of a Purple Rider squad, which won the regional championship and played in the state semifinals. He played in the OVAC All-Star Football Game in 2005.

After graduation, Tucker continued his wrestling career at Ohio University, lettering four times and compiling a career record of 71-66. He was fourth and third in the Mid-American Conference Tournament during his career. He was 25-14 as a senior.

He entered the coaching ranks and served as head coach at Wheeling Park for three seasons from 2015-17. He had been an assistant for three seasons and then returned to the assistant’s role after stepping down as the head coach.

DEREK WOLFE, Beaver Local (Class of 2008) – This eventual Super Bowl champion defensive lineman was a multi-sport star for the Beavers during his prep career.

On the football field, Wolfe caused all sorts of problems for opposing offenses from his defensive line position. During his senior season, Wolfe recorded 78 tackles and seven sacks en route to All-Ohio, All-OVAC and All-Eastern District accolades. He finished his prep career with 205 tackles.

Wolfe was also dominant on the wrestling mat for the Beavers. He had a brilliant senior season, finishing with a 33-4 record. He finished fifth in both the OVAC and Division II state tournaments.

Wolfe opted to pursue football at the collegiate level and it was a decision that paid off. He was a four-year regular for the Cincinnati Bearcats. As a senior, he was named Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year and was listed on an astounding five, All-America teams. He ranked fifth in FBS with 1.65 tackles for loss per game. All told, he posted 21.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. In his career, with the Bearcats, Wolfe logged 162 tackles, 37 for loss and 19.5 sacks.

He was drafted in the second round in 2012 with the 36th overall pick by the Denver Broncos. He played 10 seasons in the NFL, including eight with the Broncos and two in Baltimore. He recorded 350 career tackles, 34 sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception. He was a member of the Super Bowl 50 winning Broncos’ team. Unfortunately, injuries forced his retirement in 2022.

Wolfe has been honored by the Lou Holtz Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame in 2016. He and former high school teammate Jamin Pastore donated $1M to Beaver Local High School for upgrades to the school’s football stadium facilities.