BALTIMORE, Md. – The Penn Relays Carnival is gearing up to celebrate a new class of legends. It is announcing the inductees for its prestigious 2025 Wall of Fame. This year’s honorees comprise four exceptional individuals and two remarkable relay teams, including a record-breaking HBCU relay team from Morgan State. Their contributions to the Carnival have left an indelible mark on the event’s rich history. 

The formal induction ceremony is set to be a highlight of the 2025 Penn Relays. It will take place on the final day, Saturday, April 26th, at the iconic Franklin Field. Providing a fitting stage to recognize and celebrate these athletes’ outstanding achievements.

Morgan State’s fabled 1950 record-breaking 4×440 yard Championship of America relay team will be inducted into the Penn Relays Wall of Fame. The HBCU foursome consisted of Samuel LaBeach, Robert Tyler, William Brown, and George Rhoden.

Record Breakers

In 1950, Morgan’s sensational quartet ran off with the prize race at the Penn Relay Carnival in the record-breaking time of 3:13.6, breaking the previous Penn Relays record of 3:14.8 that had stood since 1939. The team featured LaBeach (49.9), Tyler (48.7), Brown (47.5), and Rhoden (47.5), giving Morgan its first victory at the Penn Relays and vindicated themselves for a disqualification that had deprived them of the same honor in 1949.

In 1949, the Morgan foursome’s track prowess was undeniable, having decisively outpaced a formidable field, including Cornell, NYU, Georgetown, Army, Manhattan, and Villanova. However, a controversial ruling snatched victory from their grasp. Despite finishing behind the Morgan team. NYU was awarded the win based on a claim that LaBeach, a member of the Morgan quartet, had illegally used his hands on the initial turn. Allegedly jeopardizing his team’s qualification. The sting of the decision was amplified by the significant margin of victory. NYU, timed at 3:15.6, trailed the Bears by approximately 20 yards. Giving rise to the presumption Morgan must have done close to a 3.14 for their triumph.

After Morgan’s 1950 breakthrough victory, the Bears established a dynasty, claiming four more 4×440 titles over the next 32 years.  This period solidified Morgan’s reputation as a sprinting relay national powerhouse in collegiate track throughout the 1950s.

Nationwide Attention

The HBCU team continued to win at the prestigious Melrose Games in New York City and other meets throughout the country. The historic four ran a 3:09.4 at the Los Angeles Coliseum Relays, two seconds off the World Record. Morgan State College gained widespread recognition. Sports Illustrated, Time Magazine, Ebony Magazine, and the Afro-American Newspaper featured the team in their publications. The foursome became goodwill ambassadors for Morgan, both nationally and internationally.

The Penn Relays Wall of Fame was created in 1994 to celebrate the Carnival’s 100th running. The class of 2025 brings the number of inductees to 130 individuals and 117 relay teams. This year’s individuals and relay squads were selected by a panel of Penn Relays experts. Inductees are honored solely for their accomplishments at the Penn Relays; achievements in any other meets are not considered. The Penn Relays office will accept nominations of relay teams and individuals at any time and from any interested party. 

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ORANGEBURG, SC – The South Carolina State (SC State) Athletics Department is mourning the passing of retired Hall of Fame HBCU basketball coach Lyman Foster. Foster, 76, died Monday evening at his Orangeburg residence. Arrangements will be announced later by Simmons Funeral Home and Crematory of Orangeburg.

“We are all saddened by the passing of Coach Lyman Foster,” SC State interim Athletics Director Oliver “Buddy” Pough said. “He was a part of the great athletic legacy here at SC State and will be missed. The University offers its condolences and support to his family and all who loved him. He was a great coach and an outstanding professor in the PE department. We ask prayers for the family from the community during this sad time.”

A Tuskegee, AL native, Foster began his SC State coaching career in 1974-1975 as an assistant to the late Willie Simon. When the University reinstated its women’s basketball program. As Simon’s assistant, he helped the Lady Bulldogs to 305 victories and just 93 losses during a 14-year stint (1974-1988). SC State became one of the most dominant women’s programs in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the nation during his tenure as Simon’s assistant.

Stellar Career

During the period, the Lady Bulldogs won five MEAC championships. Several AIAW (Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women) state and regional titles. Captured the AIAW Division II National Crown during the 1978-79 season, after finishing as the national runner-up the previous year. In 1982-1983, the HBCU earned a berth in the NCAA playoffs when the Lady Bulldogs defeated LaSalle 85-67 on the road to become the first HBCU team – men or women – to win an NCAA postseason tournament game.

Foster, who also served as a physical education professor at SC State. Succeeded Simon as head coach following the 1987-1988 campaign. He went on to compile a five-year (1988-1983) 79-68 record and won three MEAC crowns. In addition, he was the men’s golf coach for the Bulldogs for five seasons (1988-1993) and guided SC State to three National Minority Collegiate Golf titles and two runner-up finishes.

Hall of Famer

He was inducted into the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame as an individual in 2004 after going in as a member of the AIAW National Championship Team in 2000.

The Alabama State graduate began his college coaching career at Coppin State in Baltimore, MD, as a men’s assistant for one season (1971-1972), before joining the Physical Education Department at SC State as an instructor.

Also, during a 13-year high school coaching career, which included stops at Scot’s Branch, Holly Hill-Roberts, and Orangeburg-Wilkinson, he won 270 games and reached the state championship finals three times. He later served three seasons (2012-2015) a volunteer assistant for the Claflin women’s team.

Foster earned a bachelor’s at Alabama State in 1970 and a master’s from Pittsburgh in 1971. He did further study at the University of Alabama,

He was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. for over 50 years, a longtime basketball official in the Palmetto State, and a member of several coaching and community organizations. Foster is survived by his wife, Linda W. Foster of the home; two children: Shana and Sean; a granddaughter and other relatives and friends.

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The decision to leave the CIAA was not made lightly, and it took nearly 18 months to complete. For decades, the CIAA had been a cornerstone of HBCU sports, fostering legendary athletes like Earl Monroe, Sam Jones etc. and coaches like Clarence “Big House” Gaines, John McLendon and Edward P. Hurt . However, by the late 1960s, cracks began to show in the conference’s structure. The CIAA had ballooned to 18 member schools by the end of the decade making scheduling and governance increasingly difficult. 

“There were just too many variables between the schools in the CIAA,” explained Dr. LeRoy Walker, then president of North Carolina Central and a key architect of the MEAC. “Variables in student body size, in financial support for athletics, and in the pursuit of excellence.”

The larger, better-resourced HBCUs like North Carolina A&T and Morgan State sought to align themselves with schools of similar size and ambition. These universities felt stifled within a conference where disparities in resources and priorities often led to compromises that they felt hindered athletic and academic growth.

As one MEAC official noted, “The new conference will require participation in eight sports, round-robin scheduling, freshman programs, and NCAA membership. We expect to be granted university division status.”

This ambition to compete at the highest collegiate level was a defining feature of the MEAC’s formation.

The CIAA, established in 1912, was a trailblazer in Black college sports. Its annual basketball tournament drew massive crowds and served as a cultural touchstone for HBCU communities. However, its rapid growth created logistical headaches. Round-robin scheduling was impossible, and its point-based standings system often left teams and fans frustrated.

This came to a head in the late 1940s, when adding schools such as Winston-Salem Teachers College and Delaware State pushed membership to 16 schools. The league continued to get bigger in the following decades when it added Maryland State (now Maryland Eastern Shore), Fayetteville State and Norfolk State out of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC). 

Some teams had gaudy records but didn’t get to see tough competition, meaning the football championship was determined by the Dickinson System while the league’s surging basketball tournament was limited to just eight teams. Schools such as Winston-Salem, North Carolina A&T, Norfolk State pretty much made yearly appearances while schools like Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith and North Carolina College made it intermittently and schools like Hampton and Howard rarely sniffed it.

Moreover, the sheer diversity of its member institutions—ranging from small private colleges to increasingly larger state HBCUs —meant that governance often favored compromise over bold decision-making. This dynamic was considered untenable for the larger schools, which had their sights set on competing with predominantly white institutions (PWIs) in the NCAA’s upper echelons.

In the aftermath of the Civil Rights movement and the beginnings of integration of college athletics, it was clear that great change was on the horizon. This was also the age of Nixon and the discussion between black capitalism vs. black cooperativism as eloquently written by Dick Gregory. “We shall overcome” was quickly turning into “I gotta get mine.”  And the heads of the larger, better resourced HBCUs saw themselves as prime candidates to cash in on what lay around the corner in the 1970s and beyond. 

“Black Capitalism at its finest will never catch up to a white capitalism for the simple reason that blacks are starting with more than a hundred year disadvantage,” Gregory wrote at the time. “The current mood surrounding bother black capitalism concept will only end up producing another segregated system in this country.”

“What is needed is a concept of black cooperativism. Black capitalism as it is currently understood means a few individuals establishing a business to make a profit. The development of cooperative business allows many people to work for profit rather than survival. It is cooperativism rather than capitalism, which stands a stands of chance of ending the current  paternalistic overtones of federal programs. “

(Go To Page Two for More)

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NEW ORLEANS — Former HBCU, NBA basketball player Donald “Slick” Watts, one of the brightest HBCU basketball stars in Xavier University of Louisiana’s athletic constellation, died Saturday (March 15, 2025). He was 73 years old. Funeral arrangements have not been announced. Watts’ health declined after a stroke in April 2021. He was a member of the first XULA Athletic Hall of Fame class—he attended that induction on Nov. 3, 2022, on the campus—and was one of the leaders of the renaissance of XULA men’s basketball during the early 1970s.

He played for the New Orleans-based HBCU from 1970-73 and produced 1,460 points and 331 assists—both XULA career records at the time and still among the best numbers at the HBCU. In each of Watts’ final two seasons, XULA won NAIA District 30 tournament championships and won at NAIA nationals. During Watts’ senior season, the Gold Rush upset unbeaten and top-ranked Sam Houston State 67-60 to reach the NAIA quarterfinals. No XULA men’s basketball team since then has advanced that far.

Survivors include a sister, Felicia Watts Wheatley, whose daughter, McKenna Wheatley, is a XULA junior and part of the No. 1 doubles team with Mbali Langa in the Intercollegiate Collegiate Tennis Association NAIA March rankings. Wheatley and Langa won the ITA Cup NAIA doubles championship in October.
       

More on Slick Watts:

        •  Played six seasons in the NBA (1973-79), starting with the Seattle SuperSonics as an undrafted free agent
        •  NBA career statistics: 437 games and per-game averages of 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.2 steals
        •  One of 16 selected in 2007 to the Seattle SuperSonics 40th-anniversary team
        •  Received the NBA’s J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award for exemplary community service in 1975-76 . . . he was the second recipient of this award
        •  Also in 1975-76, he was chosen to the NBA All-Defensive team
        •  In 1975-76 with Seattle, he was the first to lead the NBA in steals and assists in the same season
        •  According to basketball-reference.com, he ranks seventh on the NBA/ABA career list with 2.20 steals per game and 57th with 6.13 assists per game through the 2023-24 season
        •  One of his Gold Rush teammates was Bruce Seals, also a 2022 Xavier University of Louisiana Athletic Hall of Fame inductee
        •  ESPN in 2004 ranked him among the 16 “coolest athletes of all time.”
        •  Credited for popularizing the wearing of the headband by basketball players
        •  Other inductions:
        — Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991
        — Allstate Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 1996
        — Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2011
        •  Born in Rolling Fork, Miss.

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The Texas Southern University Sports Hall of Fame has announced 13 new inductees for its 2025 class. The latest class includes a mix of legendary head coaches, standout HBCU student-athletes from 10 sports, and a pair of administrators who played a major part in the foundation of the athletic department’s current success.
 
“I’m excited to announce the committee’s recommendations of our Hall of Fame Class,” said Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger. “We have a diverse group of individuals who are both record-setting standouts and trailblazers in their respective sports at TSU. Along with honoring our former student-athletes, this class also features a pair of former head coaches who made history in their sports while also having the opportunity to honor a pair of former administrators who’ve laid the groundwork for the success we’re currently experiencing at TSU. I also want to thank the committee for their hard work once again in assembling another historical class.”

The 2025 class, which marks the fifth induction class overall and the second consecutive class since the Hall of Fame was reinstated in 2024, will be inducted during Homecoming week at the HBCU in October 2025.

Ray Carrington III, Tennis
Gaylord Davis, Men’s Basketball
Coach Nathaniel Gillespie, Men’s/Women’s Basketball
Cortez Hankton Jr., Football
John Hartfield, Men’s Track and Field
Dr. Charles McClelland, Administration 
Coach Johnnie Means, Swimming
Kassandra Rivera, Women’s Golf
Yvette Wilson Scales, Supporter/Contributor
Thomas Sieh, Football
Denise Taylor, Women’s Basketball
Linda Weekly, Women’s Track and Field
Fred West, Men’s Basketball

Cortez Hankton Jr., Football
All-time career leader in receiving yardage at Texas Southern University (3,400)… earned third team Division I-AA All-America honors at TSU…holds the single-season receiving yards record (1,270) in 2002…holds the longest touchdown reception in school history (99 yards/2002)…third all-time in single season touchdown receptions (13/2002)…second all-time in touchdown receptions (30) and third in all-time receptions (175)…third in single season scoring (80/2002)…sixth in single season all-purpose yards (1,311/2002)…two-time All-SWAC receiver under Bill Thomas… currently the Co-Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach at LSU.

READ MORE ABOUT THE 2025 CLASS HERE.

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The Texas Southern University Sports Hall of Fame has announced 13 new inductees for its 2025 class. The latest class includes a mix of legendary HBCU head coaches, standout student-athletes from 10 sports, and a pair of administrators who played a major part in the foundation of the athletic department’s current success.
 
“I’m excited to announce the committee’s recommendations of our Hall of Fame Class,” said Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger. “We have a diverse group of individuals who are both record-setting standouts and trailblazers in their respective sports at TSU. Along with honoring our former student-athletes, this class also features a pair of former head coaches who made history in their sports while also having the opportunity to honor a pair of former administrators who’ve laid the groundwork for the success we’re currently experiencing at TSU. I also want to thank the committee for their hard work once again in assembling another historical class.”

The 2025 class, which marks the fifth induction class overall and the second consecutive class since the Hall of Fame was reinstated in 2024, will be inducted during Homecoming week at the HBCU in October of 2025.

Dr. Charles McClelland, Administration 
Served as Texas Southern University Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics from 2008-2018… TSU claimed a total of twenty-five (25) championships over the course of nine years under his watch…made major strides and set the tone for the success of the athletic department academically in the areas of Academic Progress Rate (APR) and Graduation Success Rate (GSR)…secured funding for multiple facility enhancements and increased exposure for TSU athletics during his tenure…led TSU to its first-ever C.D. Henry Award for the top men’s program in the SWAC following the 2014-15 season….currently serves as Commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, .

READ MORE ABOUT THE 2025 CLASS HERE.

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He played quarterback, kick returner, punter, and wide receiver for Florida A&M coach Rudy Hubbard.  He led his Godby Cougars (Tallahassee) to the top-level state championship in 1976 by defeating Miami Carol City, a virtual powerhouse in the state of Florida.   He was a part of the 1978 Rattler football team that won the first-ever FCS playoffs, being crowned NCAA Division I-AA national champion.  He was also a major part in FAMU’s historic upset of the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1979 when the Rattlers defeated a Howard Schnellenberger-led hurricane team 16-13.

Knight was small in stature, but big on plays. In Hubbard’s option offense, Knight was a threat at quarterback.  His ability to read the defense put opponents at a disadvantage.  His ability to keep the ball and make big plays was legendary.  Knight would reverse field and put the crowd on edge, often retreating ground to speed his way around the edge.  He was a solid passer as well.

In Hubbard’s offense, Knight would also play wide receiver.  His speed and elusiveness led to big plays for the one of the greatest teams in HBCU football history.  That same energy went when he was returning punts.  He would switch directions and reverse field with the best of them.

One of Knight’s shining moments was against the University of Miami Hurricanes in 1979.  Knight would be elusive as a punt returner, putting the Rattlers in a position to attack the FBS level school.  His speed and shifty moves kept the Hurricanes off balance allowing for the Rattler offense to begin in good field position. Knight would also play a pivotal role as a wide receiver in the game that was played at Florida State’s Doak Campbell Stadium.

