Another Honor For Frazier

Another Honor For Frazier
Prairie View A&M boss Named Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year
by BASN Wire Services,
POSTED: Dec 20, 2009

CHATTANOOGA, Tn. -- Prairie View A&M head football coach Henry Frazier was voted the Eddie Robinson FCS National Coach of the Year at the 23rd annual Sports Network Football Championship Awards Banquet this past Thursday night.

Frazier became the first HBCU coach to win the Eddie Robinson Award, established in 1987 in honor of the former Grambling State head coach and College Football Hall of Famer who retired as college football’s all-time winningest coach with 408 victories.

“It is a humbling honor,” said Frazier, who has posted a 36-27 record at PV in his six seasons as head coach, including an impressive 25-5 mark over the past three seasons that concluded with the 2009 SWAC Football Championship.

“It’s a great honor to be considered the top coach in your conference and it’s an even greater honor to be considered the top coach in the country.”

Frazier, who earned SWAC Coach of the Year honors after the Panthers’ 30-24 win over Alabama A&M in the Farmers Insurance SWAC Football Championship last Saturday, won the national award in the second-closest vote ever.

Frazier, who was also named the BoxToRow.com/BASN Coach of The Year earlier this week, edged Stephen F. Austin head coach J.C. Harper 237-235, in voting done by a panel of sports information directors and media who regularly cover the FCS.

The Panthers were ranked 18th in the final regular season Sports Network Poll, the highest ranking ever by a PV gridiron team. PV finished second in the final rankings in both the Sheridan Broadcasting Poll and the BoxToRow.com/BASN Polls, narrowly missing out on a Black College Football National Championship.

Additionally, Grambling State DE Christian Anthony finished fourth in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the top defensive player in the country.

Anthony, voted the 2009 SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, received the second-highest total of first place votes (19), trailing only the 2009 Buchanan Award winner DE Arthur Moats of James Madison.

Alabama A&M DE Jeremy Maddox was also a finalist for the Buchanan Award, established in 1995 and named in honor of the Grambling State great and College and Pro Football Hall of Famer.

Both Anthony and Maddox were members of the 2009 BoxToRow.com/BASN HBCU All-American team. Anthony was also tabbed as the BTRC/BASN Defensive Player of the Year.

Southern QB Bryant Lee was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, awarded to the top player in the FCS. The award was established in 1987 and named for the Jackson State legend and Chicago Bear great who earned College and Pro Football Hall of Fame honors.

‘The Princess and the Frog’ Leaps to No.1 Spot

‘The Princess and the Frog’ Leaps to No.1 Spot

(December 17, 2009) - Disney’s first Black princess won her way into the hearts of millions of Americans as The Princess and the Frog to the top spot at movie theaters this past weekend, according to a report from The Associated Press.

The film, which is set in New Orleans, tells the story of hardworking chef Tiana as she meets a prince-turned-frog, who ultimately causes her to become a frog as well.

Rounding out the weekend’s top five releases were The Blind Side Invictus, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and Disney’s a Christmas Carol.

Heisman Award does not hide Alabama’s past

Heisman Award does not hide Alabama’s past
By George E. Curry
Originally posted 12/16/2009

University of Alabama running back Mark Ingram was awarded the Heisman Trophy Saturday night, the first Crimson Tide player to ever win college football’s most prestigious honor. And that is saying a lot when you consider such ‘Bama greats as Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Lee Roy Jordan, Ozzie Newsome and Cornelius Bennett.

The sophomore sensation’s on field exploits would have never been recognized at the awards ceremony in New York, certainly not as a representative of the Crimson Tide, had it not been for the efforts of Vivian Ma-lone and James Hood, two African Americans who defied Gov. George C. Wallace’s famous 1963 “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” at Foster Auditorium.

As Ingram and his undefeated teammates prepare for the national championship game against the University of Texas on Jan. 7, 2010 school officials are pondering how best to pay proper homage to Malone and Hood in a renovated Foster Auditorium. In Tuscaloosa, Ala., my hometown, the past has finally caught up with the present.

Desegregating the state’s top tax-supported university was no easy task.

Autherine Lucy was the first African American student to enroll in the University of Alabama. She graduated from Miles College near Birmingham in 1952. While attending the Historically Black College, a friend, Pollie Myers, suggested that they apply to the all-White University of Alabama for grad school. Anticipating a protracted struggle, they sought help from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and were assigned legendary lawyers Thurgood Mar-shall, Constance Baker Motley and Arthur Shores.

One June 29, 1955, a federal court issued an order prohibiting the University of Alabama from rejecting the two applicants based on their race. The ruling was appealed all the way to the United States Supreme Court. On Oct. 19, 1955, the High Court ordered the university to admit Lucy and her Miles classmate, Pollie Myers Hudson.

The university’s board of trustees rejected Hudson’s application, purportedly for reasons related to her con-duct and marital record. But it accepted Lucy, who enrolled on Feb. 3, 1956. On the third day of classes, however, an angry mob stormed the campus and university officials expelled Lucy, saying they could not assure her safety. (She would return decades later to earn her Masters degree in elementary education).

A second major attempt to desegregate the University of Alabama in 1963 also required the intervention of the federal government. After Autherine Lucy was expelled, hundreds of African Americans applied to the University of Alabama but were rejected. In 1963, however, three Blacks with stellar credentials – Vivian Malone, Dave McGlathery and James Hood – applied. After a federal judge ordered them admitted, only Malone and Hood decided to attend.

Segregationist Gov. George C. Wallace, whose inaugural speech advocated “segregation now, segregation tomorrow and segregation forever,” decided too he would “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” to prevent the enrollment of Malone and Hood, who were accompanied by Deputy Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach.

In a carefully orchestrated move – and by secret arrangement with federal officials – Wallace stood in the door of Foster Auditorium and gave a states’ rights speech deploring action taken by the “central government.” Malone and Hood were driven back to their dorms. Katzenbach placed a call to President John F. Kennedy, who federalized the Alabama National Guard. Katzenbach returned hours later with Malone and Hood. When Wallace again attempted to block their entry, General Henry Graham, the commander of the Alabama National Guard, told Wallace: “Sir, it is my sad duty to ask you to step aside under the orders of the President of the United States.” A silent George Wallace moved out of the way and Malone and Hood proceeded inside to register.

I had just completed my sophomore year at Druid High School and was overjoyed. After being forced to ride on segregated city buses, attend segregated schools and being directed to separate water fountains and toilets marked “White” and “Colored” in my hometown, the federal government had finally confronted segregationists in Alabama and sent them a powerful message: Brown v. Board of Education was the law of the land and even White supremacists would have to obey the law.

The UOA is in the process of renovating Foster Auditorium, which has been mostly empty in recent years. President Robert Witt said the $15 million renovation will include a Malone-Hood civil rights memorial plaza in front of the building. But many people – Black and White – are un-impressed with the plans. After receiving a chilly reception, Witt said the university welcomes comments from the public.

It got a very public comment from the Tuscaloosa News, which said the architectural rendering does “Nothing to speak to its purpose – the historic, ground-breaking event it is supposed to honor.” The Nov. 8 editorial said the most complimentary thing that can be said about the proposed civil rights plaza is that “it fits in well with the shrubbery.”

