Grambling Hall of Fame inductees recall glory days
, buddy@rustonleader.com
07-27-2009
MONROE — If you didn’t know better, they might have figured Grambling State University had pushed up its annual homecoming activities to mid-July.While the event was officially called the inaugural induction ceremonies for the GSU Legends Hall of Fame, it could have passed for homecoming or, at the very least, a reunion of Tiger grads.
“One of the best parts about this was being able to come back and see so many of the guys that I played with back in my Grambling days,” said Willie Brown, an assistant coach for the Oakland Raiders and one of four ex-Tigers in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “To look around and see somebody like a Lane Howell or a Goldie Sellers or somebody else who played at Grambling, it was a nice and memorable experience. This whole weekend was about being from Grambling and having been a part of their athletic heritage.”
Brown was one of 25 inductees into the Hall, which was formed less than a year ago by a group of former GSU athletes to honor the nationally-acclaimed tradition of success that has become as much a part of the Lincoln Parish school as its winning records, All-American performers and contributions to the professional ranks.
“It’s a large number to induct right away, but we wanted to start off with a very strong class and make sure that many of the earlier athletes at Grambling were recognized,” said former GSU and NFL quarterback James “Shack” Harris, a co-coordinator of the event along with Doug Williams, who also starred for the Tigers before going on to become a Super Bowl Most Valuable Player. “This first group had a strong emphasis on the pre-1970s era. Next year, we plan to probably have an induction class of around eight and emphasize the pre-1980s.
“The main thing is to make sure we recognize many of the people who have given so much to Grambling, yet may not have gotten the attention they deserved. We believe the GSU Legends Hall of Fame can fill a void for recognizing the many individuals who have helped create the legacy in Grambling athletics.”
The inaugural class had a wide-range of honorees, from four Pro Football Hall of Famers (Willie Davis, Charlie Joiner, the late Junious “Buck” Buchanan, Brown) to a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer (Willis Reed) and to such oftentimes overlooked gridiron greats as Willie “Automatic” Joseph, Legolian “Boots” Moore and Bo Murray.
Also in the spotlight were four legends recognized posthumously: legendary head football coach Eddie Robinson, men’s basketball coaching braintrust Fred “Lefty” Hobdy, Collie J. Nicholson, who headed up the university’s sports information department, and Ralph Waldo Emerson “Prez” Jones, who carried the rare dual title of university president and head baseball coach.
“I think what distinguishes everyone in the GSU Legends Hall of Fame is that they all had a true love and devotion to Grambling,” Williams said. “I know, when I was 17 years old, I became a huge fan of Grambling and have been ever since. My brother Robert played baseball under ‘Prez’ here. Grambling State became my survivor kit. Coach Robinson always told his players that it was just as important to get an education, attend class, get a degree and be a solid All-American as it was about being a good athlete. He constantly preached to us about taking care of our studies.”
A common scene at a press conference held July 17 and then at the induction ceremony itself was honorees giving each other a hug and then recounting many of the “highlight” moments of their careers and days at Grambling State.
“Coach Robinson heard about Bo Murray from having been a great player in two-hands touch football,” recalled ex-GSU and NFL running back Henry Dyer. “Somebody went and told him about Bo, who would get the football in two-hands touch and nobody could get a hand on him. Coach Robinson figured if he could do that on a sandlot, then he should offer the young man a scholarship. Well, he did and the rest is history. Bo Murray became one of the greats in Grambling history.”
How special was it for Hardnett to be a part of GSU’s athletic legacy?
“I would get goose bumps the minute I walked out on the court,” he said. “I mean, that’s the way it was back then for me. There wasn’t anything better than being a part of coach Hobdy’s team and doing what I could to help us have success. And we had plenty of it. We won an NAIA national title in 1961, which, back at that time, was like winning the NCAA championship now. On our own court, we were unbeatable. I can’t remember us ever losing at home.”
When Lane Howell starred on the football field for the Tigers, he was always concerned about making coach Robinson and the university proud.
“I always wanted to be a Grambling athlete,” he said. “I always wanted to see how I measured up with the rest of the athletes at the school.”
With his induction into the GSU Legends Hall of Fame, Howell and his fellow honorees have measured up just fine.
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