In another historic HBCU football moment, Knight would be the FAMU punter for the 1978 season.  In the NCAA I-AA championship game against the University of Massachusetts, Knight would face an enormous headwind.  Former FAMU coach Amos Hill accurately described the scenario in a yet-to-be-released documentary about the season.  “We were in Wichita Falls, Texas and it was a cold, windy day.  And, the thing that I remember most was Sammy Knight.  It was fourth down and we had to punt the ball and we were in our territory on the minus side of the field, Sammy punted the ball and the ball came right back over Sammy’s head and he would have to down it himself,” Hill said. Knight, who had resided in Daytona Beach, FL for the last several years, owned a tree and landscaping business.  He became ill last year and succumbed to the illness.

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IRVING, Texas – The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that HBCU Football legend Michael Strahan of Texas Southern University will be a part of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class.

Strahan, the first-ever NFF College Football Hall of Famer from the HBCU, was an unstoppable force and sack machine on the defensive line at Texas Southern, dominating the Southwestern Athletic Conference and leaving an indelible mark on the Tigers’ program. The Houston, Texas, native now becomes the first person ever from Texas Southern to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.

A First Team All-American in 1992, Strahan was the kind of player that kept opposing offensive coordinators up at night. He was more often than not double-teamed by opposing offensive linemen, which his coaches referred to as “Strahan rules.” He recorded a school record 19 sacks while amassing 32 tackles for losses for 142 yards in his senior season, claiming 1992 Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year and Black College Defensive Player of the Year honors.

As a junior in 1991, Strahan led the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with 14.5 sacks. His career total of 41.5 sacks remains a Texas Southern record. He was a two-time First-Team All-SWAC pick and was twice named SWAC Player of the Year (1991, 1992).

Selected in the second round (40th overall) pick in the 1993 NFL Draft by the Giants, Strahan played 15 seasons with the Giants, twice leading the NFL in sacks (including setting the record for sacks in a single season with 22.5 in 2001) while earning four First Team and two Second Team All-Pro selections. He was a member of the Super Bowl XLII-winning team, finishing his career with 141.5 sacks.

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014, he has also been inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame, the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and the Texas Southern Sports Hall of Fame. His number has been retired at his HBCU, and he received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from his alma mater in 2013. He was named to the Senior Bowl 75th Anniversary Team in 2024. The Giants retired his No. 92, and his name appears in the Giants Ring of Honor.

An Emmy winner and Peabody award-winning journalist, Michael Strahan currently is a co-host on ABC’s Good Morning America and as an analyst on FOX NFL Sunday. He also has an eponymous lifestyle brand, Michael Strahan, a top seller across more than 50 categories, including men’s and boy’s clothing, accessories, and skin care.

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“It is difficult to put into words the depth of our loss with the passing of Mr. Mitchell,” the CIAA said in a statement. “Since 2018, his absence at the tournament has been profoundly felt. Mr. Mitchell will forever hold a cherished place in the CIAA family, having created countless beautiful memories for our fans, students, and partners over the span of more than four decades. As a distinguished member of the CIAA Hall of Fame, Class of 2016, his remarkable legacy will endure for generations to come. During this time of honoring and celebrating his extraordinary life, we extend our heartfelt prayers for comfort and peace to the Mitchell family.”

Abraham Mitchell, a mortician by trade, began by wearing a shirt and tie to support his nephew who played at Norfolk State back in the early 1970s. He then decided to change clothes at half-time, wearing colors from both teams. That eventually turned into wearing the school colors of all of the conference teams. 

Players, coaches and schools came and left the conference, it moved from Greensboro to Hampton, to Richmond to Norfolk, to Winston-Salem, Raleigh and Charlotte but Mr. CIAA was their year after year. Well, besides that one year when then-commissioner Leon Kerry kicked him out of the tournament. But he came back and eventually became a part of the growth of the CIAA Tournament as it moved on from smaller cities in North Carolina and Virginia to Charlotte in the mid-2000s. 

As the tournament grew, so did his legacy in the HBCU world and beyond. He not only attended the CIAA Tournament, but frequently showed up to support Norfolk State and made a cameo or two at the MEAC Tournament. As news of his death hit social media on Tuesday night, hundreds posted their photos with him in one of his signature suits which he continued to swap in and out at a prolific pace as the years continued to go by. He was eventually inducted into the John McLendon CIAA Hall of Fame in 2016 and continued to appear yearly through 2018.

There was definitely a stir when Mr. Mitchell didn’t show up to the 2019 tournament. Part of his larger-than-life status was that he didn’t have a schedule or a press conference like the teams and athletes — he just showed up every year. So when he did not show up in that season, many wondered if he was alright or even still with us. He revealed to the media that he was still alive, he just didn’t have transportation to make it to the tournament with his suits that year.

However, Abraham Mitchell made a triumphant return to the CIAA Tournament in 2020. His stay wasn’t quite as long and his outfit changes weren’t as extensive, but he was there and that was a comfort to the HBCU basketball fans that showed up in the Spectrum Center.

That would be his last CIAA Tournament, however. The tournament didn’t take place in 2021 due to COVID-19 and when it started back up in Baltimore, we looked for him but he never showed. There would be yearly speculation as to whether or not he was still with us given his age, but someone would always confirm that he was still around.

And then Tuesday night came. A message came through around 6 PM that Mr. Mitchell had indeed gone to glory. Other reports out of Virginia, including Sean Robertson of CBS, began to ring out as well. And it became clear that one of the supernovas of HBCU sports culture had passed away. 

There has been some discussion online as to whether or not there will be another “Mr. CIAA” — another dignified brother who shows up meticulously dressed with a wardrobe full of outfits representing a dozen or so institutions and gracious enough to be stopped at every turn by people with camera phones wanting to stop and take photos. 

I suppose it is possible — but it isn’t likely. Mr. Mitchell came from an area of the country and a time where being “clean” was at least a weekly state of being for many in the black community. These days, even pastors aren’t wearing suits every week. 

What made Mr. CIAA special was more than just what he wore. He was literally larger than life. Players and coaches have had legendary nights at the CIAA Tournament during his time, but all of their records can conceivably be beaten. No one else can outdo what Mr. Mitchell did for so long. Doing it for one year seems stressful enough. But 50 years of spending his own money and resources to parade around at a basketball tournament? Not many people are built like that. Someone else could theoretically put on the clothing, but it would take more than that to carry on the legacy.

What Abraham Mitchell personified was a regal class and dignity in — addition to the clothing he wore — that we can all take something from. And though he will never physically grace the CIAA Tournament again, his legacy will live on for decades to come. Rest well, Mr. CIAA. 

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The Lady Wolves are included among high-profile nominees such as Carmelo Anthony, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Dwight Howard, and Sylvia Fowles, showcasing the level of excellence they brought to the game.

The Historic Journey

Under the leadership of Hall of Fame coach C. Vivian Stringer, the Lady Wolves overcame numerous challenges during their 1981 – 82 season. With limited resources as a small school, they achieved a remarkable 28–3 record and earned the No. 2 national ranking. They carried a 23-game winning streak into the NCAA tournament and advanced to the inaugural NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship game, where they fell to Louisiana Tech.

In a 2022 interview with FOX 29, former player Yolanda Laney reflected on the team’s confidence and preparation under Stringer’s leadership. “Coach Stringer was a great coach, a great instructor, a great teacher. She prepared us for every game that we played. We never felt that we would be defeated,” Laney said.

Laney also emphasized the pride the team felt in representing Cheyney, stating, “Cheyney has a rich heritage. We always believed we would win every time we stepped onto the court because of the preparation and all the energy that [Coach Stringer] put in.”

Breaking Barriers

The Cheyney State Lady Wolves’ historic season broke barriers on multiple fronts. They became the first team with an all-women coaching staff and the first with an all-Black coaching staff to make it to the NCAA Division I Final Four and championship game.

Laney told FOX 29 about the team’s awareness of their role in history, saying, “We realized we were the first HBCU to get there. It was very important for us to make history, and we did great things.”

Their achievements not only showcased the talent and determination of HBCU programs but also highlighted the importance of representation at the highest level of college athletics.

Path to the Hall of Fame

The Lady Wolves nomination places them alongside some of basketball’s greatest figures, including first-time nominees Carmelo Anthony and Sue Bird. If selected, they would join the Hall of Fame as a team that set a powerful example of resilience, teamwork, and excellence.

The finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025 will be announced on February 14, 2025, during NBA All-Star Weekend, with the official inductees revealed at the NCAA Final Four on April 5, 2025. For the Lady Wolves, the nomination is a celebration of their groundbreaking legacy and a reminder of how they paved the way for others.

As Laney eloquently said in her interview with FOX 29, “We didn’t just make history—we paved the way for others to dream bigger.”

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Atlanta, Georgia- Another significant honor has been bestowed upon Savannah State University’s most prolific athlete and alumnus as Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe has been announced to the All-Century Team of the East-West Shrine Bowl. The organization made its announcement on Tuesday afternoon at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, as part of the 100th celebration of the annual postseason game. Sharpe joins the likes of Walter Payton and Robert Brazile as HBCU representatives on the team.

The East-West Shrine Bowl is celebrating its 100th year in 2025 and is the longest-running college all-star football game in the nation. The 100-year celebration features an exhibit and panel discussion at the College Football Hall of Fame taking place on Tuesday, as well as the East-West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame on Jan. 29, 2025, culminating in the 100th East-West Shrine Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 30, 2025. For more information on the East-West Shrine Bowl, click here.

A proud native of Glennville, Georgia, Sharpe appeared in the 1990 edition of the collegiate all-star classic, becoming the first and to date only Savannah State football player to play in the game.

Sharpe’s Savannah State career spanned four seasons from 1986-1989, where he completely rewrote the Tiger football record books. Sharpe was a three-time First Team All-SIAC selection, finishing his career with 192 catches for 3,744 career yards, and 40 touchdowns. He still owns Savannah State’s single-season receiving records for yardage (1,312), touchdowns (18) and yards per catch (21.5) set in 1989. Additionally in that season, Sharpe was instrumental in leading the Tigers to a program best 8-1 overall mark, following a 7-3 campaign the previous season in 1988. 

In 2013, Sharpe was inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame and was inducted into the SIAC Hall of Fame the following year. Sharpe’s #2 jersey was retired by Savannah State University in 2009 in celebration of Shannon Sharpe Day.

Following his HBCU football days on The Marsh, Sharpe embarked on a 14 year in the NFL career, where he was an eight-time Pro Bowler, and won three Super Bowl rings, two with the Denver Broncos and one with the Baltimore Ravens. When he retired in 2003, he held the all-time NFL record for tight ends in receptions, touchdowns, and total receiving yards. Sharpe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Sharpe has since entered the media world, where he is fastly becoming one of the most sought after personalities in sports broadcasting. He is presently a co-host of ESPN’s highly rated and critically acclaimed morning sports debate show, “First Take” with Molly Qerim and fellow HBCU alumnus Stephen A. Smith. He is also conquering the new media space as the owner and proprietor of Shay Shay Media. His two podcasts, “Nightcap” with former NFL All-Pro Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, and “Club Shay Shay” have received several awards and award nominations for Best Podcast and Best Sports Podcast from several media outlets.

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ATLANTA, Ga. – HBCU football and Jackson State football legends Robert Brazile and Walter Payton were named to the East-West Shrine Bowl All-Century Team on Tuesday morning with the team unveiled at the College Football Hall of Fame.

The duo played together at Jackson State and led the Tigers to the 1972 and 1973 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships before becoming NFL Hall of Famers.

Brazile was named a Sheridan Black College All-American (’74) and First Team All-SWAC (’74), and played in the Senior Bowl the same year. He set a record at his HBCU with 129 solo tackles (’74) and led the conference with nine interceptions (’74) after from tight end to linebacker in 1972. Brazile went on to star for the Houston Oilers (1975-1984) and held the team record for most consecutive games played (147). He finished as the Associated Press Rookie of the Year (’75) and AFC Rookie of the Year (’75) before being named an All-Pro for seven consecutive seasons (1976-82).

Robert Brazile is a member of the Sheridan Broadcasting Network 100-year all-time Black College Football Team (’93) and the Houston Oilers All-Time Team. He is also a member of the Mobile (Ala.) Sports Hall of Fame (’94), SWAC Hall of Fame (’95), JSU Sports Hall of Fame (’03), Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (’05), and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (’07).

Meanwhile, Payton led Jackson State football in nine categories with many still standing during his HBCU football career. He finished his career with 3,563 yards rushing, 6.1 yards per carry, 65 rushing touchdowns, and 464 career points, He also holds the school record with 24 rushing touchdowns in a single season and touchdowns scored in a single game (seven). Payton was named First Team All-SWAC in 1972, 1973, and 1974. He was also named the SWAC Offensive MVP (’74), named to several All-American teams the same year, and was a candidate for the Heisman his senior year. Payton retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher (16,726 yards) and led the Chicago Bears to the 1985 Super Bowl. He was a four-time All-Pro, and played in a streak of 176 consecutive games from 1975 to 1986, and was named the UPI Athlete of the Year (’77).

Walter Payton is a member of the JSU Sports Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame (’93), SWAC Hall of Fame (’94), and the College Football Hall of Fame (’96).

The two were drafted during the 1975 NFL Draft in the first round with Payton drafted fourth overall and Brazile sixth overall, the highest drafting of teammates in Mississippi history.

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December 18th, 2024 – The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced its 16th Class today – the Class of 2025. Six inductees were selected from a list of 28 Finalists who had been determined earlier by the BCFHOF Selection Committee.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025 includes… Henry Dyer (Grambling State University), Rashean Mathis (Bethune-Cookman University), Jacquay Nunnally (Florida A&M University), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Tennessee State University), Jay “Sky” Walker (Howard University) and Coach Fred “Pop” Long (Wiley College).

“What we have with the Class of 2025 is an incredible showcase of the talent that has come from Historically Black Colleges and Universities over the years,” said Black College Football Hall of Fame Co-Founder and 2011 Inductee Doug Williams. “When the Black College Hall of Fame was established, its purpose was to do just this, elevating and recognizing the past, present, and future of Black College Football. Congratulations to the Class of 2025.”

Votes were tallied from the 9-member Selection Committee, comprised of prominent journalists, commentators, and historians, as well as former NFL General Managers and executives, and from members of the BCFHOF to determine the Inductees.

The Class of 2025 will be honored at the 16th Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Presented by the Atlanta Falcons on June 7th, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.

They will also be recognized at halftime of the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 22, 2025, at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, LA, which will be broadcast live on NFL Network (3:00 pm CT).