Some have suggested creating a civil rights museum inside of Foster Auditorium. Others favor memorializing the 1963 stand-off with life-size bronze statues featuring Malone, Hood, Wallace and Katzenbach. My preference is that the university do both.

Mark Ingram, an African American from Flint, Mich., has now surpassed all of the stars on the storied Alabama football teams by bringing home the Heisman Trophy. The University of Alabama should try to score some style points with well-meaning Whites and people who look like Ingram by erecting a fitting memorial to Autherine Lucy, Vivian Malone, James Hood and the millions of Blacks who were prevented from attending the University of Alabama for more than 125 years. If it doesn’t, its antiseptic civil rights memorial will amount to nothing but another Stand in the Schoolhouse Door without the drama.

Black College football players earn All-America honors

3:29 pm December 16, 2009, by Leo Willingham

Nine players from historically black institutions have been named to the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) All-America team.

Defensive back Terrell Whitehead of Norfolk State was named to the first team, the lone Black College player on the first team. Return specialist LeRoy Vann of Florida A&M was one of five on the second team, joining offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath of South Carolina State, linebacker George Howard of Morgan State and defensive back Jason House of Southern.

The third-teamers included wide receivers Juamorris Stewart of Southern, defensive lineman Christian Anthony of Grambling, defensive back Anthony Beck of Prairie View and punter Jahmal Blanchard of Hampton.

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Armanti Edwards, senior, 6-foot, 185 pounds, Appalachian State.

Running backs — Deji Karim, senior, 5-11, 205, Southern Illinois; Pat Paschall, senior, 6-0, 198, North Dakota State.

Linemen — Derek Hardman, senior, 6-6, 300, Eastern Kentucky; Matt McCraken, senior, 6-3, 300, Richmond; Vladimir Ducasse, senior, 6-5, 330, Massachusetts; Jeff Hansen, senior, 6-4, 292, Montana State; Kyle Mutcher, senior, 6-3, 300, Weber State.

Tight end — Clay Harbor, senior, 6-4, 243, Missouri State.

Wide receivers — Terrell Hudgins, senior, 6-2, 235, Elon; Marc Mariani, senior, 6-0, 185, Montana.

All-purpose player — Matt Szczur, junior, 5-11, 195, Villanova.

Kicker — Matt Bevins, sophomore, 6-2, 185, Liberty.

DEFENSE

Linemen — James Ruffin, senior, 6-4, 265, Northern Iowa; Arthur Moats, senior, 6-2, 250, James Madison; Austen Lane, senior, 6-6, 250, Murray State; Dane Fletcher, senior, 6-2, 242, Montana State.

Linebackers — Brandin Jordan, senior, 5-11, 230, Southern Illinois; J.C. Sherritt, junior, 5-10, 220, Eastern Washington; Mike Morales, senior, 6-0, 230, UC Davis.

Backs — Terrell Whitehead, senior, 6-2, 200, Norfolk State; Mark Legree, junior, 6-0, 200, Appalachian State; Jeromy Miles, senior, 6-2, 215, Massachusetts; Josh Morris, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State.

Punter — Jonathan Plisco, freshman, 6-0, 200, Old Dominion.

———

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Dominic Randolph, senior, Holy Cross.

Running backs — Chase Reynolds, junior, Montana; Toddrick Pendland, senior, McNeese State;

Linemen — Benjamin Ijalana, junior, Villanova; Mario Acitelli, senior, Appalachian State; Johnny Culbreath, junior, South Carolina State; James Williams, senior, Harvard; Austin Steichen, senior, Northern Iowa.

Tight end — Scott Sicko, senior, New Hampshire.

Wide receivers — Tysson Poots, junior, Southern Utah; Buddy Farnham, senior, Brown.

All-purpose player — LeRoy Vann, senior, Florida A&M.

Kicker — Craig Camay, senior, Chattanooga.

DEFENSE

Linemen — Danny Batten, senior, South Dakota State; Tim Knicky, senior, Stephen F. Austin; Adrian Tracy, senior, William & Mary; Larry Hart, senior, Central Arkansas.

Linebackers — Matt Cohen, senior, Lehigh; Tyler Santucci, senior, Stony Brook; George Howard, senior, Morgan State.

Backs — Charles Graves, senior, Delaware; Jason House, junior, Southern; Patrick Stoudamire, senior, Western Illinois; T.J. Heath, junior, Jacksonville State.

Punter — Jon Vanderwielen, senior, Idaho State.

———

THIRD TEAM

OFFENSE

Quarterback — Matt Nichols, senior, Eastern Washington.

Running backs — James Mallory, senior, Central Connecticut; Kyle Minett, junior, South Dakota State.

Linemen — Dorian Brooks, senior, James Madison; Will Rackley, senior, Lehigh; Levi Horn, senior, Montana; Joe Gibbs, senior, Tennessee-Martin; Austin Howard, senior, Northern Iowa.

Tight end — John Sheffield, senior, Yale.

Wide receivers — Jason Caldwell, senior, Fordham; Juamorris Stewart, senior, Southern.

All-purpose player — Taiwan Jones, sophomore, Eastern Washington.

Kicker — Zach Kutch, senior, Illinois State.

DEFENSE

Linemen — Christian Anthony, senior, Grambling State; Tim Kukucka, senior, Villanova; Josh Beard, senior, Chattanooga; Mychal Savage, senior, Youngstown State.

Linebackers — Wes McDermott, sophomore, Morehead State; Jake Lewko, senior, Penn; Jacque Roman, senior, Appalachian State.

Backs — Anthony Beck, senior, Prairie View A&M; Justin Rogers, junior, Richmond; Korey Lindsey, junior, Southern Illinois; Josh Norman, sophomore, Coastal Carolina.

Punter — Jahmal Blanchard, senior, Hampton.

S.C. State football brings home Jake Gaither National Championship Trophy

S.C. State football brings home Jake Gaither National Championship Trophy

By THOMAS GRANT JR., T&D Senior Sports Writer Tuesday, December 15, 2009


Winning the mythical “2009 Black College Football National Championship” was not a primary goal for South Carolina State when it started training camp back in August.

After the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions officially received the honor, placing first in the final SBN Sports Black College Football poll Monday, the news was sweet music to the ears of head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough.

“Anything you get a chance to put that by your team’s accomplishments for the year, it sounds good,” he said. “It sounds very good.”

A year after getting edged out by Grambling in the poll, S.C. State (10-2) found the voting in its favor this year in beating out Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Prairie View A&M by 13 points in the poll. Despite losing in heartbreaking fashion two weeks ago 20-13 to Appalachian State in the opening round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs and the Panthers beating Alabama A&M 30-24 in the SWAC championship game this past weekend before a nationally-televised audience, the Bulldogs still managed to maintain the top spot in the SBN Sports BCF poll they’ve held since beating Grambling 34-31 in the season-opening MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

Claiming the SBN Jake Gaither National Championship Trophy for the first time since 1981 caps a season of individual and team achievements for the program in its eighth season under Pough. In repeating as MEAC champion by finishing with an unblemished 8-0 conference record for a second straight year, S.C. State also set a new MEAC record for consecutive conference victories (19), defeated two Top 25 FCS opponents (Grambling, Florida A&M) and ranked as high as seventh in the national polls.

