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Former Ferrum College star Billy Wagner was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at a Sunday afternoon ceremony outside the Clark Sports Center.

Craig Biggio, one of Wagner’s former Houston Astros teammates, was one of 52 previous inductees who sat behind Sunday’s inductees on the stage. Biggio referred to Wagner as a “country boy from Virginia� in an introductory video before Wagner gave his speech.

Wagner, a Tazewell High School graduate, brought up his Southwest Virginia roots and his Ferrum career at the beginning of his speech.

“What a humbling moment, standing in front of my heroes on the ultimate stage as a former player representing Southwest Virginia and a small Division III school — Ferrum College,� Wagner, 54, said at the start of his speech. “It’s nerve-wracking.�

Wagner wore a Ferrum College pin and a Tazewell County pin on his suit lapel.

Wagner, who pitched for Ferrum from 1991-93, became the first former NCAA Division III player to be inducted into Cooperstown. His Cooperstown plaque, which was read aloud by Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred before Wagner’s speech, mentions that Wagner “played collegiately at (the) Division III level.�

Wagner became the first Southwest Virginia native to be inducted into Cooperstown.

He thanked his Tazewell High School coach, the late Lou Peery, in his speech.

“Today wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for Lou Peery,� Wagner said. “Lou, you showed me trust and love. I miss you more than anyone could imagine. Thank you for showing me and my Tazewell High Bulldog teammates the love of the game. Your grace on the field inspired me to be a coach. I love you. Rest in peace, Coach.�

Wagner also thanked former Ferrum coach Abe Naff in the speech.

Naff made the trip north for the induction ceremony. A number of Wagner’s former Ferrum teammates also made the trip, including current Ferrum coach Eric Owens.

“Abe Naff, you gave me a hat and an opportunity,� Wagner said. “You made playing the game easy. … Of all my coaches, you hated losing the most. You showed me that winning for our team was more important than winning for yourself.

“We always had a great team, with players like Eric Owens and many, many others that are here today. You gave me a home at Ferrum, and I thank you for our conversations about baseball and about life. I love you, Coach.�

Wagner, a Crozet resident who is now the baseball coach at The Miller School in Albemarle County, thanked all the major-league pitching coaches who helped him in his career.

“You were with me on the impossible journey of trying to perfect the craft of pitching,� Wagner said. “Now, as a high school coach, I understand the suffering and the reward that goes through helping others pursue the unattainable perfection.�

Wagner was elected to Cooperstown in January on his 10th and final time on the Baseball Writers’ Association of America ballot.

“To the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, thank you for recognizing the body of work, the grind and the heart that I put into this game,� he said.

Sunday’s other inductees were CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, the late Dave Parker (who played minor league ball for the Salem Pirates) and the late Dick Allen.

The 5-foot-10 Wagner was a closer in the major leagues. But he was a starter on Sunday, when he was the first member of the 2025 class to give his induction speech.

“I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for my Lord and savior,� said Wagner, whose grandparents used to take him to church. “With you, nothing is impossible — not even a 5-foot-nothing, 100-pound-nothing making the hall of fame.�

Wagner saluted his parents, who divorced when he was very young, in his speech.

“You showed me what it meant to work hard, to stay humble and to never let your circumstances define you. I love you,� Wagner said.

He also saluted his aunt Sarah Lamie and his late uncle Jack Lamie. After living with his parents and grandparents, Wagner moved into the Lamies’ Tannersville home when he was 14 years old.

“You stepped in when I needed you the most, with love and support through everything I faced,� Wagner said.

Wagner also mentioned his cousin Jeff Lamie, who was his teammate in high school and college.

“Jeff was a visual example that I needed to see how to be the best,� Wagner said. “You’ve always been a great role model and I love you.�

Wagner and his wife, Sarah, a former Ferrum women’s basketball player, have four children — Will, a Toronto Blue Jays infielder and former Liberty University player; Jeremy, who played college baseball at Towson; Olivia, who played college basketball at Radford and Winthrop; and Kason, who is on The Miller School baseball team.

Wagner choked up when he talked about his kids in the speech.

“You are my greatest joy, whether it’s on the sports field or off,� he said. “I hope that the lessons of never giving up is the one that you take with you. No matter what you do or where your journey takes you, we are so proud of you and we love you.�

Wagner also choked up when discussing his wife in the speech.

“You are the rock of our family,� he said. “You held it all together while I was chasing my dream. Thank you for your strength, your grace and your love. I couldn’t have done this without you.�

Wagner pitched for five teams in the majors from 1995-2010.

He was drafted out of Ferrum by Houston in the first round of the 1993 Major League Baseball draft.

“The Houston Astros … took a chance on a small-town lefty with a big fastball and a chip on his shoulder,� Wagner said in the speech.

Wagner, who ranks eighth in major league history with 422 career saves, became the first left-handed reliever to be inducted into Cooperstown. The seven-time All-Star had a 2.31 ERA and 1,196 strikeouts in 903 career innings.

Wagner, whose Miller School players were on hand for the ceremony, put a teaching moment in his speech.

“To every kid out there, this is my message to you: obstacles are not a roadblock,� Wagner said. “Obstacles are stepping stones. They build you and shape you, refine you.

“I wasn’t the biggest. I wasn’t (originally) left-handed. I wasn’t supposed to be here. There were only seven full-time relievers in the hall of fame. Now there are eight, because I refused to give up or give in. I refused to listen to the outside critics and I never stopped working.�

A room in the hall of fame museum is devoted to Wagner and the other new inductees.

The Wagner display includes one of his old Ferrum jerseys. The accompanying text says in part, “Wagner wore this jersey during his time at Ferrum College, where he set several NCAA Division III records and caught the attention of major league scouts.�

Ferrum is also mentioned in the introductory text of the display.

The display also includes the shoes Wagner wore when he recorded his 400th save; the fire helmet that the Houston Fire Department gave Wagner in honor of his 200th save; a baseball from the combined no-hitter that Wagner closed out; a glove he used in the majors; caps he wore with the Mets, Red Sox and Phillies; and an Astros jersey he wore during an All-Star Game. The display also has large photos of him from when he was with Houston and the Mets.

What will Wagner remember the most about Cooperstown weekend?

“It’s been a whirlwind,� Wagner said at a press conference after the ceremony. “It has been very overwhelming.

“Being around the best of the best, having my family near, representing a very small part of Southwest Virginia, the friends and family that have come out and supported me, that’s something that for me I’ll remember.