For more information, please visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org

CLASS OF 2025

HENRY DYER

Grambling State University’s first 1,000-yard rusher
Named first team All-SWAC from 1963-65
Led the nation in scoring (110 points)
Drafted in the 4th Round of the 1966 NFL Draft to the Los Angeles Rams
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RASHEAN MATHIS

Three-time All-MEAC First-Team honoree (2000, 2001 and 2002)
2002 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year
Holds the FCS record for most interceptions in a career (31) and season (14)
Holds the FCS record for most yards on interception returns in a career (682) and season (455)
Drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2003 NFL Draft to the Jacksonville Jaguars
He still holds several franchise records with the Jaguars including: career interceptions (30), career interception return yards (512), career defensive touchdowns (3) and career passes defended (99)
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JACQUAY NUNNALLY

Three-time football Division I All-American
Second all-time in NCAA Division I FCS football record books in career pass receptions with 317 for 4,239 yards and 38 touchdowns
Four-time All-MEAC First-Team honoree (1997-2000)
Named Black College Football Player of the Year in both 1998 and 2000
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DOMINIQUE RODGERS-CROMARTIE

Three-time first team All-OVC
FCS All-American (2007)
In his 39 starts for Tennessee State, opposing quarterbacks completed just 55 of 161 passes (34.16%) thrown near Rodgers-Cromartie
Drafted in the 1st Round of the 2008 NFL Draft to the Arizona Cardinals
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JAY “SKY” WALKER

Two-time First Team All-MEAC selection
Selected as MEAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1993
Led the Bison to an undefeated season en route to winning MEAC and Black College National Championships
Passed for 3,324 yards in 1993, which ranks as the second-highest single-season total in MEAC history
Drafted in the 7th Round of the 1994 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots
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FRED “POP” LONG

Led Wiley College to SWAC titles in 1923, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, 1944, 1945, 1956, and 1957
Wiley College won the Black College Football National Championship in 1928, 1932 and 1945
In his 35 seasons, he led Wiley to 189 victories
Coached 27 All-Americans
Long won 224 games in 43 years with additional stops at Paul Quinn College, Prairie View A&M University and Texas College
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About the Black College Football Hall of Fame

The Black College Football Hall of Fame was founded in 2009 by African-American pioneers, quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams to preserve the history and honor the greatest football players, coaches and contributors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). There have been over 100 Inductees since inception, including Mel Blount, James Harris, Willie Lanier, Art Shell, and Doug Williams, who serve as Trustees.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) has a permanent home at the Pro Football Hall of Fame (PFHOF) to tell the story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

About the HBCU Legacy Bowl

The Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame is a postseason all-star game that showcases the top 100 NFL draft-eligible football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The game will be played on the Saturday, February 24, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana at Tulane University, and broadcast live on NFL Network. More than a football game, the week-long celebration of Black culture and history will provide invaluable exposure for HBCU students. HBCU Legacy Bowl Founding Partners include Allstate, the National Football League, adidas, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and his 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, Coca-Cola, Coors Light, New Orleans Saints, Delta Airlines, Riddell, Allstate Sugar Bowl, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Follow the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl on social media via @HBCULegacyBowl or visit www.HBCULegacyBowl.com for more information.

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ATLANTA, GA – The Black College Football Hall of Fame announced today the 27 Finalists for induction into the Class of 2025. The list includes 23 players and four coaches.

At a glance:

• 27 Finalists have been selected from over 150 nominees.
• The Class of 2025 Inductees will be announced on December 18th, 2024.
• Inductees will be honored during the Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on June 7th, 2025, in Atlanta, Georgia.

“We would like to congratulate the Class of 2025 Finalists,” said Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII MVP, Chairman and Co-Founder of the Hall of Fame. “These men embody the very best of Black College Football.”

The finalists were chosen from more than 150 nominees by a 10-member Selection Committee, which includes prominent journalists, commentators, historians, former NFL General Managers, and football executives.

“A heartfelt thank you to the selection committee for their commitment and effort in choosing this year’s finalists,” said Committee Chairman Charlie Neal. “Selecting the finalists is no easy task, but the committee’s passion for preserving the history of Black College Football shines through in this year’s group of finalists.”

The Class of 2025 will be announced on December 18th, 2024. They will be recognized for the first time at the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans on February 22, 2025 and honored during the 16th Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org

PLAYER FINALISTS (23 Players)

• George Atkinson (S, Morris Brown College, 1965-1968)
• Jerome Barkum (TE, Jackson State University, 1968-1971)
• Dwaine Board (DE, North Carolina A&T State University, 1975-1978)
• Larry Brooks (DT, Virginia State University, 1969-1972)
• Vince Buck (DB, Central State University, 1986-1989)
• Nick Collins (DB, Bethune-Cookman University, 2002-2004)
• Henry Dyer (RB, Grambling State University, 1963-1965)
• Richard Harris (DE, Grambling State University, 1968-1970)
• Vernon Holland (OL, Tennessee State University, 1967-1970)
• Lester Holmes (OL, Jackson State University, 1989-1992)
• Mike Holmes (DB, WR, Texas Southern University, 1969-1973)
• Ezra Johnson (DL, Morris Brown College, 1973-1976)
• Rashean Mathis (DB, Bethune-Cookman University, 1999-2002)
• Jacquay Nunnally (WR, Florida A&M University, 1997-2000)
• Anthony Pleasant (DE, Tennessee State University, 1987-1990)
• Tyrone Poole (DB, Fort Valley State University, 1991-1994)
• Eddie Robinson, Jr. (LB, Alabama State University, 1988-1991)
• Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (DB, Tennessee State University, 2004-2007)
• Jimmy Smith (WR, Jackson State University, 1987-1991)
• John Thierry (DE, Alcorn State University, 1991-1994)
• Jay “Sky” Walker (QB, Howard University, 1992-1993)
• Ted White (QB, Howard University, 1995-1998)
• Lee Williams (DL, Bethune-Cookman University, 1981-1983)

COACH FINALISTS (4 Coaches)

• Rod Broadway (Head Football Coach, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina A&T State University, Grambling State University, 2003-2017)
• Rudy Hubbard (Head Football Coach, Florida A&M University, 1974-1985)
• Fred “Pop” Long (Head Football Coach, Wiley College, 1921-1965)
• Doug Porter (Head Football Coach, Mississippi Valley State University 1961-1965, Howard University 1974-1985, Fort Valley State University 1987-1996)

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NORFOLK, Va. – The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced today the five members of the 2025 Hall of Fame Class of the HBCU conference. The inductees will be officially enshrined during the week of the 2025 MEAC Basketball Tournament.  

“Congratulations to the five inductees of the MEAC’s 2025 Hall of Fame class,” Commissioner Sonja Stills said. “Induction into the MEAC Hall of Fame is the ultimate recognition of a player or coach’s incredible career, representing excellence, hard work, and dedication to their respective sport. Inductees are not only exceptional competitors but exemplify the values and history that make our conference great.”

The MEAC Hall of Fame highlights former student-athletes, coaches, university and conference administrators, and notable contributors who have enriched the conference’s legacy since its inception in 1970. Enshrinees are selected by an eight-person committee of administrators and member institution representatives. 

The inaugural Hall of Fame class was inducted on May 29, 1981, during a 10th anniversary banquet in Greensboro, N.C. Since its establishment, the MEAC Hall of Fame has enshrined 173 people, including the Class of 2024. 

Additional details regarding the induction ceremony will be announced at a later date.

Oliver “Buddy” Pough, South Carolina State: Pough left a legacy at S.C. State retired in 2023, completing his career as the winningest coach in school history. Pough amassed a 151-93 record and 115-44 MEAC mark while leading the Bulldogs to two Black College National Football titles and eight total MEAC titles.

Pough earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from S.C. State where he was an All-MEAC offensive lineman. Following his playing career, Pough joined the coaching ranks and earned MEAC Coach of the Year honors four times during his 21-year career. Pough’s teams captured eight MEAC titles, three outright (2021, 2008 and 2009) and five shared (2004, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2019).

The HBCU made four trips to the FCS playoffs (2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013) and helped Pough capture the Celebration Bowl Championship in 2021 knocking off top-ranked Jackson State to win his fifth HBCU National Crown, third as a coach.

Out of the 19 MEAC Championship titles, the most by any school, Pough contributed to 17 of them, serving as either a player or a coach.


Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T State: Cohen was a member of the North Carolina A&T State Aggies from 2013-16 where he was a star running back on the football team.

Cohen highlighted his senior season with a record-setting career-best 295 rushing yards, and offensive MVP recognition, at the 2015 Celebration Bowl.

Cohen was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2013 and earned MEAC Offensive Player of the Year three consecutive seasons (2014, 2015, 2016). Additionally, he was a four-time All-MEAC honoree, a three-time Stats/FCS Third-Team All-American and BOXTOROW All-American.

Cohen was named the 2015 SBN/Williams Offensive Player of the Year, a 2015 FCS Fabulous Fifty All-American, a 2016 AFCA FCS Coaches Second-Team All-American, a two-time SBN All-American (2014, 2015), a 2016 Walter Camp FCS All-American and was the 2016 Deacon Jones Trophy recipient.

He holds the MEAC record for career rushing yards (5,619) and total carries (868). Cohen collected 59 career touchdowns and 56 rushing TDs. Cohen led the Aggies to two MEAC Conference Titles in 2014 and 2015 and helped the team earn an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Division I-FCS Playoffs.

Cohen was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. During his rookie season (2018), the HBCU football great was selected to the Pro Bowl Team and was named an NFL First-Team All-Pro selection.

Click here for the full list of 2025 MEAC Hall of Fame Inductees

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Fifty years later, on a brisk Friday night, a group of nearly three dozen former players — including Pro Football Hall of Famer Harry Carson and recently retired SC State coach Buddy Pough — filed into the SHM Gymnasium to commemorate that championship season that laid the foundation for the most dominant program in the conference’s history. 

In the middle of it all was Willie Jeffries. The now 87-year-old may not walk as swiftly as he did at age 37 as a young head coach, but his mind  — and wit — was as sharp as ever and on display. He shared that he took an $8,000 pay cut to come back to his alma mater after serving as an assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. 

“I went to the President and he said ‘that’s all we got,” he said as the crowd laughed. “But money isn’t everything. Look at you guys — got on new suits, dressed up, lovely wives, you have families. And coach is proud of all of you.” 

Jeffries arrived to find a team that had won just one game during the 1972 season. 

“Everybody had us on their homecoming. Everybody,” Jeffries said at the podium. “So many of ‘em — we took our own float.” 

But he had talented players like Carson, Donnie Shell and a young man named Oliver that would go on to be better known as “Buddy.”

“He was cutting edge and approach to doing all of the latest techniques and fundamentals and all that kind of stuff of that time,” Buddy Pough, an offensive lineman on that 1974 championship team recalled. “He had been on the big time. He coached at Pittsburgh and some of the other places that way. So he had all of the different opportunities to be exposed to the latest trends in the game — that kind of stuff.”

The team nearly won it all Jeffries’ first season, but a tie against North Carolina A&T kept South Carolina’s HBCU from claiming the MEAC title that season. 

Ironically, North Carolina A&T’s internal issues helped SCSU land Harry Carson. Carson was headed for NC A&T — or so he thought. 

“I was offered a full scholarship,” Carson told the crowd on Friday. “But a week later, I got a message. I got a letter from North Carolina A&T. A letter to rescind the scholarship. I didn’t have anything else to do. I was looking at going to the military.

Luckily for Carson and South Carolina State University, a teacher helped him land in Orangeburg. A year later, Jeffries arrived and the rest is history.

As for the team, it came back more determined than ever the following year, knocking off two-time defending league champion North Carolina Central in an early November matchup to take control of the league. It clinched the title on Nov. 23, 1974, earning a bid to the Pelican Bowl — the first attempt by the MEAC and SWAC to create an HBCU title game. 

Less than 24 hours after Friday’s gathering, the current South Carolina State football program was set to be crowned as MEAC champions for the 19th time in school history — the most for any MEAC program. And it will do so under the leadership of head coach Chennis Berry, who was hand-picked by Buddy Pough to keep the tradition going. 

Bill Hamilton has worked at South Carolina State University in sports information for all 19 of the championships. He’s seen the program switch hands several times and he says there is a direct thread that combines the greatness of Jeffries and Pough — and now Chennis Berry. He related how Jeffries handed the program to Pough to how the keys were handed over to Chennis Berry. 

“Coach Jeffries took him around, introduced him to you… know, he’s from this area, but took him to some to the powers that be and supported his every effort. And that’s unusual because a lot of times when a new coach comes in, he does not want the former coach hanging around looking over his shoulder and maybe sabotaging his success,” Hamilton said.

“And then now, 21 years later, Coach Pough, same thing. He reached out to coach Barry and he shown him around and offered him opportunities to be successful. So it’s a wonderful trade. That’s something you don’t see a lot. Not only in HBCU but in college athletics at all, because most people don’t want to go hanging around. But at South Carolina State, that’s a tradition.”

It is a tradition that is built upon what the 1974 team built in helping South Carolina State become one of the landmark programs in HBCU football and college football as a whole. 

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“Da’Shun Mitchell had a hell of a game,” Sharpe began. “Twelve catches, 227 yards, and two touchdowns. Why is that important? The 227 yards in a single game set the record by a Savannah State receiver — breaking the record held Shannon Sharpe — of seven catches, 221 yards, and two touchdowns.”

Ochocinco playfully jabbed, “You gotta go get it back.”

Sharpe laughed before turning reflective.

“No, Ocho, I’m glad. Hopefully, I inspired him. When I was there, I didn’t have anybody to look up to. There weren’t many numbers to chase. I just wanted to set the bar. And after 35 years, he broke it. Salute the young bull.”

Sharpe also highlighted Mitchell’s recognition as a first-team All-Conference player, further praising his contributions. “When a Savannah State Tiger does something great—especially as a receiver—I’m proud. That’s what we do.”

Mitchell’s record-breaking performance was a bright spot in Savannah State’s rollercoaster season. Paired with quarterback Jhaydon Sullivan’s school-record 400 passing yards, the Tigers’ offense showed flashes of brilliance, amassing a season-high 509 total yards. Mitchell’s performance included a 77-yard touchdown grab, showcasing the explosive connection between him and Sullivan. The HBCU squad finished 5-5 this season.

“Congratulations, on everything you’ve accomplished. Savannah State — that’s what we do,” Sharpe concluded, his admiration clear. 

The exchange between Sharpe and Ochocinco underscored Sharpe’s enduring connection to his HBCU, celebrating the next generation while honoring the legacy he helped build.

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WACO, Texas – Legendary former HBCU football star from Grambling State and Super Bowl winning head coach Doug Williams, has been selected as the American Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) recipient of the 2024 Trailblazer Award. The award will be presented to Williams during the 2025 AFCA Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Williams is one of the most storied G-Men in the history of the program, playing quarterback under the great Eddie Robinson. As a four-year HBCU football starter, Williams led the Tigers to 36-7 record, winning three SWAC championships from 1974-1977. He was also named the Black College Football Player of the Year twice. 

His stellar play helped him become a Heisman candidate, finishing fourth in the voting following the 1977 campaign. 

Williams was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 17th pick of the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft, becoming the first African American quarterback to be drafted in the opening round. He led the Buccaneers to the playoffs three times in the first five seasons, including a trip to the 1979 NFC Championship Game. 

The Zachary, La. native reached the zenith of his career when he led Washington to a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII, becoming the first Black quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP. He set records for most touchdown passes (four), most passing yards (340), longest pass completion (80 yards) and longest touchdown pass (80 yards).

In 1995, Doug Williams was the offensive coordinator for the Scottish Claymores in the World League, then became a college scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars for two seasons. Following his stint with Jaguars, he served as head of Morehouse for the 1997 season.

In 1998, upon the retirement of Robinson as the head coach of GSU, Williams was named the new leader of Grambling State football. He won his first SWAC title as head coach in 2000, with a 10-2 overall record. The following year he led the Tigers to Black College Football National Title with a 10-1 record. He completed a SWAC championship three-peat in 2002, leading the G-Men to an 11-2 mark. 

Following the 2003 season, which saw GSU claim a SWAC Western Division crown, he returned to the NFL to serve as an executive with Tampa Bay. After serving as general manager of the Virginia Destroyers in the United Football League during the 2010 season, Williams returned to HBCU football as head coach of Grambling State, immediately winning his fourth SWAC title as head coach in 2011.

Since 2014, he’s served as an executive for the Washington Commanders. 

Doug Williams is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Black College Football Hall of Fame, the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame, the SWAC Hall of Fame, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Ring of Honor, the Tampa Stadium Krewe of Honor, and the Washington Commanders Ring of Honor. 

In 2009, Harris and Williams collaborated to create the Black College Football Hall of Fame to preserve the history and honor the greatest football players, coaches and contributors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

The AFCA Trailblazer Award was created to honor leaders in the football coaching profession who coached at HBCU institutions. Past Trailblazer Award winners include Charles Williams, Hampton (2004); Cleve Abbott, Tuskegee (2005); Arnett Mumford, Southern (2006); Billy Nicks, Prairie View A&M (2007); Alonzo “Jake” Gaither, Florida A&M (2008); Fred “Pops” Long, Wiley (2009); Harry R. “Big Jeff” Jefferson, Bluefield State (2010); Edward P. Hurt, Morgan State (2011); Vernon “Skip” McCain, Maryland-Eastern Shore (2012); Marino Casem, Alcorn State (2013); Gideon Smith, Hampton (2014); Eddie Robinson, Grambling State (2015); Oree Banks, South Carolina State and West Virginia State (2016); John Merritt, Jackson State and Tennessee State (2017); Earl Banks, Morgan State (2018); Bill Hayes, Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T (2019); Edward Jackson, Delaware State, Johnson C. Smith and Howard (2021); Henry Kean, Kentucky State and Tennessee State (2022); and Edward Clemons, Edward Waters, Lane, Morris Brown and Jackson State (2023).