All-American running back William Ford set new MEAC and school career rushing marks, quarterback Malcolm Long became the school’s first-ever 2,000-yard passer and wide receiver Oliver ‘Tre’ Young and place-kicker Blake Erickson each established single-single records for catches and field goals made, respectively.

“The fact that we had this body of work over the season, the fact that we have played as well as we had in the two losses, we’re down 10-7 at the half to the University of South Carolina (before losing 38-14) and we go down to the wire with a good Appalachian State team, gives the opinion that we were a pretty good football team.”

While Pough acknowledges the program’s ultimate goal is winning the FCS national championship, ranking as the top team among his black college football peers signifies another progression in the pursuit of that title.

“This is a tremendous honor in the fact that we can say that we are the best Division I HBCU team for a year and I think you’ve got to take that into account,” Pough said. “So hopefully, that will give us another accolade or honor or whatever we can use to say what we’re about as far as people getting involved in our program whether it’s recruiting players, sponsors or whatever. It gives you more credibility.”

S.C. State will be honored during the 36th Annual SBN Sports Black College All-American Awards Weekend, February 12-14, in Orlando, Florida. American Urban Radio Networks will also be honoring the 24-member SBN All-American Team, SBN’s Coach of the Year and SBN’s Offensive and Defensive players of the Year. Special invited guests include former SBN Black College All-Americans, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (Arizona Cardinals), Kendall Langford (Miami Dolphins) and Antoine Bethea (Indianapolis Colts).

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

Big John Merritt Finalist For Black College Football Hall of Fame - Tennessee State Tigers Athletics

Big John Merritt Finalist For Black College Football Hall of Fame - Tennessee State Tigers Athletics

Big John Merritt Finalist For Black College Football Hall of Fame

Courtesy: Tennessee State Sports Information

Release: 12/11/2009

“Big John” Merritt Leads List of Four Big Blue Finalists

for Inaugural Black College Hall of Fame

Legendary Tennessee State football coach John “Big John” Merritt is among four persons listed as finalists for induction into the Inaugural Black College Hall of Fame. The other Big Blue finalists are Eldridge “The Lord’s Prayer” Dickey, Joe “Jefferson Street Joe” Gilliam, Jr. and Ed “Too Tall” Jones.

Thirty-five finalists were announced in Atlanta for The Black College Football Hall of Fame. The inaugural class of inductees will be honored on February 20, 2010 at the Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement Ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia, in conjunction with Black History Month.

The inaugural class of inductees will include eight players, two coaches and one contributor. A Selection Committee comprised of prominent journalists and football executives chose the finalists from a field of more than 260 nominees, and will vote again to select inductees.

Photo Courtesy: Tennessee State Athletics
Legendary Coaches, John Merritt and Eddie Robinson

The 35 finalists are:

Player Finalists

Lem Barney (DB, Jackson State University, 1963-1966)
Mel Blount (DB, Southern University, 1966-1970)
Robert Brazile (LB, Jackson State University, 1971-1975)
Rosevelt Brown (OL, Morgan State University, 1949-1952)
Willie Brown (DB, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)
Junious “Buck” Buchanan (DE, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)
Harry Carson (DE, South Carolina State University, 1972-1975)
Willie Davis (DL, Grambling State University, 1952-1956)
Eldridge Dickey (Tennessee State University, 1964-1967)
Willie “Gallopin’ Gal” Galimore (RB, Florida A&M University, 1953-1956)
Joe Gilliam, Jr. (QB, Tennessee State University, 1966-1969)
“Bullet” Bob Hayes (WR/RB/KR, Florida A&M University, 1960-1964)
David “Deacon” Jones (DE, South Carolina State and Mississippi Valley State, 1958-1960)
Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DL, Tennessee State University, 1970-1973)
Leroy Kelly (RB, Morgan State University, 1960-1963)
Willie “Honey Bear” Lanier (LB, Morgan State University, 1963-1967)
Steve McNair (QB, Alcorn State University, 1991-1994)
Marion Motley (RB/LB, South Carolina State University, 1939-1942)
Walter “Sweetness” Payton (RB, Jackson State University, 1971-1974)
Jerry Rice (WR, Mississippi Valley State University, 1981-1984)
Willie “Wonderful Willie” Richardson (WR, Jackson State University, 1959-1962)
Art Shell (OL, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, 1964-1967)
Ben “Big Ben” Stevenson (RB, Tuskegee University, 1923-1930)
Willie “Satellite” Totten (Mississippi Valley State University, 1982-1985)
Paul "Tank" Younger (RB/DB, Grambling State University, 1945-1948)

Coach Finalists

Earl Banks (Head Coach, Morgan State University, 1960-1973)
Marino “The Godfather” Casem (Head Coach, Alcorn State University, 1963-1992)
Alonzo “Jake” Gaither (Head Coach, Florida A&M University, 1945-1969)
Willie Jeffries (Head Coach, South Carolina State University, 1973-2001)
John “Big John” Merritt (Head Coach, Tennessee State University, 1953-1983)
Ace Mumford (Head Coach, Southern University, 1927-1961)
Eddie G. Robinson (Head Coach, Grambling State University, 1941-1997)

Contributor Finalists

Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (President, Grambling State University)
Collie J. Nicholson (Sports Information Director, Grambling State University)
Bill Nunn, Jr. (Pittsburgh Courier Reporter and Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Scout)

Finalists Announced for Black College Football Hall of Fame

The following news release was issued today announcing 35 Finalists for the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or to arrange an interview.

Press Release

Contact: Jeff McKenzie

646-246-2480

Jeff@CoachingCharities.com

Finalists Announced for Black College Football Hall of Fame

---------

Inaugural Class of Inductees Expanded to 11;

Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement

Ceremony to be Held February 20 in Atlanta, Georgia

December 10, 2009 (Atlanta,

GA) – Thirty-five finalists were announced today for The Black College Football Hall of Fame. The inaugural class of inductees has been expanded to 11 members and will be honored on February 20, 2010 at the Priority Payment Systems Inaugural Enshrinement Ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia, in conjunction with Black History Month.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame was established in October by football pioneer quarterbacks Pro Bowl MVP James "Shack" Harris and Super Bowl MVP
Doug Williams to honor the greatest football players and coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden will serve as Master of Ceremonies and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Statesman Andrew Young will serve as an Honorary Chairman for the Enshrinement Ceremony. The event will be held from 6:00 – 9:30 p.m. at The Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. (75 Fourteenth St. NE). Priority Payment Systems is Title Sponsor and The Four Seasons Hotel and King and Spalding LLC have joined as Platinum Sponsors of the Enshrinement Ceremony. For more information visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.

