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Black College Football Hall of FAME Volume II, No. 7
By Donni Coley
February swiftly came and in two days it will vanish, only to return in 2011. My chance to take in more events celebrating the accomplishments of African-Americans who made history in this country will also be gone, only to get the opportunity again next year.
This past Saturday afternoon, I was an invisible presence in a room full of history. I stood in the Ballroom of the Four Season Hotel, watching the large room become transformed for the Black College Football Hall of Fame Inaugural Enshrinement Ceremony, woo…that was a lot to write without taking a breathe.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to attend the evening ceremony, because of my busy schedule, but I was able to admire all of the wonderful memorabilia, for the auction that night, filling the back area of the Ballroom.
In 2004, James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, former Grambling State University quarterbacks and National Football League pioneers, began tossing around the concept of establishing a hall of fame honoring the greatest football players and coaches of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Their vision finally materialized on February 20th, 2010 here in Atlanta.
Williams stated, “We want to make sure we preserve the history and legacy of the game at historically black colleges.”
Embarrassed, I have to say being an Atlanta implant for over 20 years; my first black college football experience was on September 26, 2009. I was able to get press credentials to the Bank of America Atlanta Football Classic at the Georgia Dome. Sitting in the press box, feeling like a true journalist, I witnessed the Classic’s revered rivals the Tennessee State Tigers and the Florida A&M Rattlers battling it out. At halftime I got the pleasure to feel the thump, thump, thump of the FAMU Marching 100. The band’s entire performance was a dedication to the great gloved one, Michael Jackson. IT WAS AMAZING! When it was all said and done Florida A&M defeated Tennessee State 31-12.
Let the team of End Zone to End Zone take this moment to congratulate the Inaugural Inductees – Class 0f 2010
Junious “Buck” Buchanan- Grambling State University (1959-1963)
Alonzo “Jake” Gaither- Florida A & M University (1945-1969)
Willie Galimore- Florida A & M University (1953-1956)
David “Deacon” Jones- South Carolina State, Mississippi Valley State University (1958-1960)
Willie Lanier- Morgan State University (1936-1967)
Bill Nunn- Contributor- Journalist and NFL Scout
Walter Payton-Jackson- State University (1971-1974)
Jerry Rice- Mississippi Valley State University (1981-1984)
Eddie Robinson- Grambling State University (1941-1997)
Ben Stevenson- Tuskegee University (1923-1930)
Paul “Tank” Younger- Grambling State University (1945-1948)
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