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BATON ROUGE, La.  – Legendary HBCU football coach Pete Richardson to be inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame for his time at Southern University.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has announced its 2024 SWAC Hall of Fame Class which is set to be enshrined on Friday, December 13^th, 2024. The enshrinement ceremony is slated to begin at 7:00 p.m. EST at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

The newest members of the SWAC Hall of Fame were chosen from a list of nominees who were submitted by their respective institutions and selected by the SWAC Hall of Fame Selection Committee.

The 2024 Hall of Fame Honorees include Alcorn State’s Fred McNair, Grambling State’s Hillary Matthew Bossier (Legend), Southern’s Pete Richardson, Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Earl Goldman (Legend), and Charlie Neal (Contributor). 

Upon his arrival in Baton Rouge in 1993, Richardson ushered in the golden era of Southern University Football compiling 134 wins during a 17-year career. He is currently the second winningest coach in Southern football history in wins and winning percentage. 

Richardson, affectionately known as “Coach Pete” led Southern football to five Southwestern Athletic Conference titles (1993, 97, 98, 99, and 2003), including a three-peat from 1997-99 (the school’s first consecutive SWAC titles since 1959-60). His teams also claimed four Black college national titles (1993, 1995, 1997 and 2003) in route to birthing one of the greatest fan bases in college athletics, The Jaguar Nation. 

Richardson’s teams won four Heritage Bowl titles and went 12-5 in the Bayou Classic. He owns the distinction of being the only coach to go undefeated against Grambling’s iconic coach Eddie Robinson. He was also named the SWAC Coach of the Year five times (1995, 97, 98, 99 and 2003). 

His winning percentage of 68.4 percent in 17 seasons (134-62) at the school is second behind only College Football Hall of Fame coach A.W. “Ace’ Mumford’s 70.4 percent (176-60-14). Prior to his arrival, Southern had last won the SWAC in 1966 and 1975. 

Richardson is a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Winston Salem State University Hall of Fame and most recently the Black College Football Hall of Fame. In 2021, the field inside A.W. Mumford Stadium was re-named Pete Richardson Field. The first Southern University home football game of every season is designated the “Pete Richardson Classic,” making him a bonidied HBCU football legend on many levels. 

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JACKSON, Miss. | Jackson State will induct the newest class of the JSU Sports Hall of Fame on campus on Friday night. The class includes five different sports and 14 different individuals including the following HBCU football legends from Jackson State:

 

Tim Barnett – Football
A star at Jackson State, Barnett went on to play for Kansas City. During his time at Jackson State, Barnett scored nine touchdowns in 1989 before adding another eight in 1990. After his HBCU football career, he became a manager for K.C.A.T.A. before retiring in 2018. An active member of the Masonic Lodge Amos Johnson #148, Barnett is a member of the Kansas City Chiefs Ambassadors and now, the JSU Sports Hall of Fame.
 
Cephus Jackson – Football
He attended Jackson State and played football from 1964 to 1968, where he was the defensive captain, his senior year earning All SWAC honors. In 1968, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, a year when the team set a record with 11 players chosen in the NFL Draft. Jackson spent one year on the Rams’ taxi squad playing for the Orange County Ramblers and another year in the New Orleans Saints organization playing for the Richmond Road Runners.
 
Sylvester Morris – Football
Became the school’s all-time leading receiver and set several school records in the process including most touchdowns in a game, most touchdowns receiving in year, and most yards receiving in a year. In 1998, Morris was voted SWAC offensive player of the year, First Team All-SWAC, and the SWAC Player of the Year.  During his senior year, he was voted First Team All-American for 1AA by Burger King. In 2000, the Kansas City Chiefs selected Morris as their first-round draft pick and the 21st overall pick selected in the draft.  Sylvester went on the start 13 of 15 games, with 48 receptions for 678 yards.  
 
Larry Jones – Football
A native of Jackson, he is a former walk-on at Jackson State football who earned a scholarship after trying out in 1970. Playing at center, he helped his HBCU win three SWAC championships from 1971 to 1973. He served as team captain in 1972 and 1973, earning First Team All-SWAC honors in 1972. He was also a member of the track and field team where he was named First Team All-SWAC in the discus in 1971.
 
Derek Perkins – Football
A native of Mendenhill (Miss.), Perkins was an All-SWAC performer in 1979. After he attended Jackson State, he started one of the first Christian group homes in Mississippi before later moving to Pasadena (Calif.) where he started Harambee Ministry and did youth and famiky outreach for over 30 years. He then moved back to Mississippi to watch his son, Jon Michael, play for the Tigers. He continues in ministry and has a novel out called “Rabbit Road.”
 
Leon Sherrod – Football
Arriving at Jackson State as a quarterback in 1972, Sherrod moved to wide receiver where he led the conference in receiving in 1976 and was named all-conference. He was also named to the Pittsburg Courier All-American and Black Mutual Network All-American teams that year. After his collegiate career, he signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills and he was named to the JSU All-Century team in 2011 before induction to the JSU Sports Hall of Fame.

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Canton, OH – Twenty-five candidates in the Contributor category have moved one step closer to election for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 presented by Visual Edge IT. 

The Hall’s Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee trimmed an original list of 47 nominees to these 25 individuals: K.S. “Bud” Adams, Roone Arledge, Chris Berman, Howard Cosell, Otho Davis, John Facenda, Mike Giddings, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Don Klosterman, Eddie Kotal, Robert Kraft, Virginia McCaskey, Rich McKay, John McVay, Art Modell, Lee Remmel, Eddie Robinson, Art Rooney Jr., Jerry Seeman, Seymour Siwoff, Amy Trask, Jim Tunney, Doug Williams and John Wooten.

Hall of Fame bylaws stipulate that Committee members vote for 20 individuals at this stage of the selection process, but the bylaws also allow for additional candidates to proceed in the case of any tie votes for the 20th position. 

Each Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee member will cast an additional ballot later this month to reduce the list further — this time to nine (9) semifinalists. Results will be announced in about two weeks.

Earlier this year, the Hall of Fame revised its bylaws beginning with the Class of 2025. Among the changes: a split of the Coach/Contributor category, which had been combined over the past few election cycles. Both categories now will send nominees through respective Blue-Ribbon Committees before candidates are considered by the full Selection Committee. The Blue-Ribbon Committees are comprised of nine (9) individuals: seven (7) who also are members of the full Selection Committee and two (2) others who hold full voting rights for this subcommittee only. 

Through a sequence of reduction votes over several weeks, the Blue-Ribbon Committee will select one (1) Finalist for the Class of 2025. There is no waiting period (mandatory retirement) for Contributor candidates to be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

About Eddie Robinson and Doug Williams

•    Eddie Robinson: Credited with sending dozens of players to the NFL as coach at the HBCU Grambling State.
•    Doug Williams: Career with Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1978-1982) and Washington Redskins (1986-89) included historic moment as first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl (XXII) with an MVP performance; credited with creating opportunities for future Black and HBCU athletes, Played foe Eddie Robinson at Grambling State.

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Courtesy of Jackson State University

Jackson, MS – Jackson State University (JSU) Campus Store proudly announces the new Walter Payton Collection, a tribute to one of history’s most iconic football players. The collection is part of the Campus Legends Program by @rootsoffight and honors Payton’s HBCU legacy as a JSU Tiger and his extraordinary impact on and off the field.

JSU’s Director of Auxiliary Services, Kamesha Hill, emphasized the importance of honoring Walter Payton’s contributions to the university and the world.

“The Walter Payton Collection is a proud moment for JSU. He embodied the spirit of excellence we celebrate daily at our institution. Not only was he a superior athlete, but he was also an overall excellent human being. It is our privilege to continue his legacy through this collection, which we hope will inspire generations of students and fans alike, reminding them of the greatness that began right here at JSU,” Hill said.

From 1971 to 1975, Walter Payton, affectionately known as “Sweetness,” revolutionized the running back position at JSU. His signature mix of grit and grace defined his style, with powerful runs that thrilled crowds and set records. Payton’s brilliance as a player was unparalleled. He broke the SWAC single-game record with seven touchdowns, ran for a school-record 3,563 yards, and scored 65 touchdowns, an NCAA record of 464 points.

After being overlooked by SEC schools, Payton’s decision to stay close to home made him an HBCU legend and established him as a symbol of tenacity. Payton set a JSU record running for 3,563 yards in his career and averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He scored 65 total touchdowns and an NCAA-record 464 points. He was a three-time Black College All-American and a two-time FCS All-American. His success at JSU was the springboard for his Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears, where he became one of the most respected players in NFL history.

The Walter Payton Collection at JSU serves as a reminder of where his journey to greatness began. It also highlights the university’s long-standing tradition of producing top-tier athletes who lead with both class and game, a style that Payton epitomized.

Today, the Walter Payton Collection cements his place in the hearts of all who understand the spirit of “Sweetness” and his lifelong connection to Jackson State University.

For more information on the Walter Payton Collection, please visit the JSU campus store or online.

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ORANGEBURG, SC – Robert “Bobby” Lewis, a legendary HBCU basketball player at SC State during the mid-60s was memorialized Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, during a special service at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park, 1500 Pattison Ave. at Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA.

Lewis died on Sept. 19, 2024. He was 78.

During his playing days at SC State (1964-1968), Lewis was known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and playmaking. A playground legend in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA, he lifted the HBCU basketball team to prominence under head coach Ed Martin, serving as team captain in his junior and senior campaigns.

The 5-10 guard averaged around 12 points his first two seasons at SC State before his average soared to 19.1 points as a junior when he helped the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II Region Finals in 1967. He capped his Bulldog career averaging 30.9 points, 8th best in the country, and 11.8 assists as a senior.

Lewis was a three-time All-SIAC (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) performer and tournament MVP in 1967. That same year, he was selected as team captain and flag bearer for the United States team in the FIBA Small Player’s World Cup Games. The team, coached by the late John McClendon, won the gold medal. He was named a first-team Small College All-American by UPI in his final season at SC State. He was inducted into the SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998.

Following his SC State career, Lewis was drafted by the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA in 1968. He also played professionally for the Gillette Corporation USA All-Stars and the Wilmington Blue Bombers. He later became an iconic figure in Philadelphia as a coach, mentor, and basketball clinician in Philadelphia, touching the lives of hundreds of youths.

Bobby Lewis was inducted into the South Carolina State Hall of Fame in 1998, and the Philadelphia Black Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. Lewis was also nominated for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017. “He’s the most exciting player ever recruited by [South Carolina State coach Ed Martin] and the darling of the fans,” said a reporter for the Orangeburg, S.C. newspaper the Times and Democrat in a 1966 story.

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To determine the average run of the top HBCU football programs from each of these conferences (MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, and SIAC), we evaluated several key factors:

1. Championship Frequency

• How often do certain schools win or compete for championships?
• Which teams dominate over extended periods?
  

2. Coaching Stability

• Coaches with long tenures often lead to sustained success. We’ll analyze how different coaches impacted a team’s performance over time.
  

3. Cycles of Success

• Programs often experience peaks and troughs due to recruiting, coaching changes, or shifts in competitive balance.

Here’s a brief breakdown of trends based on the championship data since 1999.

MEAC

From 1999 to 2023:

• South Carolina State (Oliver Pough era): Consistent dominance, especially from 2008 to 2010. They had multiple title runs in the late 2000s and still managed a conference title in 2021.
• North Carolina A&T (Rod Broadway and Sam Washington): Peaked in the 2010s with titles in 2015, 2017, and 2019. A&T also dominated the Celebration Bowl era, becoming the top program in the MEAC.
• Bethune–Cookman (Alvin Wyatt, Brian Jenkins): Strong in the early 2000s and another run from 2012-2015 under Brian Jenkins and Terry Sims.
• Florida A&M had strong early 2000s runs but struggled to maintain that level. Recently rejoined the SWAC, which changes the competitive landscape.

Average Run

• Programs like South Carolina State and North Carolina A&T had sustained runs of 3-5 years of dominance, followed by a slight drop and resurgence, especially for A&T. The average period of peak performance seems to be around 3-4 years per program.

SWAC

From 1999 to 2023:

• Grambling (Doug Williams era+ multiple coaches): Dominated the early 2000s, winning titles in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2016-2017.
• Southern was strong in the early 2000s but saw its dominance broken up by Grambling and other emerging teams.
• Jackson State (Deion Sanders): 2021-2022 marked a new era of dominance for Jackson State, although Sanders’ departure has led to questions about future consistency.
• Alcorn State (Jay Hopson,Fred McNair): Alcorn had a long stretch of success, reaching the SWAC Championship from 2014 to 2019, showing remarkable consistency.
• Alabama A&M: Intermittent success, particularly in 2006 and again in 2020, but less sustained.

Average Run

• Grambling had extended runs of 3-4 years at a time, while Alcorn State maintained 5-6 years of competitive excellence. The SWAC’s average program dominance seems to span around 4-5 years before a shift in power. But possibly even shorter now with coaching departures. 

CIAA

From 1999 to 2023:

• Winston-Salem State (Connell Maynor era): Dominated from 2011-2016, including a 2012 national championship game appearance.
• Bowie State: A more recent power, Bowie won consecutive titles in 2018 and 2019, extending through 2021.
• Virginia State: Competitive with titles in 2014 and 2017, highlighting cycles of competitiveness across programs.
• Fayetteville State: Had early success in the 2000s and returned to the top in 2022.
• Shaw University had a string of dominance from 2004-2010.

Average Run

• Historically, teams like Winston-Salem State had runs of 5-6 years, but programs like Bowie State and Virginia State have showcased cycles of dominance of about 3-5 years.

SIAC

From 1999 to 2023:

• Tuskegee: Dominated the 2000s and late 2010s, with long stretches of titles and playoff appearances.
• Albany State: A major contender throughout the 2000s and again in 2013-2021.
• Miles College: Emerged in the 2010s with multiple titles in 2011, 2015, and 2018-2019.
• Benedict College: Most recent champion (2022-2023), showing their rise to prominence. Coaching change may cut that short.

Average Run

• Teams like Tuskegee and Albany State had multiple periods of success that spanned 4-5 years, with Miles College and Benedict now becoming key players.

Conclusion: Cyclical Success

Across HBCU football programs, success tends to come in cycles of around 3-5 years for most programs, with the occasional program (like Grambling or Tuskegee) extending dominance over a longer period. This reflects natural shifts due to coaching changes, recruiting cycles, and changes in conference dynamics. The most dominant runs often come from stability in leadership and strong recruiting pipelines.

(Go to Page 2 to find out how these dynasties rise and fall)

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In a May 26, 2024 White House statement, Vice-President Kamala Harris spoke of the impact of her HBCU experience (at Howard University) and the leadership of talented and motivated individuals from all walks of life in communities throughout America. Given her integrity, values, and demonstrated commitment to justice and equality of opportunity, we are confident that as President she will serve the best interests of all Americans.

“As a proud graduate of Howard University, I know firsthand that our HBCUs are centers of academic excellence. For generations, these anchors of our communities have played a pivotal role in building and contributing to America’s leadership at home and abroad. Today, graduates from our Nation’s more than 100 HBCUs are in every room where important decisions are made – leading in our schools, hospitals, courtrooms, boardrooms, and at the highest levels of government. And as we look forward, we know that our HBCUs will continue to prepare young leaders to build a better, more just future for our country and the world.”

While endorsing the Harris-Walz ticket, the legends have also emphasized that they do not expect that anyone should simply do so on blind faith. “We encourage all citizens to study the candidates and issues and make their own judgments. We have done so, and are inspired and proud of the leadership that President Harris and Vice-President Walz will provide. But throughout our careers, we have competed on the merits, and we respect the rights of others to compete now and reach their own conclusions about candidates.”

Go to page two for the full list

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Gene Nighman, the EIWA Executive Director, welcomed Morgan State with open arms: “We are proud to have Morgan State as part of our conference. The EIWA has a long history of advancing wrestling, and having the first HBCU program join us is a significant milestone. We look forward to seeing them compete in our 121st season and at the 2025 EIWA Championship at Lehigh University.”