The inaugural class of inductees will include eight players, two coaches and one contributor. A Selection Committee comprised of prominent journalists and football executives chose the finalists from a field of more than 260 nominees, and will vote again to select inductees. The 35 finalists are:

Player Finalists

Lem Barney (DB, Jackson State University, 1963-1966)

Mel Blount (DB, Southern University, 1966-1970)

Robert Brazile (LB, Jackson State University, 1971-1975)

Rosevelt Brown (OL, Morgan State University, 1949-1952)

Willie Brown (DB, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)

Junious “Buck” Buchanan (DE, Grambling State University, 1959-1963)

Harry Carson (DE, South Carolina State University, 1972-1975)

Willie Davis (DL, Grambling State University, 1952-1956)

Eldridge Dickey (Tennessee State University, 1964-1967)

Willie “Gallopin’ Gal” Galimore (RB, Florida A&M University, 1953-1956)

Joe Gilliam, Jr. (QB, Tennessee State University, 1966-1969)

“Bullet” Bob Hayes (WR/RB/KR, Florida A&M University, 1960-1964)

David “Deacon” Jones (DE, South Carolina State and Mississippi Valley State, 1958-1960)

Ed “Too Tall” Jones (DL, Tennessee State University, 1970-1973)

Leroy Kelly (RB, Morgan State University, 1960-1963)

Willie “Honey Bear” Lanier (LB, Morgan State University, 1963-1967)

Steve McNair (QB, Alcorn State University, 1991-1994)

Marion Motley (RB/LB, South Carolina State University, 1939-1942)

Walter “Sweetness” Payton (RB, Jackson State University, 1971-1974)

Jerry Rice (WR, Mississippi Valley State University, 1981-1984)

Willie “Wonderful Willie” Richardson (WR, Jackson State University, 1959-1962)

Art Shell (OL, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, 1964-1967)

Ben “Big Ben” Stevenson (RB, Tuskegee University, 1923-1930)

Willie “Satellite” Totten (Mississippi Valley State University, 1982-1985)

Paul "Tank" Younger (RB/DB, Grambling State University, 1945-1948)

Coach Finalists

Earl Banks (Head Coach, Morgan State University, 1960-1973)

Marino “The Godfather” Casem (Head Coach, Alcorn State University, 1963-1992)

Alonzo “Jake” Gaither (Head Coach, Florida A&M University, 1945-1969)

Willie Jeffries (Head Coach, South Carolina State University, 1973-2001)

John “Big John” Merritt (Head Coach, Tennessee State University, 1953-1983)

Ace Mumford (Head Coach, Southern University, 1927-1961)

Eddie G. Robinson (Head Coach, Grambling State University, 1941-1997)

Contributor Finalists

Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones (President, Grambling State University)

Collie J. Nicholson (Sports Information Director, Grambling State University)

Bill Nunn, Jr. (Pittsburgh Courier Reporter and Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Scout)

The Black College Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by The Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization. For more information visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.

# # #

Study: Grad rates between blacks, whites widening among bowl-bound college football teams -- latimes.com

Study: Grad rates between blacks, whites widening among bowl-bound college football teams

ANTONIO GONZALEZ Associated Press Writer

December 7, 2009 | 1:08 p.m.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The disparity between graduation rates for white and black college football players at schools headed to bowl games grew slightly this year, according to a study released Monday.

The annual report by the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport also showed overall academic progress. But there were 21 schools that graduated fewer than 50 percent of their black football players, the study found. That's up from 19 last year.

Richard Lapchick, the director of the institute, said the widening gap between whites and blacks was surprising because those numbers had closed in recent years.

"That could be a temporary blip, but it certainly caught me by surprise," he said. "I think part of it is the urban education system where a lot of the African-American students come from is so depleted. Too many student-athletes recruited from those areas are so far behind when they come to college, it's difficult to catch up."

The study was based on NCAA statistics collected from member institutions. The analysis is of the 67 schools that have accepted bowl invitations by Monday.

"There is still room for improvement, but the trend lines are generally moving in the right direction," NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said in a statement.

The study showed 57 schools had graduation success rates of 66 percent or higher for white football players, which was more than 2.8 times the number schools with equivalent graduation success rates for black football players. That's up from 56 schools last year.

Four schools had graduation success rates for black football players that exceeded rates for white players — Connecticut (5 percent higher), Troy (7 percent higher), Southern Mississippi (8 percent higher) and Rutgers (4 percent higher). That was down from five schools in last year's study.

Lapchick said getting more minorities in administrative positions — like head coaches and athletic directors — could help curb the numbers. He also said he will be looking closer at financial issues to see how much, if at all, the economic downturn is affecting the numbers.

While the disparity between whites and blacks increased, overall progress grew.

About 90 percent of the teams surveyed this year received a score of more than 925 on the NCAA's Academic Progress Rate (APR) compared with 88 percent last season, according to the report. Sixty-one of the 67 schools had at least a 50 percent graduation rate for their football teams, the same as a year ago.

Dave Czesniuk, director of operations for Northeastern University's Sport in Society, said analysts will have to monitor those figures next year to see if it's the beginning of a trend.

"It's enough to get this conversation started," Czesniuk said. "But to actually create change, you'll have to dig deeper."

Lapchick said overall academic progress has had steady growth because the NCAA could reduce scholarships for schools that can't meet the minimum requirements.

"Schools almost never take a very risky student any more because they just can't afford the penalty," he said.

Lapchick noted that "if there were a national championship based on graduation success rates among bowl teams, Navy and Northwestern would have played for the national championship." He said both teams graduated at least 92 percent of football players and at least 83 percent of black players.

The study found Stanford and Air Force were the best based on APR, with scores of 984 and 983.

Reed Certified as Winner of Atlanta Mayoral Election

Reed Certified as Winner of Atlanta Mayoral Election

By AFRO Staff


(December 6, 2009) - An Atlanta elections board has certified former state senator Kasim Reed as the winner of the city’s Dec. 1 runoff mayoral election.

A spokesman for Reed said the candidate received 50.4 percent of the 84,383 votes cast in the election. According to a CNN report, election officials said Reed held a 620-vote lead over his opponent, city councilwoman Mary Norwood. The Dec. 1 runoff election was held following November’s general election.

According to Bloomberg News, Norwood said she would ask for a recount. However, under state law, a recount is automatic when a margin of victory is less than one percent.

Both candidates waged a hard-fought battle across the city and over the airwaves in the month gearing up to the runoff election. Both also sought racial crossover votes in the majority-Black city. Norwood attempted to become Atlanta’s first White mayor in more than three decades.

Reed, 40, will be the fifth consecutive Black mayor of Atlanta, and will serve until 2014. Reed served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, and in that state’s Senate from 2003 until September of this year, when he resigned to run for mayor.

According to Bloomberg News, both candidates have pledged to restore city services which were cut this year in an effort to make up a $140 million shortfall in the city’s budget.

Are Mattel's New Dolls Black Enough?

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page B11
By ANN ZIMMERMAN

With so few black dolls on toy-store shelves, many black parents had high hopes when toy powerhouse Mattel Inc. released So in Style, its first line of black dolls with wider noses, fuller lips, sharper cheekbones and a variety of skin shades.

Now, despite the company's efforts to solicit input from a group of high-profile black women, including Cookie Johnson, wife of former basketball star Magic Johnson, some parents are saying the dolls aren't black enough. They complain that five of the six dolls feature fine-textured, waist-length hair; half of them have blue or green eyes.

Moreover, all have the freakishly skinny body of a Barbie (something that irks some white parents as well).

"I thought it was unfortunate that once again we're given a doll with hair that is so unlike the vast majority of black women," says Cheryl Nelson-Grimes, the mother of a 7-year-old girl and a resident of Queens, N.Y. "I feel very strongly that I want my daughter to love herself for who she is and not believe that using a hot comb or straightening her hair is the only way to be beautiful."