For Morgan State, this is a big step forward. Dena Freeman-Patton, the school’s Director of Athletics, expressed her excitement: “Joining the EIWA is a perfect fit for our wrestling program. Our student-athletes are ready to compete at a high level and continue their success in the classroom and on the mat.”

Morgan State’s wrestling program has a rich history. After a 24-year hiatus, the program was revived in 2021 with a $2.7 million gift, the largest in school history. This donation was led by Mike Novogratz and the HBCU Wrestling Initiative, which aims to bring wrestling back to HBCUs. Morgan State, which first dominated the sport in the 1950s and ’60s, is now the only HBCU in Division I wrestling.

Kenny Monday, hired as head coach in 2022, has brought a wealth of experience to the program. A three-time NCAA All-American and Olympic gold medalist, Monday sees this EIWA membership as a turning point. “This is a monumental milestone for our program,” Monday said. “We’re excited to elevate our competition and make an impact in collegiate wrestling.”

The Bears will debut their talents at the Blue vs. Orange intrasquad dual on October 18, with their first EIWA match at Lehigh on November 15.

With this historic move, Morgan State is set to make waves in the wrestling world, continuing to build on its proud legacy as an HBCU.

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Laney’s achievements on the court are legendary. As a standout player at Cheyney University, she became the only athlete from an HBCU to earn All-American honors in women’s basketball. In 1982, she led the Cheyney Lady Wolves to the NCAA Division I Final Four, a feat that no other HBCU women’s basketball team has replicated. Under coach C. Vivian Stringer, Laney’s leadership and skill were unmatched, earning her the title of Most Outstanding Player of the East Regional.

Her impact has been recognized by many, including South Carolina head coach and fellow Philadelphia native Dawn Staley. Earlier this year, Staley wore a vintage Cheyney State jersey during an NCAA tournament game, paying tribute to Laney’s 1982 team and acknowledging the trail they blazed for women’s basketball, particularly for Black athletes.

At the street naming ceremony, family, friends, and community leaders gathered to honor Laney’s achievements and recognize the significance of her legacy. Laney’s influence extended far beyond basketball. After her time at Cheyney, she earned a law degree from Rutgers and became a practicing attorney, later serving as Atlantic City’s chief municipal public defender. But her passion for the game never left. Laney returned to her HBCU, Cheyney University as a coach, guiding the next generation of athletes at the same institution where her legacy began.

The street naming, accompanied by the heartfelt ceremony, honors not only her basketball achievements but also her broader contributions to her community and public service. “It’s a great honor to be recognized in this way,” Laney said during the event. “I hope this street becomes a symbol of what’s possible for young girls who love basketball and dream big.”

Yolanda Laney’s story continues to inspire, and her name on a street in Philadelphia serves as a lasting reminder of her contributions to both HBCU athletics and the broader community.

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BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State University is deeply saddened by the loss of George Rhoden, an HBCU Olympian and former track and field legend who passed away on August 24, 2024, at the age of 97. Rhoden, a native of Jamaica, attended Morgan State (1950-52) where he excelled in track and field. He was hailed by many as the best quarter-miler to have ever represented Jamaica.

In 1952, Rhoden represented Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland, where he won a gold medal in the 400-meter race and was a member of the Golden Quartet that won the 4x400m. a silver medal in the 800-meter race. He became the first Jamaican to win an Olympic gold medal in track and field and was hailed as a national hero.

Born on December 13, 1926, in Kingston, Jamaica, Rhoden’s journey to Olympic greatness began in the late 1940s, when he emerged as one of the leading long sprinters of his era. Alongside his compatriots Arthur Wint and Herb McKenley, Rhoden helped establish Jamaica as a dominant force in athletics during the post-war period.

Rhoden first competed in the 1948 London Olympics, where he participated in the 100m and 400m events. Although he did not secure a medal in London, it was a precursor to the greatness that would follow. Rhoden and his teammates were expected to perform strongly in the 4x400m relay, but a muscle injury to Wint during the final dashed their hopes of a medal.

Rhoden continued to emerge in the world of track & field. On August 22, 1950, he shattered the world record in the 400m, setting an astonishing time of 45.8 seconds in Eskilstuna, Sweden. His dominance in the 400m was further cemented by his victories in the AAU championships from 1949 to 1951 and the NCAA championships while at HBCU Morgan State University, where he claimed titles in the 220-yard (200m) and 440-yard (400m) events.

At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, Rhoden’s athletic prowess soared to new heights. As a pre-race favorite in the 400m, Rhoden’s every stride was fueled by anticipation. In a race that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, Rhoden emerged victorious, narrowly edging out his close friend and fellow Jamaican, Herb McKenley, to claim the gold medal. But Rhoden’s Olympic glory did not end there. As the anchor leg of Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team, he led his team to victory, securing a second gold medal and setting a new world record of 3:03.9. This victory was especially sweet, as it came against the United States, the country where Rhoden had made his home after moving to San Francisco.

Rhoden’s legacy is one of perseverance, excellence, and national pride. His achievements paved the way for future generations of HBCU and Jamaican athletes, setting a standard of excellence that continues to inspire.

As the last surviving member of that legendary 1952 relay team–comprising George Rhoden, Herb McKenley, Arthur Wint, and Les Laing–his passing marks the end of an era for Jamaican athletics. Rhoden’s contributions to the sport, both on and off the track, will be remembered as a cornerstone of Jamaica’s rich sporting heritage.

George Rhoden is survived by his family, friends, and a grateful nation that will forever honor his contributions to Jamaica’s sporting legacy.

In addition to his athletic achievements, Rhoden was a dedicated HBCU educator and mentor. He taught physical education and coached track and field at Howard University and the University of the District of Columbia. He also served as the president of the Jamaican Amateur Athletic Association and was a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Rhoden’s legacy will continue to inspire generations of student-athletes and track and field enthusiasts. He will be remembered as a true pioneer and a champion who represented Morgan State University with pride and distinction.

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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Coach Bill Hayes, whose trailblazing HBCU football career has inspired many, will be recognized prior to and during the Demon Deacons’ Week 1 game against North Carolina A&T on Thursday, Aug. 29 inside Allegacy Stadium. Hayes, who served as Wake Forest’s running back coach from 1973 to 1975, was a groundbreaking figure in the ACC and set a precedent for diversity and excellence in college football.

After his time at Wake Forest where he was the first Black assistant coach in our University’s history as well as the first in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Bill Hayes became the head coach at Winston-Salem State University (1976-87), where he led the Rams to three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championships and five CIAA divisional titles. His leadership was instrumental in taking his 1978 team to the NCAA Division II playoffs. Following his tenure at Winston-Salem State, Hayes served as head coach at North Carolina A&T (1988-2002), guiding the Aggies to two NCAA Division I-AA playoff appearances and winning three Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) titles.

He is the second-winningest football coach in the state of North Carolina’s collegiate history. 

Hayes’s career also includes a distinguished role in athletic administration, where he served as athletic director at North Carolina Central, Florida A&M, and Winston-Salem State University. Under his leadership, WSSU achieved significant success, including a national championship game appearance in 2012.

In recognition of his contributions, Hayes was awarded the 2019 AFCA Trailblazer Award, honoring his role as an early leader in the football coaching profession at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU). Additionally, a statue in his honor is set to be unveiled at Winston-Salem State University, celebrating his legacy and impact.

Not to be outdone, the field at Bowman Gray Stadium was named in his honor a few years ago. 

Coach Hayes’s achievements not only reflect his outstanding career but also his commitment to advancing opportunities for others. His groundbreaking role at Wake Forest and his extensive contributions to the sport make him a fitting honoree for the Open the Gate tradition.

Open the Gate Information & 2024 Honorees
The Open the Gate tradition, established in 2008, celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to the Wake Forest and Winston-Salem communities. Honorees are recognized during football games by leading the team onto the field alongside the Demon Deacon mascot.

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HAMPTON, Va. – Hampton Director of Athletics Anthony D. Henderson Sr. announced the inductees in the 2024 Athletics Hall of Fame. Five HBCU greats from Hampton will be honored including Johnnie Barnes (football), Bruce Foxworth (men’s tennis), Fred Freeman (football), Francena McCorory (women’s track & field), and Ed Tomlin (football). Ed Tomlin is the father of Mike Tomlin, NFL head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Hampton has a rich tradition of success in athletics. We have produced elite student-athletes and legendary coaches for more than 100 years,” said Henderson. “It is an incredible achievement to be honored with induction into the Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame. We are excited to acknowledge the remarkable successes of this year’s inductees and their contributions to the storied tradition of Hampton athletics. We look forward to celebrating their enduring impact and honoring their legacies.”

The Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony is slated for Friday, Sept. 6. Cocktails begin at 5:45 p.m. with dinner and the program commencing at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for the event are $50 for individual tickets and $350 for a table of eight. Tickets are available at www.hamptonpirates.com/hoftickets.

Proceeds benefit Pirate student-athletes through the Hampton Athletics Foundation.

Johnnie Barnes
Football

The most prolific receiver in Hampton history, Johnnie Barnes went on to play four seasons in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Barnes played with the Pirates from 1988-91 and finished as Hampton’s all-time leading receiver with 3,090 yards. He was the team’s leading receiver in each of his four HBCU football seasons (1988: 941 yards, 1989: 584 yards, 1990: 621 yards, 1991: 924 yards). He had 219 receiving yards vs. Livingstone in 1988, the third most in school annals, and had 176 receiving yards against Virginia State, 10th most in Hampton history. A four-year letterman, he was named All-CIAA three times. Barnes was a seventh-round draft choice by the Chargers in 1982 and played three seasons with the Chargers before finishing his NFL career with the Steelers. A standout track athlete, Barnes also earned Indoor All-America honors in 1988-89, 1989-90, and 1990-91 in the 400m dash and outdoor recognition in 1989, 1990, and 1991 in the 400m dash as well as the 400m hurdles in 1991.

Bruce Foxworth
Men’s Tennis

A four-year HBCU letterman from 1975-78, Bruce Foxworth teamed with Roger de Santis Guedes to win the 1976 NCAA Division II doubles championship. He played in the USTA (21 and under) circuit in 1976 and 1977. He won the National Amateur Clay Court Championship in 1977 and advanced to the semifinals of the singles competition at the 1977 NCAA Division II National Championships. He played at No. 2, helping Hampton win the 1976 NCAA Division II national championship. The Pirates advanced to the championship in 1978, finishing second. Foxworth finished his Hampton career with a 71-11 record in singles play and a 50-18 record in doubles action. During his career, he made the main draw at the French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open. He passed away in 2021 after a two-year battle with prostate cancer. “Next to Arthur Ashe, I believe that Bruce Foxworth is the finest Black tennis player in America,” Dr. Robert Screen said.

Fred Freeman
Football

One of Hampton’s most successful football coaches, Fred Freeman spent two seasons as defensive coordinator for the Pirates (1981-83) before being elevated to the head coaching position, replacing Ed Wyche. He served as head coach from 1984-91 and his teams posted a 49-31-4 record in eight HBCU football seasons. Freemans’ 49 wins place him third on Hampton’s all-time wins list behind legendary Joe Taylor and Gideon Smith. His 1995 Pirate team finished with a 10-2 mark, won the CIAA crown, and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs. From 1987-89, Hampton compiled a 24-7-1 record including finishes of 9-3, 7-3, and 8-1-1. Freeman played his collegiate football at Mississippi State and was drafted by the New York Giants in the 1967 NFL Draft.

Francena McCorory
Women’s Track & Field

Francena McCorory won the gold medal in the 4x400m at both the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics and at two World Championships. She also took home the bronze in the 400m at the 2011 World Championships. “Francena is the greatest female track & field athlete to ever come out of the Hampton Roads Area,” said Coach Maurice Pierce. While attending HU, she won three national titles. Those included the 2009 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship and both 400m titles in 2010 (both indoor and outdoor). When she crossed the finish line in the 400m at the 2010 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship, McCorory set the NCAA and American record with a time of (50.54). She attended Bethel High School where she set a National High School Indoor Record in 2006 with a 400m time of 51.93. She was inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame in 2017, and the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

Edward Tomlin
Football

Edward Tomlin played football at Hampton from 1965-67. He led the team in scoring all three years (30 points in 1965, 66 points in 1966, and 67 points in 1967). Tomlin played under Coach Mel Labat and helped lead the Pirates to a 6-3 record in 1966. The Pirates were 11-15 during Tomlin’s career. A native of Ocala, Fla., Tomlin was a star HBCU halfback at
Howard High where he was also a standout baseball player. He was a 10th-round (270 overall) pick in the 1968 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts but signed with the Montreal Alouettes after a bidding war between the Alouettes and Colts. He played for Montreal until an ankle injury sidelined his career. After his retirement, Tomlin became active in the civil rights movement. His son, Mike Tomlin, is the highly successful head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Tomlin passed away on Jan. 16, 2012.

Lifetime Achievement
Donovan Rose

Donovan Rose has worn many hats at Hampton since first arriving on campus in the fall of 1975. A former HBCU student-athlete, NFL player, football coach, and executive director of JET (Job Education Training) Corps, and the H.O.P.E. program (Hampton Opportunity Program for Enhancement), Rose currently serves as Assistant Director of Athletics for Event Management. Rose served as an assistant football coach and was head coach of the Pirates from 2009-13. The 1979 Hampton graduate was an All-CIAA performer and was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year as a senior. He signed to play in the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1980, and also played for championship teams in the Canadian Football League, winning the Grey Cup with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 1984. In 1986, Rose joined the Miami Dolphins and led the team in interceptions, before retiring in 1988. In 2003, he was awarded the AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year in Division I-AA and the All-American Football Foundation Mike Campbell Top Assistant Coach Award.

Team of Distinction
1972 Hampton Baseball

Hampton’s 1972 baseball team was highly motivated and determined. They were a team on a mission. The reason was simple. They had been informed that the team would be disbanded at the end of the season. Playing with a chip on their shoulders, the Pirates would go out winners by capturing their first CIAA Championship in nearly half a century. The Pirates would finish the season with a 10-2 record in CIAA play. Hampton clinched the CIAA title by defeating Virginia State in Petersburg in the final game of the season. Among the highlights of the season was a 6-2 victory over Division I William & Mary. Bobby Martin was named CIAA Coach of the Year and outfielder David Neverson, second baseman Doug Palmer, and pitcher Al Barley earned All-CIAA honors in HBCU baseball.

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The Pro Football Hall of Fame has made several significant changes to the bylaws governing its annual selection process, each modification formulated to help ensure that membership in the Hall of Fame remains elite while bringing fresh perspectives and viewpoints to the discussion of candidates.

These revisions received approval from the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors this month and will go into effect now as the Hall and its independent Selection Committee embark on the process of determining the Class of 2025. There is no set expiration date for any of the changes.

Selection of the Class of 2025 will begin soon when two new Screening Committees separately review the full lists of nominees in the Modern-Era Players and Seniors categories. Each of these 11-person committees can be composed of enshrinees of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, former NFL front office personnel, football historians and media members. None of these 22 individuals also serves on the Selection Committee.

The task of the Modern-Era Players Screening Committee and the Seniors Screening Committee will be to reduce the lengthy lists of nominees to 50 candidates each. Hall of Fame partner Ernst & Young LLP will conduct and ensure the security of the online voting process.

Once the 50 candidates (plus ties, if any) are determined in the Modern-Era Players category, the names will be sent to the full Selection Committee for the next stages of the process. The names of the Seniors candidates remaining (50, plus ties, if any) will be sent to the Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee.

The Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee will be composed of nine (9) individuals – seven (7) who also are members of the full Selection Committee and two (2) others who will hold full voting rights for this subcommittee (only). As noted in the revised bylaws, these two non-Selection Committee members can be Hall of Famers, football historians or anyone with expansive football knowledge.

Through a sequence of reduction votes over several weeks, the Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee will select three (3) Finalists for the Class of 2025.

In addition to the Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee, the process moving forward will include a Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee and a Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee, reflecting a split in those two categories that had been combined over the past few election cycles.

Both the Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee and a Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee will be constituted in the same manner — with seven Selection Committee members plus two others — as the Seniors Blue-Ribbon Committee. Through a sequence of reduction votes over several weeks, the Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee and the Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee each will select one (1) Finalist for the Class of 2025.

Also, the waiting period for Coach candidates has been reduced from fives seasons out of the game to one season. (No waiting period exists for Contributor candidates.)

Determination of Finalists in the Modern-Era Players category will remain unchanged once the Screening Committee has concluded its work. The full Selection Committee will vote for 25 Semifinalists in November, then 15 Finalists in December.

Prior to the Super Bowl, the Selection Committee will meet to discuss the 20 Finalists for the Class of 2025 – the 15 Modern-Era Players, three Seniors, one Coach and one Contributor.

The Modern-Era Players will be voted on in their own group, with no more than five (5) nor fewer than three (3) to be elected. Approval from 80% of the Selectors is required for election.

The five Finalists from the Seniors, Coach and Contributor categories will be combined into a second group for voting by Selectors. No more than three (3) nor fewer than one (1) may be elected. As with the Modern-Era Players, approval from 80% of the Selectors is required for election.

With the revisions, a new class could be comprised of four to eight individuals, but with the 80% approval threshold, classes are more likely, statistically, to include five or six members.

“The first pillar of the Mission statement at the Pro Football Hall of Fame states we will ‘Honor the Greatest of the Game.’ One important way to do that is through an annual review of the Selection Process and the people involved in it,” President & CEO Jim Porter said. 

“Forming two Screening Committees will bring added discussion of candidates, with input from more Hall of Famers,” he said. “And splitting the Coach and Contributor categories allows for a Finalist from each one. What’s most important is continuing to elect great classes of enshrinees, and these moves help ensure that desired outcome.”

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The Warriors announced Wednesday that Attles died in his San Francisco Bay Area home Tuesday surrounded by family.

Known affectionately as “The Destroyer,” Attles’ legacy spans over six decades, all of which he spent with the Golden State Warriors. Attles was one of the first Black head coaches in the NBA, leading the Warriors to their first West Coast championship in 1975. Beyond his coaching career, Attles was a beloved ambassador for the team, and his contributions to the sport earned him a place in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. His impact on basketball and his dedication to the Warriors will be remembered forever.

Attles’ influence extended beyond the NBA, as he was also a proud HBCU alumnus of North Carolina A&T State University, where his number 22 was the first to be retired by the school. He helped lead North Carolina A&T to multiple CIAA titles during the late 1950s and is a member of the CIAA Hall of Fame as well. His life and career serve as a testament to the power of perseverance, loyalty, and passion for the game.

Rest in peace, Al Attles, a true legend of the sport.

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BALTIMORE, Md. –Morgan State University’s Edward P. Hurt Gymnasium, a historic HBCU sports venue that has been closed for nearly three years for renovations, is on the verge of officially reopening for good.
 
After being closed for renovations since August 2021, Morgan State University faculty, staff, and students will have the opportunity to use the fitness center and the gymnasium during a soft opening period, which began Wednesday, July 10, 2024, and will run through Thursday, August 8, 2024.
 
The hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 6 a.m. until 9 a.m. for the fitness center and 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. for both the fitness center and gymnasium.
 
Individuals are asked to utilize the main front doors only for access (up the stairs or ramp). Your Bear Card (university ID) will be required for access. Upon entry, check in with staff on level 1 (across from the fitness center). You will need to check your belongings into a locker room locker, as no bags, food, or drinks (except for water bottles) will be allowed in the fitness center or the gym.

 
Hurt Gymnasium is scheduled to fully open for the fall semester with a target date of Monday, August 26. The schedule will be provided at that time.
 
The remaining spaces to open at that time will be the pool, the dance studio, and classrooms.
 
Built in 1950, the two-story on-campus HBCU facility is named after Edward P. Hurt, the longtime coach of the football, basketball and track teams at Morgan State. The gymnasium served as home to the Morgan State men’s basketball team from 1950 until the opening of Talmadge L. Hill Field House in 1974.
 
Hurt Gymnasium was the site of the first interracial American basketball game played south of the Mason-Dixon Line on February 12, 1952, with the Bears hosting Loyola College Maryland.

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Bill Hayes – Winston-Salem State to North Carolina A&T

A Durham native and a star at North Carolina College (Central), Hayes worked at Wake Forest as an assistant before taking over as head coach at Winston-Salem State. Hayes took a WSSU program that had never won a CIAA title and led it to back-to-back undefeated, CIAA titles in 1977 and ’78. His teams at WSSU made it to five straight CIAA title games before he finally won the big game in 1987. He went 89-40-2 during his tenure, setting the stage for a program that now has 12 CIAA titles – tied for most amongst active members of the league.

Following that season, Hayes was hired down the road at North Carolina A&T. His team went 2-9 that season – including a loss to a Winston-Salem State team led by former assistant Pete Richardson. 

Hayes’ tenure was eventually a success, as he coached 170 games winning 106 of them – both North Carolina A&T records. His teams won three MEAC titles and two national titles. He is also up for the College Football Hall of Fame. 

Pete Richardson – Winston-Salem State to Southern University

Richardson played in the NFL after starring at Dayton (OH) in college and then became a high school coach. He was discovered by Bill Hayes and joined his staff shortly thereafter. He ran a tough defense with several former NFL stars as Hayes led the way for five straight CIAA Southern Division Crowns and the 1987 CIAA title. Hayes’ departure before the 1988 season opened the door for Richardson at WSSU. He went on to win a title in his first season and went to the CIAA title game in each of his first three seasons. He won a total of three CIAA championships in five years before being hired away to Southern University.

Richardson inherited a Southern team that was 5-6 in 1992 under Marino Casem. Richardson won his first eight games and went 11-1 in his first season. He was perfect in the SWAC and led Southern to a win in the Heritage Bowl. He left the school nearly two decades later as a highly decorated, Hall of Fame Coach. He won 128 games and lost just 62 while at Southern. 

Billy Joe – Central State to Florida A&M 

Joe, like Pete Richardson, made it to the NFL in the 1960s from a PWI. He was a star at Villanova before being drafted into the pros. He began his coaching career at Cheyney State, leading the HBCU in the PSAC to a 31-32 record throughout seven seasons. Joe made his mark at Central State University, where after a short stint with the Philadelphia Eagles, he coached from 1981 through 1993. 

Joe had CSU at 12-1 by his third season in Wilberforce, OH, making it to the Division II championship game. CSU would lose that title, but after moving to the NAIA in the late 1980s, his team became the most consistent in black college football, winning at least 10 games in six consecutive seasons and routinely beating Division I-AA HBCU football powers. He led his teams to national titles in 1990 and 1992 before he was finally lured away to Florida A&M.

Billy Joe took over for Ken Riley in 1994 and led the team to a 6-5 record. His teams went 9-3 in each of the next two seasons and eventually made a run at the Division I-AA national title under his Gulf Coast Offense. 

Read about more coaches on Page Two (Down).

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GREENSBORO, N.C. —— Florida A&M (FAMU) and HBCU baseball legend Costa “Pop” Kittles was selected to the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Kittles was a football and baseball star at Florida A&M University during the late 1940s and 1950s before becoming one of the most successful head baseball coaches in Florida A&M history.

Kittles earned All-America football honors as an end in 1950 and was an all-star catcher for the baseball team. He joined the Florida A&M staff in 1952 as an assistant football coach and physical education instructor. For the next 40 years, he worked as a coach for Florida A&M Athletics, coaching with legends such as Jake Gaither and Rudy Hubbard.

Kittles became the Rattlers’ head baseball coach in 1960, piloting the HBCU baseball program to their first of seven straight Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and eight overall. One of FAMU baseball’s most memorable wins all-time came under Kittles in 1981 when the Rattlers topped Miami 2-1 on a solo home run by catcher Albert Goode in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Rattlers appeared in six NAIA district playoffs, advancing to the NAIA World Series in 1962 under Kittles.

Kittles went 401-128 (.758) before retiring in 1982. Nineteen of his players were signed or drafted to the professional leagues, including Hal McRae, Andre Dawson, and Vince Coleman, as well as the late William “Bill” Lucas, the first African American executive in Major League Baseball history when he worked for the Atlanta Braves.

Following his retirement from coaching, he served as an assistant professor in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation at Florida A&M until 1995.

In 1982, Kittles was honored with induction into the Florida A&M Sports Hall of Fame and his contributions to the HBCU baseball program were again recognized in 1999 when the baseball field at Florida A&M was renamed Moore-Kittles Field in honor of Kittles and his college coach, Dr. Oscar Moore.

Kittles, who passed away in 2003 at the age of 75, and his wife Emma established the Costa Kittles Endowed Athletic and Physical Education Scholarship at Florida A&M. The scholarship is intended to provide financial support for students pursuing studies in physical education and participating in athletics at Florida A&M. The pair also established the Emma and Costa Kittles Scholarship in Human Sciences endowment at Florida State University.

About the American Baseball Coaches Association

Founded in 1945, the American Baseball Coaches Association is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level. Its over 15,000 members represent all 50 states and 41 countries. Since its initial meeting of 27 college baseball coaches in June 1945, Association membership has broadened to include nine divisions: NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, Pacific Association Division, High School, Youth and Travel.

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The ceremony will be held on July 26 at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, during the 2024 NWCA Convention. Alongside Davis and Smith, inductees include Donovan McMahill, Matt Meuleners, Mario Morgan, Josh Shields, and Roger Singleton.

Competing in the early 1980s at Morgan State University, John Davis earned four All-American honors as a 158-pounder. He clinched national championships in 1983 and 1984, and placed sixth and third in 1981 and 1982, respectively. In 1984, Davis not only won his second national title but also received the Most Outstanding Wrestler award at the DII National Championships. His impressive performance included two pins on his way to the title, showcasing his dominance on the mat.

William Smith’s collegiate career began with runner-up finishes at the 1977 and 1978 NCAA Division II National Championships at 158 pounds, and a fifth-place finish at 167 pounds in 1979. In 1980, he became the first wrestler from a Historically Black College or University to win the NCAA Division II 158-pound championship. Smith was also a two-time NCAA DI All-American and a four-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Champion. His accolades include inductions into the MEAC Hall of Fame (1999), the New York Section One Wrestling Hall of Fame (2008), and the Morgan State Hall of Fame (2016).

In 2023, Morgan State made a historic comeback to wrestling, competing at the NCAA Division I Varsity level for the first time in 25 years. This reinstatement made Morgan State the only Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to offer wrestling at this level.

For more information, visit the official NWCA Convention website.

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Joe Taylor, known for his strategic acumen and ability to develop young men both on and off the field, coached at Hampton University from 1992 to 2007. Under his leadership, Hampton dominated the CIAA and then became a powerhouse in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), capturing multiple conference titles and earning national recognition. Taylor’s commitment to excellence and emphasis on character development resonated deeply with Huff, who played under Taylor in the early 2000s.

Huff talked about his mentor’s influence in a recent interview with Light On College Sports. 

“Coach Taylor taught us that football is more than just a game; it’s a platform to shape lives,” Huff reflects. “He instilled in us the importance of discipline, hard work, and integrity. Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my career.”

After his collegiate playing days, Huff embarked on a coaching career that took him through various roles at different levels. He has had stints at Penn State, Mississippi State, and Alabama, where he contributed to national championship teams. Throughout his journey, the principles he learned from Taylor remained a guiding force.

Charles Huff has implemented many of Taylor’s teachings, focusing on building a strong, cohesive team culture at Marshall University. He emphasizes academic excellence, personal growth, and community involvement, mirroring the holistic approach he experienced at Hampton. Huff’s players are encouraged to excel in the classroom and engage in community service, embodying the values Taylor championed.

“He was always very confident and had this great personality,” Taylor told The Athletic as Huff prepared to take over Marshall football in 2021. “He was a great guy to be around, a born leader and great communicator. He was one of those guys who made coaching a joy. Whenever he walked into a room, he took over. He was always gleaming and so positive and has that knack that brings out the best in people.”

Now one of only 16 FBS African-American coaches, Huff’s influence extends beyond the football field, as he actively mentors young coaches and advocates for diversity in coaching. By carrying forward Joe Taylor’s legacy, Charles Huff not only honors his mentor but also continues to inspire future generations of athletes and coaches.

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GRAMBLING, La. | Legendary former head Grambling State Baseball coach Wilbert Ellis is set to be inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 Induction Class, with a ceremony set for June 20-22 in Natchitoches, La. The HBCU baseball legend will receive the Louisiana Sports Ambassador Award, becoming only the second person to be honored with this recognition. 

The Ambassador Award was created by the Hall’s parent organization, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, and was first presented to network broadcaster Tim Brando as part of the LSHOF Class of 2020. The award honors long-term exemplary contributions to the perception of Louisiana by an individual who has ties to the state’s sports landscape. 

Ellis spent 43 years coaching the Louisiana HBCU, assuming the head coaching role in 1977 upon the retirement of R.W.E. Jones. Ellis amassed a 701-478-2 career record in 26 seasons as head coach, retiring following the 2003 season. Ellis, who had his No. 31 jersey retired last season, led GSU to three SWAC Championships and guided the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

 

“Coach Ellis is an Icon; he is a living legend and it’s an honor to be able to have his presence around our baseball program and university. He’s a great baseball coach but an even better man,” said Grambling State baseball Head Coach and former player Davin Pierre. “His values and his love for Christ is an example for us to follow. He’s a winner on and off the field, he’s a community leader, he’s a husband, father and he’s Grambling. Having the ability to call him whenever I need him or just to talk about anything has been amazing for me. I’m extremely proud of his induction to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and can’t wait to share in the moment with him. Congratulations Coach Ellis ‘HELL BABY, WE GRAMBLING'”

Previously, the HBCU legend has been inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, the SWAC Hall of Fame, and the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame. 

He has been a trusted advisor for generations of presidents, athletic directors, and coaches at Grambling, and in community and governmental affairs. Ellis was instrumental in the establishment of the Eddie G. Robinson Museum in Grambling, and the university’s Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame. He still conducts baseball clinics for kids in Lincoln Parish and serves as an NCAA Regional site supervisor.

Wilbert Ellis will be enshrined in the LSHOF alongside Drew Brees, Seimone Augustus, Perry Clark, Daniel Cormier, Frank Monica, Kevin Jackson, Kerry Joseph, Ray Sibille, Tom Burnett, Bobby Ardoin, and Ron Higgins. He will become the 13^th member of the Hall of Fame affiliated with Grambling State University. 

The LSHOF’s Class of 2024 will be enshrined at the Hall of Fame’s home in Natchitoches to culminate the 65th Induction Celebration. More information and the opportunity to purchase tickets for five events is available at www.LaSportsHall.com.

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TOLEDO, Ohio | Alabama State University, an HBCU in Montgomery, Alabama will see Assistant Men’s and Women’s Assistant Golf Coach Robert Clark inducted into the African American Sports Legends Hall of Fame at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 15th in Toledo, Ohio.

“I am so happy for Coach Clark and his family in the recognition of his life-long excellence in sports. Congratulations!”  Head Golf Coach Quincy Heard stated.

Clark has been with the Hornets and Lady Hornets HBCU golf program since 2011. The Lady Hornets have won the SWAC Conference Championship in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, and 2024 and the men have won SWAC Championships in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Clark’s golf career started in 1965, working up to being accepted as a Pro Golf Association of America apprentice in 1993, under the tutelage of PGA Professional Byron Wood. He was elected as a member of the PGA of America in 1993, becoming the first African American PGA Professional in the state of Oregon. Now he’s a member of the African American Sports Legends Hall of Fame.

After just one year of being a professional, Clark founded the Portland Youth Golf Association (PYGA); a PGA-recognized golf school.  This was a golf school aimed to give the children of Portland a chance to live out their golfing dreams.

PYGA teaches four principles:  Life Skills, Character Development, Academic Success, and GOLF. For the next 17 years, the volunteer instructors, teachers, and I serviced the youth of Portland. His professional peers in the Pacific Northwest Section PGA voted him the JUNIOR GOLF LEADER OF THE YEAR from 2000-2005.  He also mentored the second African American PGA Professional Oregon and current Alabama State Head Golf Coach, Quincy Heard.