Still, her daughter Noni says that Grace, her doll from the new Mattel line, is her favorite "because she looks like me. She has black hair and has a ponytail."

The criticism over Mattel's new black fashion dolls underscores how difficult it is for large commercial companies to please a widely diverse black community with a single image or two depicting young African-Americans.

"If they had given the dolls short, kinky hair or an Afro, people might have complained that it was too Afro-centric," says Nicole Coles, a 40-year-old mother from Temecula, Calif. "We're so hard and picky."

Mattel nonetheless has taken the comments to heart and plans to expand the line in the fall of 2010 to include a doll with more of an Afro hairstyle.

Like Mattel, Walt Disney Co. met with a number of black advisers while making its first animated movie featuring a black heroine, "The Princess and the Frog," which opens widely next week. Based on their feedback, the heroine's name was changed to Tiana from Maddy, which was thought to be too close to mammy, and her job went from a maid to a waitress, according to Dee Dee Jackson, national president of Mocha Moms, a support group for women of color that Disney consulted for input on the film. "Her skin hue is darker, her hair is in Afro puffs as a young child, and her features are full but not exaggerated," Ms. Jackson says.

"During development it is common for us to make changes, and 'The Princess and the Frog' is no exception," said Disney spokeswoman Heidi Trotta.

This isn't Mattel's first foray into creating black dolls. The El Segundo, Calif.-based toy maker first introduced a black doll in 1967, when it painted Barbie's cousin Francie brown. Two years later, Barbie got a black friend named Christie. A black Barbie came along in 1980, but her features were almost identical to those of her white counterpart.

The expensive line of American Girl dolls, also owned by Mattel, features a black doll named Addy Walker, a runaway slave whose story is set during the Civil War. But with a price tag of $95, it is out of reach for a lot of families.

Other toy lines, including the popular Polly Pocket miniatures, also made by Mattel, include only a few black dolls. "Polly Pocket only has one or two brown dolls, and my daughters fight over them," says Mary Broussard-Harmon, a mother of three girls from Corona, Calif.

Doll designer Stacey McBride-Irby says she sought to fill the black-doll void when she dreamed up So In Style dolls for Mattel two years ago. Ms. McBride-Irby says she wanted to give her 6-year-old daughter a wider choice of "dolls that looked like her."

Ms. McBride-Irby devoted about two years creating three teenaged dolls—Grace, Trichelle and Kara—who have skin tones ranging from chocolate to caramel. They are paired with smaller, younger-looking dolls they are supposed to advise and help; the toy packaging says: "Mentoring … It's So in Style." Also written prominently on the back of the box are the dolls' interests, which include science, cheerleading, art, journalism, math and music.

"I didn't want the dolls to just be about fashion and friendship," Ms. McBride-Irby says. "I wanted to them have a positive message."

She also wanted them to be fun. She loved playing with Barbie's long hair as a child, she says, and Mattel's extensive research repeatedly shows that young girls want their dolls to have long hair they can brush and style. The So in Style dolls also have a hair-styling kit to curl and straighten the hair.

The black women recruited by Mattel to give input during the dolls' production had extensive discussions with the company about giving at least some of the dolls varied and representative hairstyles, says Ms. Johnson, the mother of a 14-year-old girl. Mattel's concession was to make one doll's hair wavy and give one of the little sisters short puffy pigtails.

While Ms. Johnson would like to see even more representative hairstyles, she still thinks they're "fabulous. I can show my little girl that you don't have to have a pointed nose to be beautiful."

Loanne Hizo Ostlie says she also likes the dolls, but thinks Mattel did black girls a disservice by not giving them a more varied, representative look. For more than 10 years, she has been customizing dolls, specializing in creating black dolls from Kelly dolls, Barbie's little sister, and selling them on the Internet.

In the past, she also customized Barbies, but the field got increasingly crowded, she says. Now, she's turned to the So In Style little-sister dolls, painting their eyes brown and giving them "dreadlocks, Afros, cornrows and kinks."

J. Lorand Matory, chairman of the Department of African and African American studies at Duke University, says that there is a history of self-hatred in the African diaspora that stems from the value attached to European hair, features and skin color. "Mattel didn't send the message, but they are reinforcing it," he says.

"These dolls are a much better representation than what has been in the marketplace," says Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni. "But we hear the argument."

Stephanie Archer thinks the criticism is much ado about nothing. A chapter vice president of Mocha Moms, Ms. Archer took her daughter Sydney, age 6, to a tea party in Manhattan, where Mattel unveiled the new dolls in late September.

"Mattel did a good job getting the facial features right," she says. "The dolls are beautiful, and the event made our daughters feel beautiful, too.

"Sydney's hair is curly, rather than kinky," adds Ms. Archer, who lives in Queens. "She knows her hair texture is different than the dolls', and that's OK. We have to give our kids more credit."

Ms. Irby-McBride says she was a little surprised by the negative comments about the dolls. "Three dolls can't represent the whole African-American community," she says.

In addition to more Afro-centric dolls, Mattel will be coming out with a black male So in Style doll named Darren. That will please Claire Jefferson-Glipa, a Corona, Calif., mother of a 6-year-old girl and 3-year-old son.

"If you think finding black dolls for girls is hard," she says, "try finding black action figures or super heroes."

AFRO BRIEFS - Bates’ Home to Become Museum

Bates’ Home to Become Museum

Little Rock Nine Historic Site Designation

By AFRO Staff


(November 28, 2009) - The contributions of the nine students who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957 are well documented. But there is another place in the community as important to the history of desegregation as the school itself, one that locals hope to turn into a museum.

The students, dubbed the “Little Rock Nine,” often took shelter at the former home of Daisy and L.C. Bates just down the street from the school. The home has already been designated an historic site, but local volunteers want to open it to the public as a museum, according to an Associated Press report.

“It was kind of like a war room in a sense,” Little Rock Nine member Carlotta Walls LaNier told the AP, “It was a place that we gathered and got ready to go to school and where we would come back to. It was a place of nurturing and a place of debriefing where we could at least have a laugh or two from that day."

The L.C. and Daisy Bates Museum Foundation and the Christian Ministerial Alliance have made $75,000 in repairs to the home, including roof repairs and returning the interior, including furniture, to what it looked like in the 1950s, according to the AP.

But approximately $80,000 of additional funding is needed to finish renovations, build exhibits, and complete their plans for a museum which will offer tours and keeping regular hours with a full-time staff.

TURKEY DAY CLASSIC: Disputed plays show how deep rivalry goes for ASU, Tuskegee

By Josh Moon • November 25, 2009




TURKEY DAY CLASSIC: Disputed plays show how deep rivalry goes for ASU, TuskegeeAmong historically black college football fans, "The Pho­to," as it is now known, is one of the most popular e-mail for­wards of the last year.

In the picture, Tuskegee wide receiver Jonathan Lessa has just caught a pass and is cradling the ball against his stomach. Lessa clearly has one foot on the ground, just a few inches from the backline of the end zone at Cramton Bowl.

This is the much-disputed, second-to-last play in the 2008 Turkey Day Classic.

Lessa was ruled out of bounds on the play by back judge Philip Harden.

Alabama State won the game, 17-13, snapping the Gold­en Tigers' 27-game winning streak and costing them a black college national championship. The Hornets, which had limped into the game having lost five of six games, finished a 3-8 season on the highest of notes.