Clark graduated from Central Catholic High School in Toledo, Ohio, and on to attend the University of Toledo for two years before transferring to HBCU Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, earning his B.S. degree in education degree.

During multiple careers, he taught 6th grade in Toledo for a couple of years, worked at A&P Food Corporation; the largest food chain in the world at the time, General Electric Corporation, Owens Corning Fiberglass, Ruben H. Donnelly Adverting Corporation, The Principal /Financial Group and Horace Mann Insurance Corporation.

Robert Clark started playing golf in 1965, and after four years passed, his scores were good enough that he felt to become a professional golfer.

Established in 2004, The African American Legacy Project of Northwest Ohio is a 501(c)3 organization that pledges to stimulate intellectual, socioeconomic, and participatory growth in communities wherein African Americans reside.

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HAMPTON, Va. – Legendary HBCU football coach Gideon Smith has been nominated for the College Football Hall of Fame. Smith served as head football coach at Hampton University from 1921-1940 recording a 102-47-13 record.

He led the Pirates to the 1922 Black College National Championship and four CIAA crowns. His 1926 and 1931 teams were undefeated. The 1931 squad outscored their opponents 187-6. Known for their tough defense, the Pirates were ranked in the top 12 for fewest points allowed 10 times in Smith’s 20 seasons as head coach. He is the longest-tenured and second-winningest football coach in Hampton University history.

Smith became the first African-American athlete at Ferris State from 1910-12 before transferring to Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State). Smith was the first African-American to play any sport at Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State). When he showed up for the team’s first practice, Coach John Macklin turned him away and refused to issue him a uniform. Smith returned the next day wearing his high school uniform. Impressed with his strength of character, Macklin allowed him to join the Aggies squad where he was a standout lineman. Following graduation in 1916, Smith played briefly with the Canton Bulldogs where he played alongside Jim Thorpe.

He became a teacher at West Virginia Collegiate Institute (an HBCU that is now West Virginia State) in 1916 before moving to Virginia State College for Negroes (now Virginia State) in 1920.

In 1921, he was named head football coach at Hampton. He remained in the position for 20 years before retiring in 1940. Smith died on May 6, 1968, at the age of 78 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Salem, Va. Smith was born in Northwest Norfolk County, Va., on July 13, 1889, just 24 years after the abolition of slavery.

Smith is one of 11 HBCU candidates on the 2025 ballot including Ashley Ambrose (Mississippi Valley State), Vincent Brown (Mississippi Valley State), Parnell Dickinson (Mississippi Valley State), William Dillon (Virginia Union), Carl Hairston (Maryland-Eastern Shore), Timmy Newsome (Winston-Salem State), Michael Strahan (Texas-Southern), Rod Broadway (North Carolina Central, Grambling State. North Carolina A&T), Bill Hayes (Winston-Salem State, North Carolina A&T), and Eddie Hurt (Virginia-Lynchburg).

Should Gideon Smith be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame, he would be the second Hampton head football coach enshrined. Joe Taylor’s Hampton teams won five Black College National Championships (1994, 1997, 2004, 2005, and 2006) and eight conference titles in 16 seasons from 1992-07. His squads posted a 136-49-1 record with seven NCAA FCS Playoff appearances. Taylor was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2019.

Smith was inducted into the Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame’s inaugural class in 2009 and the Michigan State’s inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.

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Hurt’s Morgan State teams of the 1930s and 1940s were some of the most dominant in college football history. From 1931 to 1938 his Bears never lost a game, for a total of 54 games in a row without a loss. Overall, his teams at Morgan finished with 11 unbeaten seasons, including a 1943 team that did not allow an opponent to score. He led the program to 14 CIAA football championships from the time he arrived from a short stint teaching and coaching at Virginia University of Lynchburg in 1929 until he retired in 1959.

And that’s just what he did on the football field. He also turned Morgan State into one of the first HBCU track juggernauts. His team’s won 13 CIAA championships, eight NCAA champions, three NCAA relay championships, and one Olympic gold medalist in George Rhoden. He also led the basketball program to four CIAA visitation basketball titles.

His resume is impressive, to say the least. So why is he not in the College Football Hall of Fame already?

The unfortunate truth is that coaches like Hurt and Hampton’s Gideon Smith (who is also nominated once again) consistently have their achievements under-appreciated. HBCU coaches who spent most, if not all, of their careers prior to the NFL’s integration in 1946 generally are generally disregarded. Not only by the mainstream but also amongst the HBCU community as well. Eddie Hurt was just inducted to the Black College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Gideon Smith is still waiting.

For the first twenty years of Hurt’s career, his best players were denied the opportunity to play in the NFL. Coaches like Eddie Robinson, Jake Gaither, and John Merritt have all been given their due for their team’s successes on the field and producing pros. But those men, if they were here today, would tell you that they stand on the shoulders of greats like Hurt and Gideon.

Hurt did manage to produce two Pro Football Hall of Famers. Len Ford and Rosevelt Brown are both members of the Hallowed Hall. But there is no telling how many more he would have had in the 1930s and 40s had been allowed to play in the NFL. Names like Thomas “Tank” Conrad, Brutus Wilson, and Otis Troupe could have played football at the highest level if they were allowed, but it wasn’t an option.

Yes, Morgan State was blessed with talent under Edward Hurt. With no SEC or ACC recruiting black athletes, he pretty much had his pick of athletes east of the Mississippi River. But Hurt was also lauded as a master tactician and strategist. The Howard alumnus was a math wizard who used both sides of his brain while mapping out plays.

“It’s all a matter of timing,” he told the AP in 1937 as his team continued to dominate. “In science, you won’t be satisfied with anything less than exactness. You need the same exactness in coaching a football game. You see, football is just applied mathematics.”

Had Hurt had a different hue and the same coaching resume at Maryland or Penn during the same era, he would have been one of the founding members of the College Football Hall of Fame. Or if he had four or five Pro Football Hall of Famers, he’d likely be in there as well. But unfortunately, because he did it at a black college with nothing on film, his accomplishments seemingly don’t quite measure up.

Coaches like Edward Hurt and his contemporaries don’t have many advocates in these Hall of Fame discussions. I don’t have a vote on any of them. But it’s beyond time to do the right thing and get Edward P. Hurt in the College Football Hall of Fame. 

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GREENSBORO — Two former North Carolina A&T head football coaching legends and the current head football coach have made their way on the 2025 ballot for consideration of making the College Football Hall of Fame, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame has announced.

College football coaching legends and former Aggie head coach Bill Hayes and Rod Broadway were among 34 coaches from the divisional ranks nominated, while current North Carolina A&T head coach Vincent Brown, a Mississippi Valley State University graduate, was among 101 former players from the divisional ranks nominated.

“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.7 million people have played college football and only 1,093 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year.”

The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. The Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers and media members.

“Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the College Football Hall of Fame inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. “There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.”

The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be announced in early 2025, and specific details will be announced later.

The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at the Bellagio Hotel & Resort. They will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2025 season.

Of the 5.7 million individuals who have played college football since Princeton first battled Rutgers on Nov. 6, 1869, only 1,093 players have earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, or less than two one-hundredths of a percent (.02%) of those who have played the game during the past 154 seasons. From the coaching ranks, 233 individuals have achieved Hall of Fame distinction.

BILL HAYES

Hayes is considered a pioneer in the coaching profession. In 1973, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons football program named him its offensive backs coach, making him the first African-American coach in the ACC. Three years later, Hayes took over as the head coach of the Winston-Salem State Rams, coaching the Rams for 12 seasons (1976-87).

He led the Rams to three Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championships (1977, ’78 and ’87) and seven division championships. The Rams had consecutive undefeated regular seasons in 1977 and ’78. Hayes posted an 89-40-2 record in Winston-Salem, leaving the university as its all-time winningest coach.

In 1988, Hayes headed east to Aggieland, where his legendary status grew. In 15 seasons as the Aggies’ head man, Hayes won the program three black college national championships, including in 1999 when he led the Aggies to an 11-2 record, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship, and the program’s first and only NCAA Division I-FCS (or I-AA) playoff win in history, a 24-10 victory over the No. 1 team in the nation, the Tennessee State Tigers.

Hayes won three MEAC titles (1991, ’92, ’99) at A&T, made two NCAA Division I-FCS playoff appearances, and is the program’s all-time winningest coach with a 106-64-0 record. Hayes served as a collegiate head coach for 27 seasons, compiling a 195-104-2 record while winning six conference championships. His 195 wins are the most by any collegiate coach coaching exclusively at a North Carolina institution.

ROD BROADWAY

Broadway began his coaching career soon after graduating from the University of North Carolina, becoming East Carolina’s defensive line coach in 1979. He later became the defensive line coach at the University of Florida in 1995, where he helped the Gators win the 1996 national championship under head coach Steve Spurrier.

He earned his first head coaching position in 2003 at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), leading the Eagles to back-to-back CIAA titles in 2005 and ’06. The Eagles made consecutive NCAA Division II playoff appearances and won back-to-back black college national championships over those same two seasons.

In four seasons in Durham, Broadway went 33-11 and won the CIAA West Division three straight seasons (2004-06). His next stop was at Grambling State University, where he spent another four seasons (2007-10), winning the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title and a black college national championship in 2008 and the SWAC West Division in 2007, 2008 and 2010. Broadway posted a 35-12 record at Grambling, including a 28-4 record in the SWAC.

After his stop at Grambling, Broadway came to the east side of Greensboro in 2011, where he resurrected the Aggies program that was a combined 10-47 the previous five years before he arrived. Broadway went 59-22 (.729) in seven seasons at A&T before retiring in 2017. He has the best winning percentage in program history, winning two black college national championships (2015, ’17), two Celebration Bowls, and three MEAC championships (2014, ’15, ’17).

Broadway led the North Carolina A&T to a 12-0 record in 2017, making the Aggies the first Division I-FCS HBCU to go undefeated the entire season. Broadway finished his career with a 127-45 record, five black college national championships and six conference titles. He won CIAA Coach of the Year in 2006 and MEAC Coach of the Year in 2017.

VINCENT BROWN

Brown became A&T’s head coach in 2023 after a solid career as an assistant college football coach and a successful NFL career. Before his NFL career, he attended MVSU starting in 1984. Nicknamed the “Undertaker,” he was a 1987 first-team All-American, leading the NCAA in tackles in 1986 and 1987. He set the NCAA All-Divisions record with 570 career tackles. He was a two-time All-SWAC selection who led MVSU in tackles his last three seasons.

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Eddie Jackson was a long-time administrator at FAMU.  He first rose to prominence on campus as the sports information director.  In the late 1960s, he would also serve as famed coach A.S. “Jake” Gaither’s media assistant.  He would drive Gaither to speaking engagements and appearances and assure that all particulars were arranged.

In 1966, his football media guide was selected by CoSIDA as the eighth-best in the country.  FAMU President Dr. B.L. Perry cited Jackson for his steadfast and successful efforts to promote FAMU Athletics to local, regional, and national media outlets.  The efforts resulted in increased coverage of FAMU athletic events and interviews with players and student-athletes.

Jackson’s long and distinguished career took him to university administration including Assistant Director of Veteran Affairs, Assistant Director of Career Counseling and Placement–later becoming Director.  In that role, he created his famed “Career Assessment Seminars” and Career Fairs with large local and national companies–including several Fortune 500 corporations.

He was moved to university public relations director.  In that role, Eddie Jackson would work miracles with his innovative ideas, elevating FAMU’s profile nationally.  In 1992, the FAMU public relations office under Jackson’s leadership received the Silver Medal Award for Overall News and Information programs from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, ranking FAMU second only to UCLA, for having the best news and information program of all colleges and universities in the nation.

In 1998 FAMU President Frederick S. Humphries presented Jackson with the University’s first Presidential Award and named him employee of the year after FAMU had been selected as the TIME Magazine and Princeton Review College of the Year in 1997. Jackson played major roles in the planning and operation of the Orange Blossom Classic and the Florida Classic and has made substantial contributions to athletics at FAMU throughout his administrative career.  During Humphries’ tenure, Jackson would serve an identical role as he did with Gaither, handling the president’s appearances and detailing logistics in advance of his arrival to events. Jackson retired in 2002 as vice president of university relations.

After retirement, he and his wife, Dr. Jerrlyne Jackson, have contributed to FAMU Athletics and the general university through the 220 Quarterback Club.  Initially derived as a group of retirees who would meet for a weekly luncheon with a goal of donating $500 weekly to the football program.   The group has grown through its webcasts to support hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

Often, Jackson would have the sitting university president address his organization.  FAMU President Larry Robinson, Ph.D. was a regular at 220 Quarterback Club meetings and often spoke of the importance of the work the club was providing to the university

At the forefront of Jackson’s image was his wit.  He had jokes for every situation.  The banter between him and former FAMU head coach Willie Simmons was legendary with FAMU faithful.  Jackson would often claim responsibility for Simmons’ success while deferring all losses to Simmons.  Simmons would run with the bit and thank Jackson for his advice on the wins and make claims that he couldn’t reach him for advice after losses.  Their comradery was near and dear to FAMU football supporters.  Simmons was devastated to hear the news.  Simmons was devastated to hear the news. “This one hurts!  Eddie meant more to FAMU than words can convey.  He embodied love and charity and his legacy will live on!  Our condolences go out to Dr. Jackson and the Jackson family,” Simmons said.

The Jackson-led 220 Quarterback Club supported the entire athletic department, often taking the burden of the department to provide targeted resources for coaches and student-athletes.  He would partner with the Rattler Boosters, National Rattler “F” Club and FAMU National Alumni Association to bolster the fundraising profile to get the job done.  It was probably one of his greatest assets, the ability to build a consensus of support to ensure difficult tasks. 

Some of his major achievements included initiating a nutrition program for the football team; and renting the cooling recovery chamber for the football team to use during the hot months of July and August for practice–the first for any HBCU–now in its third. Year; and most recently spearheading and completing a $50,000 drive in five months for FAMU Women’s Sports.

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Courtesy of the National Football Foundation/College Hall of Fame

IRVING, Texas — The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today the names on the 2025 ballot for induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, including 77 players and nine coaches from the Football Bowl Subdivision and 101 players and 34 coaches from the divisional ranks.

“It’s an enormous honor to just be on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot considering more than 5.7 million people have played college football and only 1,093 players have been inducted,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “The Hall’s requirement of being a First-Team All-American creates a much smaller pool of about 1,500 individuals who are even eligible. Being in today’s elite group means an individual is truly among the greatest to have ever played the game, and we look forward to announcing the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class early next year.”

The ballot was emailed today to the more than 12,000 NFF members and current Hall of Famers whose votes will be tabulated and submitted to the NFF’s Honors Court, which will deliberate and select the class. (Individuals can cast a vote this year by clicking here to become a National Football Foundation member.)

The Honors Court, chaired by NFF Board Member and College Football Hall of Famer Archie Griffin from Ohio State, includes an elite and geographically diverse pool of athletic administrators, Hall of Famers, and members of the media. Click here for the official criteria and the voting procedures, which govern election to the Hall.

“Having a ballot and a voice in the selection of the College Football Hall of Fame inductees is one of the most cherished NFF member benefits,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning, a 1989 Hall of Fame inductee from Mississippi. “There is no group more knowledgeable or passionate about college football than our membership, and the tradition of the ballot helps us engage them in the lofty responsibility of selecting those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement in our sport.”

The announcement of the 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be made in early 2025, with specific details to be announced in the future.

The 2025 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted during the 67th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 9, 2025, at the Bellagio Hotel & Resort, and they will also be honored at their respective schools with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute, presented by Fidelity Investments, during the 2025 season.

2025 HBCU PLAYER CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS

Ashley Ambrose, Mississippi Valley State-Defensive Back-1991 First Team All-American and First Team All-SWAC selection…Named SWAC Defensive Back and Return Specialist of the Year in 1991…Led nation in punt returns during senior campaign.
 

Vincent Brown, Mississippi Valley State-Linebacker-1987 First Team All-American, leading the NCAA in tackles in 1986 and 1987…Set NCAA All-Divisions record with 570 career tackles…Two-time All-SWAC selection who led MVSU in tackles his last three seasons.

Parnell Dickinson, Mississippi Valley State-Quarterback-1975 First Team All-American and Pittsburgh Courier National Player of the Year…Four-time All-SWAC selection and conference Player of the Year as a senior…He finished his career as SWAC’s all-time leader in total offense (7,442 yards).
 
William Dillon, Virginia Union-Free Safety-Three-time First Team All-America selection (1980-82)…Tallied 16 interceptions in 1983…1983 Black College Player of the Year…Two-time First Team All-Conference selection and Player of the Year (1981-82).

Carl Hairston, Maryland Eastern Shore-Defensive End-1975 First Team All-American by the Pittsburgh Courier…Two-year captain and three-time First Team All-MEAC performer…Known as “Mr. Defense,” he averaged more than 20 tackles a game during his senior season.

Timmy Newsome, Winston-Salem State (NC)-Running Back-1978 First Team All-American who finished his career as the all-time leading rusher (3,843 yards) in school and conference annals…Three-time All-CIAA selection who twice led the conference in rushing and scoring…Led the Rams to consecutive undefeated regular seasons and CIAA titles in 1977 and 1978.

Michael Strahan, Texas Southern-Defensive Lineman- 1992 First Team All-American and Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year…1992 Black College Defensive Player of the Year and two-time SWAC Defensive Player of the Year…Texas Southern’s all-time leader in career (41.5) and single-season (19 in 1992) sacks.

2025 HBCU COACH CANDIDATE CAPSULE BIOS

Rod Broadway-North Carolina Central (2003-06), Grambling State (2007-10), North Carolina A&T (2011-17)-Only coach in history to win an HBCU national championship at three different schools, winning five overall…Took over a losing NCCU program in 2003, leading them to back-to-back conference titles and playoff appearances by 2005-06…Led teams to six conference crowns, two Celebration Bowl wins, and retired following a perfect 12-0 season.

Bill Hayes-Winston-Salem State (NC) (1976-87), North Carolina A&T (1988-2002)-All-time winningest coach at both Winston-Salem State and North Carolina A&T…Led teams to two HBCU national championships, four playoff appearances, and six conference titles…Two-time MEAC Coach of the Year finished career with the most victories (195) among college football head coaches in State of North Carolina history.
 
Eddie Hurt-Virginia Lynchburg (1925-28), Morgan State (1930-59)-Led Morgan State to six HBCU National Championships and 14 CIAA titles…Posted 11 undefeated seasons, including the 1943 team that did not allow a score from a single opponent…From 1932-39, led the Bears to a 54-game streak without a loss.

Gideon Smith-Hampton (1921-40)-Led Pirates to 1922 Black College National Championship… Recorded four CIAA titles and two unbeaten seasons in career…Longest-tenured coach in Hampton history, boasting the second-most wins all-time at the school.

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DENMARK, S.C. — Voorhees University, an HBCU in Denmark, South Carolina has announced that Allen University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Shawn Walker has been selected to the Voorhees University Athletics Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. 
 
Walker began his career as a collegiate head coach at Voorhees in 1997, spending four seasons leading the Tigers Men’s Basketball program. During his time in Denmark, South Carolina, Walker saw his teams win two regular season EIAC Championships in 1998 and 2000, an EIAC Tournament Championship in 1999, and 81 total victories along with multiple EIAC Tournament runner-up finishes in 2000 and 2001. These successes saw Walker be named the EIAC Coach of the Year during the 1998-1999 season. 
 
“I am very honored and excited to be selected to the Hall of Fame at the institution that gave me my very first opportunity to be a head coach at 25 years old,” said Walker. “I am forever grateful for all the lessons I was able to learn at that young age, and I am not where I am today without my experiences at Voorhees.”

After a four-year playing career at HBCU Elizabeth City State University, Walker started his journey in coaching as a graduate assistant in 1995 at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. In 1996, Walker returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach before taking over at Voorhees the following season. His nearly three-decade-long HBCU coaching career has included stops back at Elizabeth City State University (2001 as Women’s Basketball Head Coach, 2003-2014 Men’s Basketball Head Coach, 2018-2022 Men’s Basketball Head Coach), Grambling State University (2014-2017 Men’s Basketball Head Coach), and Shaw University (2022 Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach), before arriving at Allen before the 2023-2024 season. 
 
Across his 24 seasons as a head coach, Walker has recorded more than 300 career victories and posted 16 seasons with double-digit wins. 
 
In Walker’s first season leading the Yellow Jackets, Allen finished with a 15-15 overall record, more than tripling the team’s previous season win total (4). The 15 wins also set a single-season program record during Allen’s NCAA era (since 2021) and included Allen’s first-ever SIAC Tournament victory over Lane College on March 5.  
 
“Shawn Walker’s impact at Voorhees University surpasses mere statistics and championships,” said Allen University Director of Athletics Jasher Cox. “At Allen University, we eagerly anticipate celebrating not only his remarkable success and achievements from the beginning of his coaching career but also the lasting legacy he has forged for generations to come.”
 
The Voorhees University Athletics Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place September 7, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in Denmark, South Carolina. 

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The conversation recently came up online – and a debate followed. The question was posed by several accounts on Twitter and discussed on HBCU Overdrive with Doc Holliday.

We decided to ask an unbiased source – ChatGPT– who has the biggest brand in HBCU football. Here’s what we got.

The distinction of having the most prestigious brand in HBCU football is often attributed to Grambling State University. Several factors contribute to this prestigious branding:

1. Legendary Coach Eddie Robinson: One of the most prominent figures in HBCU football, Eddie Robinson coached at Grambling State for 55 years. His tenure resulted in over 400 victories, making him one of the winningest coaches in college football history. His influence extended beyond the field, mentoring numerous players who went on to professional careers and advocating for the integration of sports.
2. NFL Talent Pipeline: Grambling State has produced numerous NFL players, including Hall of Famers like Willie Brown, Buck Buchanan, and Charlie Joiner. This pipeline to professional football has significantly bolstered the program’s prestige.
3. Historic Rivalries and Games: Grambling State’s games, particularly against Southern University in the Bayou Classic, are highly anticipated events that draw significant attention and media coverage. The Bayou Classic is one of the most celebrated events in HBCU sports, showcasing the rich tradition and competitiveness of HBCU football.
4. Marching Band Excellence: The Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band is renowned for its performances, adding to the school’s football game day experience and overall brand appeal.
5. Media Presence: Over the years, Grambling State has received substantial media coverage, further cementing its brand in the public consciousness. The team’s success and the legacy of Coach Eddie Robinson have been highlighted in various documentaries and sports features.
   

While other HBCU programs such as Southern University, Florida A&M University, and Jackson State University also boast rich histories and significant achievements, Grambling State’s combination of historical success, legendary coaching, and impact on professional football helps position it as the HBCU football program with the most prestigious brand.

So how did AI determine the biggest HBCU football brand? Go to Page Two for the answer.

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FAMU SJGC alumnus Jonathan David (Class of 2024), sophomore Darnell Walker Jones, and seniors Germanie Bozeman, Jalon Howard, and Tristian Hutton received the honors and this win, under the guidance of Edward Thomas, advisor and FAMU TV-20 general manager, marks the second consecutive year FAMU SJGC has received recognition from the program.

Their Emmy Award-winning submission, “Field Trip,” was noted for its creative video and essay addressing the competition’s theme, “The Past, Present and Future.” The film is a poignant portrayal of the late Pro Football Hall of Famer Ken Riley and his enduring impact on the sport.

Field Trip is a peek at the journey of former FAMU great Ken Riley.  With an awesome career in Bartow at Union Academy, he was selected to play for legendary coach Jake Gaither at Florida A&M.   

Riley was an All-SIAC quarterback and excelled in the classroom, earning a Rhodes Scholar nomination.  He would never get the chance to play quarterback in the NFL as blacks were generally moved from that position when they made it to the NFL.  During that time the position of quarterback was generally reserved for white players.

Riley went on to a stellar NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals, ending his time in the league as the No.4 leader in interceptions as a defensive back; a position he had never played before being drafted by the Bengals.  However, he was overlooked for the Pro Football Hall of Fame for nearly 40 years.  He would pass in 2021.  In 2022, the Cincinnati Bengals would enshrine him into their first Ring of Honor and in 2023, he finally got the call to Canton, OH for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Months later, the football field where he played his college games at FAMU was named after him.

Presented by ESPN anchor Elle Duncan, NATAS, and The Coca-Cola Company, FAMU SJGC’s students were awarded a $40,000 grant during the ceremony. During her remarks, Duncan underscored the significance of the funds to foster talent within the HBCU community.

Jonathan David, “Field Trip’s” director, producer, and writer, expressed his gratitude for the competition while reflecting on FAMU SJGC’s second consecutive win and lauding the dedication and talent exhibited by all the participating students.

“It feels great! After winning once, you understand a little bit more about what it takes to tell a great story. We tried to push the limit a bit more with the storytelling and with the help of Mr. Thomas and the team, we were able to add a unique perspective to the film. The moment doesn’t really hit you until you’re about to go on stage and be recognized for your work. It feels more surreal the second time around. But I can’t say I’m the sole winner. Like I mentioned on stage, it takes an incredible team to create a project like Field Trip. I hope the film is around for decades to come,” he said.

The Coca-Cola HBCU Sports Production Grant competition, a collaboration with the National Academy of Arts and Sciences, was established to highlight the outstanding talents of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the realm of sports media. Finalists displayed a diverse range of projects from various HBCUs. The breadth of entries, spanning from documentaries to dance narratives, further underscored the talent within the HBCU community and the multifaceted nature of sports storytelling.

David hopes the win is not the end of the story. “The plan was to create a film that educated the public about the legacy of Ken Riley and win the HBCU Sports Production Grant. We managed to do both so anything beyond that is icing on the cake. Obviously, there are thoughts of distribution. There were a ton of major markets present at the show so if we could get the film to appear in front of a larger audience with the help of a major distributor that would be amazing,”

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Here are five facts about the CIAA Championship Game.

1. Most Frequent Champions: Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) appears most frequently as champions, winning numerous titles including those in 1977, 1978, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 2000, 2011, 2012, 2015, and 2016. (WSSU also won the 1999 CIAA championship, but there was no championship game.
2. Recurring Venues: The championship games have been held at various venues over the years, with Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC, and Durham County Stadium in Durham, NC, being frequent hosts. Recently, Salem Stadium in Salem, VA, has been the venue from 2016 to 2023.
3. Consistent Runners-Up: Fayetteville State University has been the runner-up multiple times in recent years, including 2009, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023.
4. Dominance of Virginia Teams: Virginia-based teams, such as Virginia Union, Virginia State, and Hampton have consistently performed well, winning multiple championships over the decades. Virginia Union won titles in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1986, 2001, and 2023.
5. Notable Championship Games: The highest-scoring championship game in the data set was in 1978 when Winston-Salem State defeated Shaw with a score of 72-0. Another notable game was in 2007, when Shaw won against Virginia Union in double overtime, 31-24.

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – William Partlow is one of 10 of the newest inductees into the prestigious South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Primarily recognized as a ground-breaking high school basketball coach, Partlow also served as head basketball coach and Athletic Director at South Carolina HBCU Benedict College for seven years.

“It was a great time at Benedict, because they had all those buildings going up, and they had a marvelous president back then in Ben Payton,” Partlow said during Monday’s press conference prior to the induction banquet at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

After eight successful years as head basketball coach at Booker T. Washington High School, where he won five state championships, he was recruited to come to Benedict College as head men’s basketball coach and athletic director at the Columbia, SC HBCU.

Booker T. Washington was playing its rival C.A. Johnson at the University of South Carolina’s large Carolina Coliseum, as a lead-up to another big HBCU rivalry basketball game between Benedict and Allen. Payton watched Partlow’s team and was impressed.

“He was making a change in coaches, so he liked the system we were running and he called me over for an interview, and we reached a deal,” Partlow said.

“I’d say I had moderate success,” Partlow said. “First of all, we didn’t have a gym for two years. They tore the old gym down and opened up the new one in 1974, I believe. But I had some good years there. I beat South Carolina State twice and lost to them by one point the last time we played them. We were competitive.”

He also remembers having the nation’s top rebounder in Roscoe Wilson, a Benedict College Athletic Hall of Fame member, who also later coached the Tigers.

“Roscoe Wilson, A’ja’s daddy I call him now, played for me for four years. We were NAIA, and he led the nation in rebounding. I said, ‘Roscoe, why do you go to the boards so hard?’ He said, ‘Coach, you’ve got all those New York boys down here, and I wouldn’t be on the floor if I didn’t go get the ball.’ But Benedict was a good experience, and it prepared me for San Francisco because I was Athletic Director and basketball coach there.”

William Partlow left his post at the HBCU to become the first African-American athletic director at San Francisco State, where he served for 18 years before retiring.

During his successful high school coaching career, Partlow is known for coaching players who later went on to be very successful coaches. The long list includes South Carolina legendary high school coach George Glymph, and Carl Williams, who won three high school championships at three different schools. At San Francisco State, he hired two young football coaches who later went on to great success in the NFL — Andy Reid, who has won three Super Bowls, and Mike Holmgren, who won one Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers.

William Partlow attributes much of his success as a coach and administrator to his organizational skills. He earned his undergraduate degree in mathematics from another HBCU, Johnson C. Smith, so structure and organization were important.

He was offered his first job at C.A. Johnson to be a math teacher. Coaching basketball was secondary. After several good years at C.A. Johnson, he was offered the job at Booker T. Washington. Against the advice of friends and co-workers, he took the job.

“The best move I ever made was to take the job at Booker T. Washington High School. I was advised not to take the job by my friends and co-workers at C.A. Johnson High School, where I was working then, because they said those kids were so tough and unruly, you won’t be able to handle them. But I said, ‘No, that background pretty much is like my background, coming from a single-parent home.’ So I went over there, where we sat down, and decided that my players would go to all their classes, you would be there on time, they would respect their teachers, and respect their fellow students and the administration. They adhered. We went on in my first year and won the first state championship in boys’ basketball at Booker T. Washington in the 44-year history of the school. I had 12 seniors on that team. We had George Glymph, who was a starter. We were able to send all 12 of them to college, and nine graduated. Our teams in the future did the same thing, we won state championships in five of the next eight years. And we had kids playing college basketball all across the country. I’m very, very happy I took that job.”

After a lifetime of impacting the lives of young people, the now 90-year-old William Partlow is honored to be a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame.

“It’s been a beautiful ride, and this induction is icing on the cake.”

For more information on the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Class of 2024, visit their website.

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Cooley’s coaching career spanned several decades, during which he made significant contributions to the development of young athletes and the evolution of coaching strategies. He gained widespread recognition for his unique approach to the game, blending traditional techniques with innovative tactics that challenged the status quo.

Born in 1940 in Sumrall, Mississippi, Archie Cooley played at Jackson State in the 1950s and 60s for legendary head coach John Merritt. He then turned to coaching, spending seven years as a high school coach before working for two seasons under Marino Casem at Alcorn State. He would head to Nashville to work for his college coach at Tennessee State before resurfacing at Mississippi Valley State.

Archie Cooley turns Mississippi Valley into HBCU force

Cooley arrived at Mississippi Valley State with a program that needed a lot of work. Future NFL player and HBCU coach Sam Washington was one of his star players early in his tenure before he recruited two young men that would re-write the history books. Cooley landed quarterback Willie Totten and wide receiver Jerry Rice and then went on to patent the “Satellite Express” – an offense that often used as many as five receivers at a time when many teams were still running the Wishbone and I-Formations regularly. It was during this period that he earned the nickname “The Gunslinger” from legendary newspaper reporter Roscoe Nance. 

The program went 24-7-1 from 1983 through 1985, by far the most successful stretch in program history. Cooley went 42-27-2 in his seven seasons in Ita Bena, which remains the best record in school history.

Cooley then went to Arkansas-Pine Bluff when it was still an NAIA program. He went 27-13-2, including a 9-1 season in 1990. Cooley spent one season at Norfolk State, going 3-7 with the CIAA program.

The final head coaching job for Archie Cooley came when he helped re-establish the football program at Paul Quinn College. He went 11-31 in seven seasons with the program before it was cut due to financial issues.

Cooley’s final record as a head coach stands at 83-78-5. But his impact on the game was much larger and continues to live on, not only in HBCU football but in the game overall. 

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