A day later, the photo ap­peared.

"Everybody's seen that pho­to," said former ASU defensive back Brandon Averett, who was in the end zone on the play and shoved Lessa out of bounds after the (non) catch. "People all over the United States have seen that photo."

By the time it made its first sweep across the Internet, Tus­kegee had received a profuse apology from the Southern In­tercollegiate Athletic Confer­ence, the Golden Tigers' confer­ence and the organization that supplied the officials for the game.

In a long, public release, the SIAC said it had reviewed both photos and video of the play and determined that the officiating crew did a "distressingly poor job." Harden was permanently suspended.

At Tuskegee, many universi­ty employees, especially those in the athletic department, use "The Photo" as a screensaver. When the Montgomery Advertis­er asked longtime TU sports in­formation director Arnold Houston if he might be able to locate a copy of the picture to accompany this story, his quick reply was, "I've got it right here on my desktop."

In the days following that game, an e-mail flier contain­ing a copy of the picture went out to almost every media out­let in the state. Flyers were posted up around campus. It appeared on every college foot­ball message board imaginable. And there were even T-shirts printed with The Photo on the front.

"I've had my kids ask me about (that play)," said ASU head coach Reggie Barlow, whose children, Reggie Jr. and Simone, are 9 and 6. "I guess somebody at school said some­thing to them about it. But that's how big it got."

The hype hasn't exactly died down around Tuskegee.

While the coaches outward­ly say that they've put the game behind them and moved on, they also can't help but drop clues that give away their true feelings.

"You have to move on and let it go at some point," Golden Tigers head coach Willie Slater said. "We didn't play well enough to win the game. That's all there is to it. It hurt, cer­tainly. We had a lot riding on that game. I have to be careful what I say, so I'll just say that we didn't win. But we still think about it. It's hard not to."

Over at ASU, there is but minor concern over "The Pho­to" or the fallout from it. After all, the Hornets have the offi­cial W from that game and the official, yearlong bragging rights that go along with it.

On top of that, ASU faithful recall another controversial ending in the 2005 Turkey Day Classic, when running back Keldrick Williams was stopped just short of the goal line on a two-point attempt on the game's final play. That year's game was televised by ESPNU and video replays appeared to show Williams getting just across the goal line before los­ing the football. The refs took several minutes to rule other­wise and Tuskegee won, 28-27.

"They can save it, because Keldrick was in and they know it," said Averett, who is now a fourth-grade teacher in Phenix City. "Also, I don't know for sure that (Lessa) was in bounds. I don't think the photo shows that. All you get is a quick snapshot. It doesn't show whether he has possession or not. And even if he does, that's just payback for Keldrick. It all works out in the end."

While neither side is likely to budge in this debate, the one thing they all can agree on is that these controversies are a clear sign of just how big this game is for many people.

Without two deeply passion­ate fan bases there's little chance this argument ever gets so big or that it is still raging a year later.

"I grew up on this game, liv­ing here in Montgomery," said Barlow, who played for ASU in the early 1990s. "It's the biggest game of the year to me, always has been. The fans are great. The games are always close. The atmosphere is intense. It's just really a great game, a great spectacle. It's a true rivalry."

HBCU notebook (Nov. 24) - Awards season for MEAC, SWAC

HBCU notebook (Nov. 24)

Posted using ShareThis

HBCU notebook (Nov. 24) - Awards season for MEAC, SWAC

By Donald Hunt
Special to ESPN.com

For most college football teams, the season is winding down and with that in mind, it's recognition time. In the MEAC and SWAC, there are some terrific players and coaches who had big years. It wasn't easy picking just one person in each category.

MEAC

Coach of the year: Buddy Pough, South Carolina State. Pough got off to a great start defeating Grambling State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge this season. The Tigers were the defending SWAC and National Black College Champions. Pough has led the Bulldogs to back-to-back MEAC championships. South Carolina State finished the season with an impressive 10-1 record. The Bulldogs' only loss was to FBS South Carolina. S.C. State also compiled an 8-0 conference record. Pough will lead his team to its second consecutive FCS playoff appearance against Appalachian State. The No. 6 Mountaineers will host the No. 7 Bulldogs in the first round of the tournament Saturday (ESPNU, noon ET).

Offensive player of the year: Will Ford, South Carolina State running back. Ford became the MEAC's all-time leading rusher this season. He rushed for 156 yards in a win over North Carolina A&T to give him 4,649 for his career, surpassing Hampton's Alonzo Coleman (2003-06) who held the record with 4,648. The 5-foot-11, 200-pound senior finished with 1,010 yards and eight touchdowns this season. Ford has been one of the best running backs in the country over the last four years. He should be playing on Sundays next season.

Defensive player of the year: Terrell Whitehead, Norfolk State defensive back. Whitehead is one of the best cover guys in college football. He had five interceptions and 37 solo tackles this season. Moreover, most teams tried to stay away from Whitehead because of his playmaking skills. And still, he had a brilliant year. He was a big reason why Norfolk State had the second best defense in the MEAC.

Special teams player of the year: LeRoy Vann, Florida A&M return specialist. Vann had an unbelievable year as a punt and kickoff returner. He set NCAA records for single-season and career punt returns, single-season TD punt returns, single-season and career combined kick returns and combined kick return yards. He had 28 punt returns for 462 yards (16.5 yard average). He returned three punts for touchdowns, including one for 92 yards. Vann returned 28 kicks for an incredible 1,121 yards (29.5 yard arverage). He also returned three for scores, including one for 99 yards.

SWAC

Coach of the year: Henry Frazier III, Prairie View A&M. Frazier led Prairie View A&M to an undefeated conference record and are a win away from capturing the SWAC title for the first time since 1964. The Panthers (7-1 overall, 6-0 SWAC) will face Alabama A&M for the SWAC championship on Dec. 12. Frazier has taken a once struggling football program and turned it into a nationally-recognized team in just six years. Prairie View A&M suffered just one loss this season to FBS New Mexico State. The Panthers dropped a narrow 21-18 decision to the Aggies.

Offensive player of the year: Ulysses Banks, Alabama A&M running back. Banks is the real deal. He's a great all-around running back. He had 194 carries for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. He averaged 5.2 yards a carry and 101.4 yards a game. Ball control is key to the success of Alabama A&M. Banks played a huge role in leading his team to the conference title game.

Defensive player of the year: Jeremy Maddox, Alabama A&M defensive end. It's not easy to contain Maddox. He led the conference in sacks with 10, and is tied for second in FCS. He also had 16.5 tackles for loss, which leads the SWAC.

Special teams player of the year: Ari Johnson, Grambling State field goal kicker. Johnson led the SWAC in field goals made with 17. He also had a league-leading 77.3 percentage, including a season-long of 47 yards.

HBCU notes

The SBN Black College Football Poll
1. South Carolina State
2. Prairie View A&M
3. Tuskegee
4. Southern
5. Florida A&M
6. Grambling State
7. Shaw
8. Alabama A&M
9. Norfolk State
10. Albany State

Tuskegee will face Alabama State on Thursday in the Turkey Day Classic.

Grambling State will clash with long time rival Southern University in the Bayou Classic from the Superdome in New Orleans on Saturday.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff will battle Texas Southern in the Dallas Lonestar Classic in Dallas on Saturday.

Alabama A&M (7-4 overall, 4-3 league) will face Prairie View A&M for the SWAC Conference championship on Dec. 12 at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.

The Russell Athletic HBCU Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 19 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The game will be a showcase for the top black college football prospects. The game will feature an East/West format. The East will feature players from the CIAA and MEAC. The West will be comprised of players from the SWAC and SIAC.

South Carolina State's Will Ford was named the MEAC Offensive Player of the Week. Ford had 156 yards on 23 carries to lead South Carolina State over North Carolina A&T.

Norfolk State defensive back Terrell Whitehead was selected as the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week. Whitehead intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown. He also forced a fumble to help Norfolk State beat Winston-Salem State.

K.J. Black, Prairie View A&M quarterback, was named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week. Black completed 23 of 27 passes for 312 yards with five touchdowns and one interception in the Panthers' 49-17 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Devin Boyd, Prairie View A&M defensive tackle, was chosen as the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week. Boyd made six tackles (three for loss) with two sacks and one forced fumble in the Panthers victory over the Golden Lions.


Donald Hunt is a columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune. You can reach him at dhunt37261@aol.com.

Nerjyzing Diversity in the Video Gaming Industry

Company CEO takes HBCU football to next level
By Marcia Wade Talbert - November 20, 2009


Some people sit and watch on the sidelines, while others play the game. Jacqueline S. Beauchamp plays the game. Not satisfied with the dearth of diversity in the video gaming industry, in 2004 Beauchamp partnered with three colleagues to start Nerjyzed Entertainment Inc. to not only put more African American players in games, but also to increase the number of developers in the field.

“I kept saying for about two and a half years [that] someone needs to… bring some different products and different experiences to the market segment,” says the former Motorola executive. Then she realized that she was that someone.

With the release of “The Black College Football Experience: The Doug Williams Edition” Nerjyzed has done what no other company has done before: It has created the first game published by a black-owned interactive digital media company for high-end video game consoles.

Over the years, Beauchamp, now Nerjyzed CEO, and her three co-founders-- all graduates of HBCUs--were able to raise $8 million in seed money and hire 45 programmers and video game developers to work toward their goal of creating a sports video game that focuses on the football leagues of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The endeavor has been five years in the making and the Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based company has seen its share of ups and downs. But now, after the game’s autumn release, Beauchamp, 47, a former manager with experience working at Motorola and IBM, is ecstatic that BCFx is finally taking up shelf space at Wal-mart, GameStop, and Amazon.com.

BCFx features more than 40 teams from HBCUs that battle on the football field using not only their players but their drumlines. It also has interactive halftime shows complete with drum majors, cheerleaders, and bands. The drumline portion of the game allows players to compete against other players in a rhythm-based competition. Using a drum pad, gamers can choose to perform one of over a 120 songs ranging from artists like Beyoncé to Frankly Beverly and Maze.

Beauchamp spoke with Black Enterprise about Nerjyzed’s false starts, the support the company received from HBCUs, and explained why it is important to honor NFL legends who have roots in black college teams.

BlackEnterprise.com: Why did it take such a long time to obtain the certification to produce the games on Xbox and Sony Playstation consoles?

Jacqueline Beauchamp: Our product is very different. We have integrated two of the top tier genres in the video game industry into one product: football and head-to-head, rhythm-based competition on one game. We were the first to be able to do that.

The integration of two different genres [created] a different class of product, which took a little bit longer than we had anticipated. It was just a little bit more challenging. There were some rules that actually changed in the middle and we literally had to go back and redo a number of things that we had previously met the requirements on.

What other hurdles did you have to overcome to produce the video game?

The process for obtaining licenses from the schools took a little bit longer than what we would have really liked. Those institutions are very accustomed to licensing their brands for t-shirts and cups but licensing for a video game was very new. So we had to spend a little bit more time in educating them and getting them comfortable with the entire video game industry model. Once we got to that point the processes for getting the licenses and closing contracts went a little bit faster.

How much in sales do you need to make in order to consider the project successful?

Success for us is going to be achieved [by reaching] $14 million in revenue. Now we are in the process of making sure that everybody is set, ready, and prepared for the Christmas push on marketing and promotions, and making sure we have enough inventory in the [retail] channel, which is why I’m spending direct time with retailers like Walmart.

What role did HBCUs play in getting the game launched?

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities have supported the roll out of the product. They have participated with us in some of our TV show airings, and allowed us to come on their campuses and promote the game. Their bands got involved in recordings, and we recruited their cheerleaders and band members to do motion capture [to create animation in the game]. So they were an integral part in not just creating the product, but helping to promote it and drive sales and we’re providing royalties [from the game back to them].

Why is the game called the “The Doug Williams Edition”?

He’s been the first in so many categories -- first African American quarterback to not only start in and win a NFL Super Bowl but then to be named MVP [of the game]. Doug is a huge proponent and spokesperson for Black college football. He and James Jack Harris, [who both played for Grambling State University,] just announced the formation of the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame.

There are so many greats that came from these institutions—like Jerry Rice and Walter Payton -- and a lot of people really don’t know that they did. We want to pay respect to all of these individuals that have made an enormous impact on not just collegiate football, but on the entire game of football, even at the NFL level.

Grambling, Southern prepare for 36th meeting in Bayou Classic

Grambling, Southern prepare for 36th meeting in Bayou Classic

When most people think of the Thanksgiving holiday, ideas of family, good food and football usually come to mind.

Here in Louisiana, one tradition that stays on the mind of football fans during the Thanksgiving weekend is the annual showdown between the SWAC’s Grambling State Tigers and Southern Jaguars, better known as the State Farm Bayou Classic.

This Saturday in the Louisiana Superdome the Tigers and Jaguars will face off in the 36th meeting of their storied rivalry, which has featured slew of legendary players and coaches. Renowned figures such as late Grambling coach Eddie Robinson, Super Bowl MVP and former Grambling coach Doug Williams, former NFL Pro Bowler and Southern Jaguar Aeneas Williams among many others have added to the lore of the Bayou Classic throughout the years.

Widely considered as the premiere game in black college football, the halftime show of nationally-televised Bayou Classic typically generates as much excitement as the action during the game. Furthermore, the positive economic impact that the Bayou Classic has on the city of New Orleans is significant.

Southern (6-3, 3-2) enters this year’s game holding a slight 18-17 edge in the all-time Bayou Classic series. In his 16th year as Southern’s head coach, Pete Richardson has had much success coaching in the Bayou Classic, winning 11 times. Richardson spoke about the importance of competing in the Bayou Classic.

“You start the season, and the only thing the alumni want to know is what’s going to happen in the Bayou Classic,” Richardson said at the Bayou Classic Kickoff Press Conference. “They’re not concerned about championships. The only thing they’re concerned about is this game, and when you’ve been around a while you understand why. Because it a deep thing that’s involved in the culture of this state and two fine institutions.”

The same sentiments were expressed by 3rd year Grambling head coach Rod Broadway.

“It’s big,” Broadway said. “I’ve been involved in a lot of bowl games, a couple of Sugar Bowls, Orange Bowls, Fiesta Bowls, and this event is as good as any. As you know, a win in this thing means a lot to your season. ”

Typically, the winner of the Bayou Classic goes on to compete in the SWAC championship game as the representative of the Western Division. However, neither Southern nor Grambling will be competing for the conference championship as the Prairie View A&M Panthers and the Alabama A&M Bulldogs have earned spots in the title game. That puts that much more emphasis on bragging rights for both teams in this year’s Classic.

Grambling Athletic Director J. Lin Dawson offered an interesting take on what is to come in Saturday’s match.

“The camaraderie will be great,” Dawson said. “But in just a few days you can hold the gumbo and put the etoufee to the side. The bragging rights for 364 and 1/2 days come down to the final whistle. I’ve the opportunity to play here as a player, but it’s so much better and the game slows down when you’re watching from the stands.”

The Jaguars are looking to avenge 2008’s 29-14 loss at the hands of the Tigers. Southern is led by the pitch-and-catch combination of senior quarterback Bryant Lee and senior receiver Juamorris Stewart. Lee, who prepped at Hahnville, has thrown for 2259 and 22 touchdowns while completing 63% of his passes. Stewart has been Lee’s main target, with 69 receptions for 936 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“I have a lot of respect for Southern and the job the coach has done down there and (quarterback) Bryant Lee and Stewart,” Broadway said. “They have some outstanding players and it should be and outstanding football game this week and one that we are looking forward to participating in and competing against what I feel is and outstanding program.”

Grambling (6-4, 4-2) will try to use their potent rushing attack to earn consecutive victories over Southern. Junior running backs Frank Warren and Cornelius Walker lead the Tigers’ dominant running game with 805 and 622 yards respectively. On the defensive side of the ball, senior defensive end Christian Anthony leads the team with 6 sacks, 5 interceptions and is second on the team with 67 total tackles.

Richardson has taken note of Anthony’s impressive play.

“You look at Grambling’s football team, I think it’s going to be a hard, physical type of football game,” Richardson said. “They have one player on the defensive side that can control the game. I think Christian (Anthony) is probably one of the most gifted athletes I have seen since I’ve been in the conference. Here’s an individual that can rush the passer, knock the pass down, pick the ball up and run for a touchdown. That’s an oddity.”

“I’m looking forward to (the game) and I think our players are excited about having this opportunity, especially to come down to New Orleans for Thanksgiving.”

Given the history of the many exciting Bayou Classics in the past, it’s probably safe to say the 2009 edition won’t disappoint.

BAYOU CLASSIC XXXVI prepares to kick off

BAYOU CLASSIC XXXVI prepares to kick off

Posted: Monday, November 23, 2009 12:08 pm

The turkey, ham, oyster dressing and potato salad have not even been prepared or served yet, but some minds are already focused on this weekend's annual matchup between Southern University and Grambling State University in the Louisiana Superdome.

The State Farm Bayou Classic is more than just a football game; with its colorful and glorified history, the State Farm Bayou Classic is a unique family fellowship that exists within a football game. The State Farm Bayou Classic has become the greatest and most distinguishable sporting event in all of Black America.

Everyone loves a grudge match. And that's what football fans can expect at the 36th Bayou Classic sponsored by State Farm Insurance Companies. Every year, the game is a sellout, attracting more than 70,000 fans. It'll be another terrific game this year as the Grambling State University Tigers and Southern University Jaguars football teams line up on the field to battle it out for bragging rights.

The gridiron match-up between Grambling State University and Southern University, two great Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) rivals, represents the best that collegiate sports have to offer: Teamwork, tradition, passion and fierce competition.

With ongoing talk about a nationwide recession and a local slump in tourism dollars, the State Farm Bayou Classic couldn't come at a better time for the Crescent City. This year's contest should provide local restaurants, hotels and other businesses in downtown New Orleans with some much-needed revenue heading into the Christmas holidays.

According to the New Orleans Metropolitan Visitor and Convention Bureau, the Bayou Classic drew an estimated 200,000 visitors in 2009 and had a $200 million economic impact over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Weekend activities kick off with the Coaches Luncheon on Fri., Nov. 27 at 11 a.m., and the Super Job Fair at noon. Guests should also see the Nerjyzed Entertainment Battle of the Bands & Greek Show at 7:00 p.m. on Nov. 27.

The Bayou Classic Football Game is televised live on NBC Sports Nov. 28. Whatever your pleasure, you'll never forget a weekend at the State Farm Bayou Classic. And if you can't make it to the game in person, kickoff time is at 1:00 p.m. CST on NBC TV.

The Grambling State University Tigers won last year's game 29-14.

Southern University's Master's of Business Administration program will host the 2nd Annual "Black and White Affair" at 7:00 p.m., Friday, Nov. 27, in the Harrah's Casino-Masquerade Ultra Lounge in New Orleans.

The affair will feature a live performance by Gina Brown and Anutha Level. Participants will also receive a ticket to see Con Funk Shun in the casino's theater at 9 p.m. Complimentary culinary delights and a cash bar will also be provided.

The event is a fund-raising initiative sponsored by the MBA program's National Board of Advisors. All funds will be used to support the program. Tickets are $50 and are tax deductible.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call (225) 771-5640.

Bayou Classic organizers, fans and alumni from Southern and Grambling will celebrate the 20th Annual Super Job Fair during the 36th State Farm Bayou Classic. Over the years, more than 20,000 students and other potential employees have met with more than 1,000 different public and private businesses and agencies, for the purposes of networking and career enhancement.

The Super Job Fair provides companies an opportunity to interview and select outstanding students for employment with their respective organizations. Students from Southern, Grambling, and other universities are able to network and seek career opportunities with large corporations and agencies.

The Super Job Fair promotes the fact that the State Farm Bayou Classic is far more than just a football game. It also serves as an avenue by which the educational development and pursuits of students attending two of the nation's premier historically Black universities can be enhanced. The Super Job Fair is an outlet where students seriously pursue their plans to compete favorable for positions in their respective professions.

Representatives from some of the most prestigious companies and agencies in the country offer permanent employment, summer jobs, internships, cooperative education, and graduate and professional school opportunities to selected candidates.

Companies interview, receive resumes, and disseminate literature allowing students to explore the numerous opportunities with your organization.

Companies participating in the Super Job Fair are provided a booth, chairs, an interview area, assistance with set-up, lunch, and two tickets to the State Farm Bayou Classic football game.

The complete State Farm Bayou Classic schedule follows:

Friday, November 27, 2009:

• Bayou Classic Coaches Lunch-eon 12:00p.m.- 1:00p.m. Location: TBD

• Bayou Classic Super Job Fair

12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Location: Sheraton New Orleans,

500 Canal St.

• State Farm Bayou Classic College Fair 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Location: Sheraton New Orleans, 500 Canal St.

• KaBOOM! Playground Build

8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Location: Mary D. Coghill Elementary School - 500 Piety Drive

New Orleans, LA 70126

• Corporate Reception Presented by Adams & Reese 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Invitation Only

• Nerjyzed Entertainment Battle of the Bands & Greek Show 7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Location: Louisiana Superdome

Saturday, November 28, 2009:

• Bayou Classic Fan Festival 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Location: Louisiana Superdome Plaza Level

• XXXVI State Farm Bayou Classic 1:00 p.m. - 6 p.m. Location: Louisiana Superdome.

This article was originally published in the November 23, 2009 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper