Historic first meeting between Grambling, Northwestern was defensive slugfest
September 11, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
The stands, that night, were separated by color.
Fans sporting black and gold filled one set of bleachers, while purple and white populated the other.
But there was something else that divided them, as Grambling played its first-ever game against Northwestern State on Sept. 14, 1974.
"What was unique was not just the color of the shirts; you had all white people on one side and all black on the other," said Jack Brittain, an NSU special teams player in '74. "That was not something I was used to seeing. It was a different point of view."
The newly expanded State Fair Stadium — now Shreveport's Independence Stadium — was packed to the lid, as 30,000 fans joined together despite their differences for a night of stirring football action.
"We knew it was big, especially playing a school of different race from Louisiana," said Sammy White, then a junior wingback for the historically black Grambling college. "We knew the level of competition would be a step up for our program, and we wanted to give it everything we had to pull it out."
At the time, the late legendary GSU sports information director Collie J. Nicholson said this "could become a regular series for the two clubs."
But the Tigers wouldn't play another Southland Conference-affiliated program until falling to Arkansas State in the 1985 lower-division playoffs. Grambling, despite more recent efforts going back at least five seasons, hasn't played Northwestern since.
That changes Saturday at GSU travels to Natchitoches for a long-awaited Louisiana rivalry game that's stirred powerful memories of their first meeting more than 30 years back.
"It was actually a barrier breaker, as far as those things go," said Brittain, now Northwestern's sideline reporter. "As a freshman, it was my first football game, so my knees were shaking before we went out for the kickoff. Then, we were facing Grambling, who had such a great reputation for sending players to the professional leagues. We figured it was going to be an epic battle."
Was it ever.
'TIGHT, TIGHT, TIGHT'
Senior Grambling quarterback Joe Comeaux, a Westlake native, opened the scoring with a four-yard TD scramble. He'd hit Dwight Scales on a 43-yard pass to the NSU 7 on the second play from scrimmage.
Rodney Zeno, a senior GSU defensive back, added the extra point, but the 7-0 lead wouldn't stand for long.
A White fumble on the Grambling 13 gave the ball back to Northwestern's Butch Ballard, who answered with his lone touchdown pass of the night — hitting Gene Knecht on an eight-yard strike.
That followed a series of stuffs on off-tackle runs by Mario Cage, who couldn't get past Grambling seniors Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Robert Barber.
In a harbinger of kicking problems to come, NSU's extra-point attempt then failed.
NSU's Cage — coming off a 1,000-yard, all-Gulf South season in 1973 — then made a dramatic second-quarter touchdown run on a pitch back from Ballard. (There are lingering discrepancies on the exact length of his run: Monroe's Morning World had it at 57 yards, The Times of Shreveport reported 61 and NSU's yearbook said 52.) Danny Foret's point-after attempt was true this time, giving Northwestern a 13-7 lead at the half.
Neither team, however, could gather itself for a knock out on offense. It was all body blows.
"That game," said White, "was tight, tight, tight."
Nicholson once marveled over NSU's 1974 defense, saying "they make up for a lack of size with speed, aggressiveness and a desire to hit."
Grambling's unit, meanwhile, featured James "Hound" Hunter as a secondary anchor along with the All-American Johnson, who late Grambling coaching legend Eddie Robinson had taken to calling "the best lineman in college football."
Both teams would punt seven times over the course of the contest, with Grambling earning just four first downs and outgaining NSU by a total of only 74 yards. Northwestern fumbled seven times, losing three — while picking off GSU a total of four stunning times.
"I was deep protection on the punts," Brittain said, laughing, "and we punted a lot. I just remember 'Big Hands' running past our center, right behind the snap as it was coming back. He would come in low, about one foot off the ground. All I could do is dive at his shoelaces. He would just shove me to the ground and trample right over me."
Grambling returned to the field after halftime with a new quarterback, and Shreveport sophomore Terry Brown reeled off a dramatic 82-yard pass to White.
"They were blitzing us a lot, so we had a one-on-one match up," said White, now an assistant coach at Grambling. "Terry threw a nice long ball on that one."
Zeno's kick gave the Tigers their final margin of victory, 14-13.
But not before a memorable NSU field goal attempt, blocked by Hunter, as time expired.
Hunter's playmaking through that junior season had already drawn raves from Robinson, who called the Texan "Mr. Clutch." A canny pass defender and zippy returner, Hunter was "generally spoken of with a reverence reserved exclusively for legendary Saturday heroes," the late Nicholson once said.
That legend was built on plays like the final one against Northwestern State.
NSU got the ball back after an interception by linebacker Dan Boddie, who dashed back to the Grambling 34 with 4:03 left in the game. Ballard then drove down to the GSU 3 as time grew short, setting up a 20-yard attempt by Foret. Demons coach George Doherty, in a gutsy move, had ordered the try on third down with just 39 seconds remaining.
Hunter got a finger on it, as perhaps did Johnson, and the attempt missed.
'WAY BEYOND FOOTBALL'
Cage, who went down to injury during that final push, rushed for 97 yards — though much of that was given back in the final team stats because of lost yardage by other players.
Ballard finished the day 11-of-16 for just 88 yards and a score for NSU. Comeaux and Brown, meanwhile, combined for a 7-of-21 performance — a lack of efficiency under center that eventually led to the now-famous insertion of a redshirt freshman named Doug Williams three games later against Prairie View A&M.
"We had our opportunities," Williams said. "We scored 14 points, but we were still largely ineffective. It wasn't one of those good old Grambling offensive days. You could give some of that to Northwestern, too. They had a good team."
Doherty, entering his last season in Natchitoches after winning the Gulf South in 1972, had brought A.L. Williams in as offensive coordinator — and installed his new assistant's more pass-oriented offense in anticipation of handing over the reigns.
NSU, which had already dropped its second straight game in 1974, was in the midst of consecutive 1-10 campaigns. Williams would coach at Northwestern for eight seasons, boasting ranked teams in 1980 and '82 when his teams finished 8-3 and 7-4 respectively.
Williams went on to pass for 1,150 yards (nearly 400 more yards than Comeaux and Brown combined) over the remainder of the 1974 season. Grambling finished 11-1, claiming the ninth of 17 total Southwestern Athletic Conference championships under Robinson. (Williams later returned to coach at his alma mater, and played host to the first Southland foe ever at Grambling's Robinson Stadium — McNeese State in 2003.)
Grambling's lone '74 stumble was a 19-14 loss to Alcorn, and they shared the SWAC crown. Robinson would finish the season at 236 career wins on the way to 408 total, a still-standing Division I record.
The Northwestern victory, thrilling in its playing and encouraging in its social significance, holds a special place among them.
"The perspective of this game is way beyond the football field," Brittain said. "In our lives, both at Grambling and at Northwestern, it had a big effect. What a great time to try something like that, to break through some of those unknowns."
Showing posts with label Collie J. Nicholson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Collie J. Nicholson. Show all posts
Friday, September 12, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Grambling greats: Kenneth Pettway
Pettway brings lightning to GSU defense
October 29, 2003
By NICK DERISO
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
The Grambling State defense calls itself the Black Front.
"Coming to get you," junior Grambling State linebacker Kenneth Pettway says, with some menace. "Any time. Any day."
Like most fronts, this gathering storm has lightning around its edges.
Pettway was been that lightning - never more so than last week, as GSU's defense held Jackson State scoreless in the second half, securing a muddy 24-17 comeback win. He notched a team-leading 11 tackles - and 10 of them were solo.
"He's like a gazelle - a long, lean gazelle," says Grambling State coach Doug Williams. "He's all over the field."
Pettway also had two crushing sacks - JSU's quarterback eventually had to leave the game - and one forced fumble.
"We expect so much from him," says Tigers defensive coordinator Heishma Northern, "because he's so fast."
Track star fast - but from a guy who is 6-4 and 240.
In fact, Pettway was a four-sport performer at Gilmer High in Houston - earning letters in football, basketball, baseball and, yes, track - before signing with the University of Southern Arkansas. He holds the Gilmer school record in the discus.
But since transferring to Grambling State, all he's been throwing around are opposing offensive starters.
Pettway leads the Tigers this season in tackles, too - with 37 tackles and 14 assists in eight games. He's got four sacks in all.
"I don't know whether he's ever going to be a team leader, because he's so quiet," Williams says. "But he has the ability to be a lot better football player - and to lead by example."
Pettway started this off-season at defensive end, but moved to linebacker - where he has flourished in a system designed for tall and aggressive players.
Grambling State's defense ranks No. 1 in the SWAC in defending the rush. The Tigers rank No. 3 overall on defense, behind only Southern and Alabama A&M.
Much has been made of the play of the Tigers' linebacking corps this season, but Pettway acknowledges the role this GSU line has played in opening up opportunities.
"The line is the key to our defensive success," Pettway says.
Whether the linemen are occupying blockers or occasionally flooding inside to take their shots, it has worked to Pettway's advantage. He's fast enough to shoot gaps and headhunt quarterbacks - and tall enough to make a difference when he gets back into coverage.
"They like playing behind those guys, because they know there will be a chance for some tipped balls," Northern says of the linebackers. "It all works hand-in-hand."
Pettway has also come up with a few did-you-see-that? moments - like last week, when he literally leaped over the top of a Jackson State lineman who was trying a cut block. "Everybody was just sort of open-mouthed at the play that he made," Northern says.
Williams agrees: "When a kid does something like that, you see what they've got to give. And you want to see that again and again."
It's commonly acknowledged, even with the big season he's having, that Pettway can only get better: "He still has work to do on his thought process," Northern says, "on understanding that he can take over a game."
Pettway talks more about technique. "I could still come up faster," he says. "I need to work on dropping back (into coverage)."
His idol, while playing defensive end, was Tennessee Titans stalwart Jevon Kearse. But, even after switching to linebacker, Pettway continues to admire Kearse's rangy aggression and smart play.
"I still look up to that man," Pettway says. "He's a beast in the league. I still feed off his moves. He keeps his head in the game."
Pettway is part of a unit that has grown steadily as performers - and as teammates.
"The way they watch film now is totally different," Northern says. "The way they communicate is totally different."
Pettway says it look a few games for him to find his way at his new school. With so many younger players, the same could be said for Grambling State's defense, too.
"We're starting to come together as a team," Pettway says. "Early in the season, we weren't as tight. But I see us jelling together now."
Octavius is honored: Senior GSU cornerback Octavius Bond has been invited to play in the inaugural Division I-AA All-Star Classic, to be played Dec. 30 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"Nobody works hard than he does," Williams says. "He's a great athlete."
Bonds has 28 tackles on the second, with 21 solo grabs. He also has three interceptions and three pass breakups. His eight kickoff returns have averaged 21.5 yards.
The selections were made by a committee of coaches, administrators and media from the 13 I-AA conferences. Teammate Tramon Douglas, a senior receiver, was among the first 50 players selected to play in this game.
Tiger bites: Texas Southern, GSU's opponent this week, has a three-game winning streak. … When the weather turns cold, it's particularly hard on Williams - who has had five surgeries on his left knee and one on the right. "They get stiff. I gotta keep moving," he says. Like most ex-football players, he has a knack for weather forecasting: "I wake up in the morning, and I know when it's cloudy - just from how stiff they are." … Grambling began a project to audiostream Williams' weekly news conference on the Internet on Tuesday. Portions of his comments are to be available at http://www.gramblingsportsinfo.com/.
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GSU's Pettway ready to tackle pros
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Kenneth Pettway is not just Grambling State's leader in tackles for a loss this year.
He's a nice guy. Off the field, at least.
"Definitely not the rah-rah type," said former GSU coach Doug Williams, who signed Pettway as a transfer from Southern Arkansas in 2002. "His actions speak for him. It's not word of mouth, like so many people."
Williams - who left before last season for a personnel job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - will get another look at GSU's best defender this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, beginning today in Indianapolis.
Pettway, a starter at both defensive end and linebacker, is the only player from the Southwestern Athletic Conference to be invited. He is also the first from GSU since Williams arrived with current coach Melvin Spears as offensive coordinator before the 1998 season.
"He's quiet, but tough - a mild-mannered guy who led by example," said Spears, whose first win as interim in 2004 was keyed by a series of shattering second-quarter sacks by Pettway against Bethune-Cookman. He sent one quarterback to the bench on a crushing tackle, then sacked his replacement on the very next play.
Not that Pettway talks about such heroics, not even on the eve of the combine.
"My attitude going in is very positive," he finally allowed.
It's easy to forget that Pettway was recognized as GSU's defensive player of the year last week, then flew out to Atlanta to receive Sheridan Broadcasting Network All-America honors.
They give those awards to people who knock other people down.
Call him Grambling State's easy-going horseman of the apocalypse, its polite prince of darkness.
`TIMES HAVE CHANGED'
Pettway talks about the honor of being invited. Still, he politely - and rightly - assumes that the combine is more of a challenge than a reward.
"The NFL and the combine have gone away from black colleges since the days of Doug Williams and (James) `Shack' (Harris)," Pettway said. "Times have changed. So, it's a real honor if you get selected from one of our conferences."
Pettway is, in fact, one of just eight players from a historically black college to receive an invitation to the combine this year.
"I've got to be faster, a little better," said Pettway. "I want to prove to them that even though we don't play schools like Miami, we still have great players."
Forced to sit out a year after transferring, Pettway had his initial experience at outside linebacker in his first game for GSU, a shutout loss to San Jose State in August 2003.
"I was nervous when I was out there," said Pettway, who had played defensive end at Southern Arkansas. "But at the same time, I was thinking: They put me here because they thought I could do something. I just went about making plays."
Make them he did: Pettway finished with 11 punishing tackles, including five solo grabs and three tackles for a loss of 9 yards. The conference named him defensive player of the week.
He struggled at times, that first year. But by the time he lined up on that soggy night in Jackson, Miss., in October 2003, Pettway was on his way.
The rain was biblical. Only GSU's quiet quarterback killer kept the dissipating crowd from noticing if the local animal population was, in fact, pairing up.
Pettway accounted for 11 tackles, 10 of them solo, and two sacks. Jackson State's signal-caller also had to leave the game, as the local Tigers grinded their way to a win.
"It took him some time to excel, because we had him in two positions," said Spears. "Coach Williams and I wanted to look at where he was going to project in the draft, and play him to that strength. Once he found his niche, he started to find real consistency."
He would finish his junior season, the first at GSU after transferring, with a team-high 70 tackles. That included five sacks for a loss of 20 yards, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Unassuming in life, Pettway proved to be merciless off the edge.
`GREATNESS ... GOES ON'
Production and versatility, coupled with Pettway's size and straight-line speed, have garnered uncommon attention for a small-school star.
No surprise here, but Pettway - always more apt to sack than to smack - takes it in stride.
"I've got to keep myself up because I know there will be a lot of competition from larger programs," he said. "They might be thinking I haven't competed at the same level. That keeps me in my place. When I am training, I realize I have got to give a little more."
This week's combine sessions, held in Indianapolis, include both physical exams and hours of interviews on a position-by-position basis. Pettway is expected to be evaluated with the rest of the prospective linebackers on Sunday.
Scouts will poke and prod him, measuring for height, weight, arm length, hand length and body fat. Pettway will run the 40-yard dash, participate in a vertical and broad jump, then grunt through a 225-pound bench press, 20- and 60-yard shuttles and the three-cone drill.
Intelligence will then be measured using the Wonderlic Test, a 50-question exam administered over 12 minutes.
"In this league, everything counts - and character is very, very important," said Williams, who will scout the combine talent for Tampa Bay. "There won't be any flaws there. He's been grounded for a long time. He's very humble."
Both Williams and Spears attribute that to Pettway's parents - William and Annice of Houston - who have a strong connection with GSU. His father, in fact, is friends with Collie J. Nicholson, the school's legendary sports information director from 1948-78.
"Most of those kids who had folks who went to Grambling grow up as a Tiger," said Spears. "They look forward to upholding the legacy."
Pettway, a nice guy hoping to finish first, is clear-eyed about that challenge - and how it plays out for anyone looking to be drafted out of a historically black institution.
"Coming from Grambling and going to the combine, I just look at it as a privilege," Pettway said. "I want to represent Grambling and all the greatness that has gone through there. It still goes on. I'm just glad I'm getting the chance to show that. Maybe the NFL will get back into the habit of looking at our conference."
Is he a `Road Runner' or a `Widowmaker'?
The only thing missing from Kenneth Pettway's resume is one of those great Grambling State nicknames.
Collie J. Nicholson, GSU's legendary sports information director from 1948-78, penned one for all the legends - from Paul "Tank" Younger to Gary "Big Hands" Johnson.
"They had to have something behind the nicknames," said Nicholson, who still writes about sports from his home in Shreveport.
Pettway, Nicholson agrees, fits the bill. "He should do well up there (at the NFL Combine)," said Nicholson.
Pettway's great straight-line speed might suggest "Road Runner." That quiet intensity? How about "SBD," Silent but Deadly. His versatility as a two-position all-conference player? May we suggest "Switch Blade"? That propensity for crushing tackles reminds us of "Widowmaker."
"You could always go out and get a nickname," Nicholson finally allows. "But Grambling has tried to give them more than just a nickname; they get an education, too."
Degree in hand, Pettway hopes to school opponents on Sundays now.
-Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com
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Pettway won't be a surprise at combine
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Kenneth Pettway, the most highly touted NFL prospect out of Grambling State in four seasons, has already garnered some pre-combine notice.
NFLDraftCountdown.com lists Pettway as the No. 17 outside linebacker prospect in the nation. Great Blue North Draft Report has him at No. 15.
"He has good height and long arms, which allow him to deflect passes or knock the ball out of the quarterback's hand," said Greg Benjamin, an online NFL draft evaluator at OTCDraft.com. "He uses his quickness to get by opposing offensive linemen and has good closing speed getting to the quarterback on the pass rush. He has a quick first step, which allows him to effectively beat most offensive linemen off the snap."
Josh Buchanan of IAA.org - who named Pettway the top Division I-AA performer in the Las Vegas All-American Classic - lists him as the No. 18 I-AA prospect in the nation, and the No. 1 defensive end.
"He had a big senior campaign with his 8® sacks and 16 tackles for a loss, really catching your attention," said NFLDraftCountdown.com's Scott Wright. "The level of competition is a concern, but he has the physical tools and productivity you look for."
That could push Pettway up as high as the third round - a great thing for both player and school.
"It's a major recruiting tool for us," GSU coach Melvin Spears said. "It tells you where this program is going since we have been here, from (former coach) Doug Williams through today."
Benjamin expects Pettway's name to be called "during the latter portion of Day 2." He would be just the third GSU product drafted since 1995, and the first since Scotty Anderson was selected in the fifth round in 2001.
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3-4 adds up for Pettway
The growth of the defensive formation means the GSU standout is likely NFL-bound
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - A sudden resurgence in the use of the once-popular 3-4 defensive alignment could be the best thing Kenneth Pettway has going for him in this year's NFL Draft.
The Grambling State defender, commonly called a "`tweener," has the kind of size and speed to fit in that scheme - which values smaller, athletic linebackers.
"A lot of teams are switching to the 3-4 defense, which would enable me to stand up and play linebacker but also pass rush," said Pettway, who began playing outside linebacker as well as defensive end during his junior season. "A year or two ago, there weren't that many who used it, but now there are about 10. The market's really open."
The NFL Draft, held Saturday and Sunday, will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2.
Pettway's stock has been rising with draft prognosticators, who originally projected him as a late-second day selection. A renewed interest in the 3-4 could be the reason.
"There are more teams out there using the 3-4, and that's the good thing about it," said Tampa Bay personnel executive Doug Williams, who coached Pettway for a season before taking the NFL job. "He should get an opportunity with one of those teams."
The 3-4 hadn't been fashionable since the early 1980s, but then New England won three of the last four Super Bowls with the scheme as its primary defensive look.
That changes draft priorities. Players who look and play like Pettway are now a hot commodity.
"Getting drafted will be a matter of matching the style of the team that might choose him," said Grambling State coach Melvin Spears, who took over from Williams after serving six seasons as his offensive coordinator. "He'll match up well in a 3-4 front, where they can use his skills as a weakside linebacker."
Devised more than 50 seasons ago by Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson, the 3-4 alignment features three down linemen and four linebackers - as opposed to the more widely used 4-3, with only three linebackers.
By last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers were all using the 3-4 as a primary scheme. Coaches at Cleveland, Dallas and San Francisco are considering a switch as well.
That's why Williams says: "I think he has a great opportunity to get selected - it's just a matter of where," he said. "Here's a guy that has been down on a three-point stance for most of his career, so he will have to do a little changing. He will have to make some adjustments. He will have to drop off and play some man coverage."
Pettway ended his two-season career in Grambling with 115 tackles - including 76 solo grabs - and 13® sacks for minus-75 yards. His 30 tackles for a loss accounted for 114 yards. He also had two blocked kicks in 23 games.
Add in the 16 games Pettway played at Southern Arkansas before transferring and he had 167 tackles (with 102 of them solo), in 39 total games - including 23® sacks and 48 stops for losses.
That production and a room-to-grow 6-4 frame earned Pettway a rare invite to the NFL Combine, the only one for a player from the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2005.
He was slowed by a hamstring pull, but Pettway participated in all of the events. Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. reported his 40-yard time in Indianapolis at 4.75.
"I thought his combine workout was good," said Williams. "The guys who did better had been playing linebacker all their life. For a guy playing a new position, I thought he adjusted very well."
Pettway said he heard from six NFL teams this week, as coaches made final preparations for the draft.
"They are getting draft-day phone numbers," said Pettway, "and seeing how my health is. They've wanted to find out how I feel about the city where I might come."
Pettway added that he will continue serving as a student coach at Grambling State - even with the draft whirlwind circling him. He plans to spend Saturday at the Black and Gold game that concludes the team's spring sessions.
"It's been a trip for me. The combine was really strenuous, but in all of it there was enjoyment - because it was the first time for me going through it," said Pettway. "I'm just excited, and nervous all at that same time."
Pettway file
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 255
College: Grambling State
Scouting report: Was a big-play penetrating DE in college. Is at his best when turned loose up the field. Has very good anticipation skills and initial quickness. Shows some closing burst as a pass rusher and has good instincts in that facet. Has long arms and good-sized hands to occupy blockers. He shows a decent array of pass rush moves. Is a relentless player that makes a lot of plays in pursuit.
- Scouts Inc., for ESPN Insider
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GSU defender spends draft day at home fishing
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Don't look for replays of Grambling State defender Kenneth Pettway on television, receiving word that he was selected No. 227 by the Houston Texans in the 2005 NFL Draft.
He spent the weekend as he normally would, working with his former teammates on Saturday before traveling home to attend church in Houston on Sunday.
Then, the seventh-round draft choice went fishing.
"I kept my phone with me," said Pettway, a speedy, large-framed defender who should succeed in Houston's 3-4 defensive scheme. "I didn't want to be in front of the TV, pulling my hair out. I just wanted to be out there with the people who helped me get to the place where I am now."
So, the draft unfolded a world away.
"He started for the first time here with us," said GSU coach Melvin Spears, "and he was here with us for the draft."
That steady commitment is likely what attracted the Texans, who are based near Pettway's hometown of Gilmer, Texas. He will report with other rookies for Houston's mini-camp on Friday.
The Texans needed an upgrade at outside linebacker, the main pass rusher in head coach Dom Capers' defense. Last year, Houston finished last in sacks with 24; the Texans were second-to-last the year before, with 19.
That must have stung Capers, who has worked as a coordinator on tough, quarterback-harassing defenses at Carolina, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh - grooming Pro Bowlers in Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd, who could chase signal callers then drop into coverage.
"For him to go to his home team in Houston is a big thing - and he's close enough that we can still go see him," said GSU teammate Bruce Eugene, who tried to call Pettway upon seeing his name on the draft board - but said he couldn't reach him because Pettway was out fishing.
That's in-character for the grounded Pettway, who served as a student coach with the team during the GSU's just-completed spring sessions - sharing the lessons he learned, until the very end, as the only Southwestern Athletic Conference player to be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine this season.
"When I am on the field, I'm just teaching what somebody else taught me - from trying out, from playing under (former GSU) Coach (Doug) Williams and Spears, from going to the combine," said Pettway. "I want to hand out that information."
The combine experience turned into another showcase for Pettway's attention to his craft, when he injured his groin on the very first attempt at the 40-yard dash - but participated in every drill anyway.
His stock had been rising, with positive notices in USA Today last week, among others.
"Everybody has aspirations, and I do too," said Eugene. "But for it to become a reality, that's a dream come true."
Pettway attended Gilmer High School, playing football for coach Mike Mullins. He also lettered in basketball, baseball and track before spending his first two collegiate seasons primarily as a backup defensive end at Southern Arkansas.
Pettway then transferred to play for Williams in 2002 and began garnering playing time at outside linebacker, as well.
He grabbed 70 tackles and made five sacks as a junior, then earned All-America accolades from The NFL Draft Report and All-SWAC first-team honors as a senior. Pettway made 45 tackles, including 28 solos, and ranked second in the conference with 16 stops for losses last season. He also tied for a SWAC-best 8.5 sacks.
But GSU, a haven for NFL talent in the 1960s and '70s, hadn't had a player drafted since Scotty Anderson was selected in the fifth round by Detroit in 2001.
"A dream come true, absolutely," said Spears. "This is a great day for Kenneth Pettway - and also a great day for Grambling."
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GSU's Pettway keeps focus
Houston's pick in the 7th round gets NFL taste
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Grambling State product Kenneth Pettway got ready for his first taste of the NFL by continuing to run his linebacker drills on the practice field where he played college ball.
He couldn't have guessed how long he'd end up spending inside the Houston Texans' facility, meeting and studying the club's scheme.
"The meetings were about 10 times longer than college," said Pettway, a seventh-round pick for the Texans last month. "I think the shortest was about two hours. You've got to stay focused. There are no wasted words. Everything they say is something you need to know. There is no room for errors."
The Texans' six draft picks - as well as free agents, and others trying out - participated in four rookie practices earlier this month where coaches introduced the players to the system.
He then returned to Grambling State, where he lifted and ran with friends.
"Working out, it feels the same," said Pettway. "But being back in Grambling, there was a different intensity. So many people know I have been drafted, and are pulling for me."
Pettway is back in Houston this week to participate in 14 coaching sessions that last through June 8. A three-day minicamp follows, before a long break in front of training sessions.
"They emphasized before every meeting that we take notes," said Pettway. Houston coach "Dom Capers walked around and watched for who was taking notes and paying attention. They didn't let us take the playbook home, but he said we could take the notepad home. We were expected to know the defense when we got back. I wrote down some extra things to work on."
Pettway will keep the same number he had in two all-conference seasons at Grambling, the departed Jamie Sharper's No. 55. He found a jersey with his name already embroidered on it when he arrived at camp.
"It was Grade A treatment," Pettway said. "We got off the plane and there was somebody waiting for you with Texans apparel. When we got there, our lockers were all set up. Everything was there, and it was all the right size. Everything you need, they had it."
Pettway's transition was easier than many of the other newcomers, because he was born and raised in nearby Gilmer, Texas.
"A lot of guys were from faraway places," said Pettway, a multi-sports prep star. "They had a couple of guys from Florida and California. Some of them said, `You are lucky to play in front of your hometown.' To me, it was big joy to get the opportunity to play where I grew up."
His familiarity didn't translate, however, into recommendations on places to eat around Houston.
"They fix everything for you," said Pettway, chuckling. "They give you a target weight and then you eat in the cafeteria, and that's it. You can go out and get your own food, but they encourage you to eat what the nutritionist has for you."
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Pettway's first NFL deal is for three years with Texans
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Will Jordan, agent for Grambling State product Kenneth Pettway, says his client has signed with the Houston Texans.
Pettway, a seventh-round pick in last April's NFL Draft, inked a three-year deal, Jordan said in a phone message on Friday. The contract, reportedly worth $965,494, includes a $40,494 signing bonus.
"Pettway is a very special guy who has great skills," said Melvin Spears, who was an assistant and then interim head coach during Pettway's two seasons at GSU. "The Houston Texans are going to benefit more than they know."
Playing both defensive end and outside linebacker, Pettway recorded 115 tackles and 13® sacks in 2003-04 at Grambling.
Jordan said a quick deal is essential for rookies, who need to focus on making the team - not negotiating a deal.
Hayes day in Bossier: Former GSU star Lionel Hayes lit up the Battle Wings last week in Bossier City, as the af2 Macon Knights posted an easy 57-36 victory.
He finished 18-of-29 in the air, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jamaal Garman. Hayes also ran for a 4-yard touchdown as Macon improved to 4-6 with the victory.
Quarterback at GSU during former coach Doug Williams' first two seasons at the helm, Hayes had his best year as a senior in 1999. Hayes completed 188-of-366 passes for 2,935 yards and 30 touchdowns with just six interceptions. A year earlier, as a junior, Hayes completed 151-of-301 passes for 2,373 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Home cooking with Doug: Williams, now a personnel executive with the NFL's Tampa Bay franchise, talked about scouting Southwestern Athletic Conference products in a Q&A at buccaneers.com this week.
"Well, No. 1, my job is for the Buccaneers, to get the best players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers," he said. "But at the same time, there's no doubt that I might be a little partial to the historically black colleges, the SWAC or what have you. I'm not going to bring in a kid just because he went there. I want him to be able to show it."
The Bucs have drafted former Southern cornerback Lenny Williams and given a tryout to ex-Grambling receiver Scotty Anderson since Williams arrived in Tampa, but neither made the team.
Williams couldn't attend the opening of an exhibit of Eddie Robinson memorabilia in Grambling on Friday, he said, because he is filming a new special by NFL Films on the Super Bowl. Williams was the MVP of the 1988 game leading Washington over Denver.
Tiger bites: The just-completed Melvin Spears Football Camp included 200 young hopefuls - hailing from places as far flung as Alaska. Large groups came from Shreveport, Alexandria and Belzoni, Miss., as well. … The AFL's New Orleans franchise re-signed Grambling product Calvin Spears, who has played for the VooDoo for the past two seasons. Spears coached the secondary at Grambling last season, then returned to finish fifth on the VooDoo with 32® tackles.
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GSU's Pettway staying a Texan
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Grambling product Kenneth Pettway is staying home.
Pettway, a seventh-round 2005 draft pick for the Houston Texans, has reupped as an exclusive-rights free agent.
"This is a really good organization," said Pettway, a native of Gilmer, just outside of Houston. "I was born and spent most of my life here. The city has grown a lot but, at the same time, it's home to me. As far as this franchise goes, they handle their business really well."
Taken 237th overall by the Texans last year, Pettway finished with 115 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 30 tackles for a loss, 10 quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles, four passes defensed and two blocked kicks in 23 games at Grambling. He later garnered an invite to the 2005 Las Vegas All-American Classic postseason all-star game and was the only invitee from the Southwestern Athletic Conference at the 2005 NFL Scouting Combine.
Pettway says he signed one-year contract, just as he did last season, in the hopes that a breakout year might result in a better deal.
He's met new coach Gary Kubiak and a series of new assistants who were hired in the wake of Houston's league-worst 2-14 mark last season.
"When I first met the new coach, he came off as a really good guy," said Pettway, who spent most of his rookie season — save for games against Jacksonville and San Francisco — on the practice squad.
Kubiak and defensive coordinator Richard Smith Miami's coordinator last season under Nick Saban are moving from Houston's familiar 3-4 defensive alignment to the more conventional 4-3 look, with Pettway working on the outside.
"So far, so good," Pettway said. "They've got me playing Sam or Will, either one."
Pettway, who is participating in off-season training right now, said he expects the 4-3 playbook to be installed later in the spring.
"We've been running and conditioning," Pettway said. "We'll start learning the new defense when we start coaching sessions."
Pettway began his collegiate career at Southern Arkansas, where he had 52 tackles, 10 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble in 16 games. He was a four-sport performer in football, basketball, track and baseball at Gilmer High.
The Texans now have signed nine free agents, and re-signed another eight players. They hold the top pick in April's NFL Draft and, by exercising a $8 million option that extends quarterback David Carr's contract through the 2008, seem to be positioning themselves to select Texas running back Reggie Bush.
October 29, 2003
By NICK DERISO
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
The Grambling State defense calls itself the Black Front.
"Coming to get you," junior Grambling State linebacker Kenneth Pettway says, with some menace. "Any time. Any day."
Like most fronts, this gathering storm has lightning around its edges.
Pettway was been that lightning - never more so than last week, as GSU's defense held Jackson State scoreless in the second half, securing a muddy 24-17 comeback win. He notched a team-leading 11 tackles - and 10 of them were solo.
"He's like a gazelle - a long, lean gazelle," says Grambling State coach Doug Williams. "He's all over the field."
Pettway also had two crushing sacks - JSU's quarterback eventually had to leave the game - and one forced fumble.
"We expect so much from him," says Tigers defensive coordinator Heishma Northern, "because he's so fast."
Track star fast - but from a guy who is 6-4 and 240.
In fact, Pettway was a four-sport performer at Gilmer High in Houston - earning letters in football, basketball, baseball and, yes, track - before signing with the University of Southern Arkansas. He holds the Gilmer school record in the discus.
But since transferring to Grambling State, all he's been throwing around are opposing offensive starters.
Pettway leads the Tigers this season in tackles, too - with 37 tackles and 14 assists in eight games. He's got four sacks in all.
"I don't know whether he's ever going to be a team leader, because he's so quiet," Williams says. "But he has the ability to be a lot better football player - and to lead by example."
Pettway started this off-season at defensive end, but moved to linebacker - where he has flourished in a system designed for tall and aggressive players.
Grambling State's defense ranks No. 1 in the SWAC in defending the rush. The Tigers rank No. 3 overall on defense, behind only Southern and Alabama A&M.
Much has been made of the play of the Tigers' linebacking corps this season, but Pettway acknowledges the role this GSU line has played in opening up opportunities.
"The line is the key to our defensive success," Pettway says.
Whether the linemen are occupying blockers or occasionally flooding inside to take their shots, it has worked to Pettway's advantage. He's fast enough to shoot gaps and headhunt quarterbacks - and tall enough to make a difference when he gets back into coverage.
"They like playing behind those guys, because they know there will be a chance for some tipped balls," Northern says of the linebackers. "It all works hand-in-hand."
Pettway has also come up with a few did-you-see-that? moments - like last week, when he literally leaped over the top of a Jackson State lineman who was trying a cut block. "Everybody was just sort of open-mouthed at the play that he made," Northern says.
Williams agrees: "When a kid does something like that, you see what they've got to give. And you want to see that again and again."
It's commonly acknowledged, even with the big season he's having, that Pettway can only get better: "He still has work to do on his thought process," Northern says, "on understanding that he can take over a game."
Pettway talks more about technique. "I could still come up faster," he says. "I need to work on dropping back (into coverage)."
His idol, while playing defensive end, was Tennessee Titans stalwart Jevon Kearse. But, even after switching to linebacker, Pettway continues to admire Kearse's rangy aggression and smart play.
"I still look up to that man," Pettway says. "He's a beast in the league. I still feed off his moves. He keeps his head in the game."
Pettway is part of a unit that has grown steadily as performers - and as teammates.
"The way they watch film now is totally different," Northern says. "The way they communicate is totally different."
Pettway says it look a few games for him to find his way at his new school. With so many younger players, the same could be said for Grambling State's defense, too.
"We're starting to come together as a team," Pettway says. "Early in the season, we weren't as tight. But I see us jelling together now."
Octavius is honored: Senior GSU cornerback Octavius Bond has been invited to play in the inaugural Division I-AA All-Star Classic, to be played Dec. 30 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
"Nobody works hard than he does," Williams says. "He's a great athlete."
Bonds has 28 tackles on the second, with 21 solo grabs. He also has three interceptions and three pass breakups. His eight kickoff returns have averaged 21.5 yards.
The selections were made by a committee of coaches, administrators and media from the 13 I-AA conferences. Teammate Tramon Douglas, a senior receiver, was among the first 50 players selected to play in this game.
Tiger bites: Texas Southern, GSU's opponent this week, has a three-game winning streak. … When the weather turns cold, it's particularly hard on Williams - who has had five surgeries on his left knee and one on the right. "They get stiff. I gotta keep moving," he says. Like most ex-football players, he has a knack for weather forecasting: "I wake up in the morning, and I know when it's cloudy - just from how stiff they are." … Grambling began a project to audiostream Williams' weekly news conference on the Internet on Tuesday. Portions of his comments are to be available at http://www.gramblingsportsinfo.com/.
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GSU's Pettway ready to tackle pros
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Kenneth Pettway is not just Grambling State's leader in tackles for a loss this year.
He's a nice guy. Off the field, at least.
"Definitely not the rah-rah type," said former GSU coach Doug Williams, who signed Pettway as a transfer from Southern Arkansas in 2002. "His actions speak for him. It's not word of mouth, like so many people."
Williams - who left before last season for a personnel job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - will get another look at GSU's best defender this week at the NFL Scouting Combine, beginning today in Indianapolis.
Pettway, a starter at both defensive end and linebacker, is the only player from the Southwestern Athletic Conference to be invited. He is also the first from GSU since Williams arrived with current coach Melvin Spears as offensive coordinator before the 1998 season.
"He's quiet, but tough - a mild-mannered guy who led by example," said Spears, whose first win as interim in 2004 was keyed by a series of shattering second-quarter sacks by Pettway against Bethune-Cookman. He sent one quarterback to the bench on a crushing tackle, then sacked his replacement on the very next play.
Not that Pettway talks about such heroics, not even on the eve of the combine.
"My attitude going in is very positive," he finally allowed.
It's easy to forget that Pettway was recognized as GSU's defensive player of the year last week, then flew out to Atlanta to receive Sheridan Broadcasting Network All-America honors.
They give those awards to people who knock other people down.
Call him Grambling State's easy-going horseman of the apocalypse, its polite prince of darkness.
`TIMES HAVE CHANGED'
Pettway talks about the honor of being invited. Still, he politely - and rightly - assumes that the combine is more of a challenge than a reward.
"The NFL and the combine have gone away from black colleges since the days of Doug Williams and (James) `Shack' (Harris)," Pettway said. "Times have changed. So, it's a real honor if you get selected from one of our conferences."
Pettway is, in fact, one of just eight players from a historically black college to receive an invitation to the combine this year.
"I've got to be faster, a little better," said Pettway. "I want to prove to them that even though we don't play schools like Miami, we still have great players."
Forced to sit out a year after transferring, Pettway had his initial experience at outside linebacker in his first game for GSU, a shutout loss to San Jose State in August 2003.
"I was nervous when I was out there," said Pettway, who had played defensive end at Southern Arkansas. "But at the same time, I was thinking: They put me here because they thought I could do something. I just went about making plays."
Make them he did: Pettway finished with 11 punishing tackles, including five solo grabs and three tackles for a loss of 9 yards. The conference named him defensive player of the week.
He struggled at times, that first year. But by the time he lined up on that soggy night in Jackson, Miss., in October 2003, Pettway was on his way.
The rain was biblical. Only GSU's quiet quarterback killer kept the dissipating crowd from noticing if the local animal population was, in fact, pairing up.
Pettway accounted for 11 tackles, 10 of them solo, and two sacks. Jackson State's signal-caller also had to leave the game, as the local Tigers grinded their way to a win.
"It took him some time to excel, because we had him in two positions," said Spears. "Coach Williams and I wanted to look at where he was going to project in the draft, and play him to that strength. Once he found his niche, he started to find real consistency."
He would finish his junior season, the first at GSU after transferring, with a team-high 70 tackles. That included five sacks for a loss of 20 yards, three pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Unassuming in life, Pettway proved to be merciless off the edge.
`GREATNESS ... GOES ON'
Production and versatility, coupled with Pettway's size and straight-line speed, have garnered uncommon attention for a small-school star.
No surprise here, but Pettway - always more apt to sack than to smack - takes it in stride.
"I've got to keep myself up because I know there will be a lot of competition from larger programs," he said. "They might be thinking I haven't competed at the same level. That keeps me in my place. When I am training, I realize I have got to give a little more."
This week's combine sessions, held in Indianapolis, include both physical exams and hours of interviews on a position-by-position basis. Pettway is expected to be evaluated with the rest of the prospective linebackers on Sunday.
Scouts will poke and prod him, measuring for height, weight, arm length, hand length and body fat. Pettway will run the 40-yard dash, participate in a vertical and broad jump, then grunt through a 225-pound bench press, 20- and 60-yard shuttles and the three-cone drill.
Intelligence will then be measured using the Wonderlic Test, a 50-question exam administered over 12 minutes.
"In this league, everything counts - and character is very, very important," said Williams, who will scout the combine talent for Tampa Bay. "There won't be any flaws there. He's been grounded for a long time. He's very humble."
Both Williams and Spears attribute that to Pettway's parents - William and Annice of Houston - who have a strong connection with GSU. His father, in fact, is friends with Collie J. Nicholson, the school's legendary sports information director from 1948-78.
"Most of those kids who had folks who went to Grambling grow up as a Tiger," said Spears. "They look forward to upholding the legacy."
Pettway, a nice guy hoping to finish first, is clear-eyed about that challenge - and how it plays out for anyone looking to be drafted out of a historically black institution.
"Coming from Grambling and going to the combine, I just look at it as a privilege," Pettway said. "I want to represent Grambling and all the greatness that has gone through there. It still goes on. I'm just glad I'm getting the chance to show that. Maybe the NFL will get back into the habit of looking at our conference."
Is he a `Road Runner' or a `Widowmaker'?
The only thing missing from Kenneth Pettway's resume is one of those great Grambling State nicknames.
Collie J. Nicholson, GSU's legendary sports information director from 1948-78, penned one for all the legends - from Paul "Tank" Younger to Gary "Big Hands" Johnson.
"They had to have something behind the nicknames," said Nicholson, who still writes about sports from his home in Shreveport.
Pettway, Nicholson agrees, fits the bill. "He should do well up there (at the NFL Combine)," said Nicholson.
Pettway's great straight-line speed might suggest "Road Runner." That quiet intensity? How about "SBD," Silent but Deadly. His versatility as a two-position all-conference player? May we suggest "Switch Blade"? That propensity for crushing tackles reminds us of "Widowmaker."
"You could always go out and get a nickname," Nicholson finally allows. "But Grambling has tried to give them more than just a nickname; they get an education, too."
Degree in hand, Pettway hopes to school opponents on Sundays now.
-Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com
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Pettway won't be a surprise at combine
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Kenneth Pettway, the most highly touted NFL prospect out of Grambling State in four seasons, has already garnered some pre-combine notice.
NFLDraftCountdown.com lists Pettway as the No. 17 outside linebacker prospect in the nation. Great Blue North Draft Report has him at No. 15.
"He has good height and long arms, which allow him to deflect passes or knock the ball out of the quarterback's hand," said Greg Benjamin, an online NFL draft evaluator at OTCDraft.com. "He uses his quickness to get by opposing offensive linemen and has good closing speed getting to the quarterback on the pass rush. He has a quick first step, which allows him to effectively beat most offensive linemen off the snap."
Josh Buchanan of IAA.org - who named Pettway the top Division I-AA performer in the Las Vegas All-American Classic - lists him as the No. 18 I-AA prospect in the nation, and the No. 1 defensive end.
"He had a big senior campaign with his 8® sacks and 16 tackles for a loss, really catching your attention," said NFLDraftCountdown.com's Scott Wright. "The level of competition is a concern, but he has the physical tools and productivity you look for."
That could push Pettway up as high as the third round - a great thing for both player and school.
"It's a major recruiting tool for us," GSU coach Melvin Spears said. "It tells you where this program is going since we have been here, from (former coach) Doug Williams through today."
Benjamin expects Pettway's name to be called "during the latter portion of Day 2." He would be just the third GSU product drafted since 1995, and the first since Scotty Anderson was selected in the fifth round in 2001.
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3-4 adds up for Pettway
The growth of the defensive formation means the GSU standout is likely NFL-bound
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - A sudden resurgence in the use of the once-popular 3-4 defensive alignment could be the best thing Kenneth Pettway has going for him in this year's NFL Draft.
The Grambling State defender, commonly called a "`tweener," has the kind of size and speed to fit in that scheme - which values smaller, athletic linebackers.
"A lot of teams are switching to the 3-4 defense, which would enable me to stand up and play linebacker but also pass rush," said Pettway, who began playing outside linebacker as well as defensive end during his junior season. "A year or two ago, there weren't that many who used it, but now there are about 10. The market's really open."
The NFL Draft, held Saturday and Sunday, will be broadcast on ESPN and ESPN2.
Pettway's stock has been rising with draft prognosticators, who originally projected him as a late-second day selection. A renewed interest in the 3-4 could be the reason.
"There are more teams out there using the 3-4, and that's the good thing about it," said Tampa Bay personnel executive Doug Williams, who coached Pettway for a season before taking the NFL job. "He should get an opportunity with one of those teams."
The 3-4 hadn't been fashionable since the early 1980s, but then New England won three of the last four Super Bowls with the scheme as its primary defensive look.
That changes draft priorities. Players who look and play like Pettway are now a hot commodity.
"Getting drafted will be a matter of matching the style of the team that might choose him," said Grambling State coach Melvin Spears, who took over from Williams after serving six seasons as his offensive coordinator. "He'll match up well in a 3-4 front, where they can use his skills as a weakside linebacker."
Devised more than 50 seasons ago by Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson, the 3-4 alignment features three down linemen and four linebackers - as opposed to the more widely used 4-3, with only three linebackers.
By last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers were all using the 3-4 as a primary scheme. Coaches at Cleveland, Dallas and San Francisco are considering a switch as well.
That's why Williams says: "I think he has a great opportunity to get selected - it's just a matter of where," he said. "Here's a guy that has been down on a three-point stance for most of his career, so he will have to do a little changing. He will have to make some adjustments. He will have to drop off and play some man coverage."
Pettway ended his two-season career in Grambling with 115 tackles - including 76 solo grabs - and 13® sacks for minus-75 yards. His 30 tackles for a loss accounted for 114 yards. He also had two blocked kicks in 23 games.
Add in the 16 games Pettway played at Southern Arkansas before transferring and he had 167 tackles (with 102 of them solo), in 39 total games - including 23® sacks and 48 stops for losses.
That production and a room-to-grow 6-4 frame earned Pettway a rare invite to the NFL Combine, the only one for a player from the Southwestern Athletic Conference in 2005.
He was slowed by a hamstring pull, but Pettway participated in all of the events. Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. reported his 40-yard time in Indianapolis at 4.75.
"I thought his combine workout was good," said Williams. "The guys who did better had been playing linebacker all their life. For a guy playing a new position, I thought he adjusted very well."
Pettway said he heard from six NFL teams this week, as coaches made final preparations for the draft.
"They are getting draft-day phone numbers," said Pettway, "and seeing how my health is. They've wanted to find out how I feel about the city where I might come."
Pettway added that he will continue serving as a student coach at Grambling State - even with the draft whirlwind circling him. He plans to spend Saturday at the Black and Gold game that concludes the team's spring sessions.
"It's been a trip for me. The combine was really strenuous, but in all of it there was enjoyment - because it was the first time for me going through it," said Pettway. "I'm just excited, and nervous all at that same time."
Pettway file
Ht: 6-4 Wt: 255
College: Grambling State
Scouting report: Was a big-play penetrating DE in college. Is at his best when turned loose up the field. Has very good anticipation skills and initial quickness. Shows some closing burst as a pass rusher and has good instincts in that facet. Has long arms and good-sized hands to occupy blockers. He shows a decent array of pass rush moves. Is a relentless player that makes a lot of plays in pursuit.
- Scouts Inc., for ESPN Insider
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GSU defender spends draft day at home fishing
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Don't look for replays of Grambling State defender Kenneth Pettway on television, receiving word that he was selected No. 227 by the Houston Texans in the 2005 NFL Draft.
He spent the weekend as he normally would, working with his former teammates on Saturday before traveling home to attend church in Houston on Sunday.
Then, the seventh-round draft choice went fishing.
"I kept my phone with me," said Pettway, a speedy, large-framed defender who should succeed in Houston's 3-4 defensive scheme. "I didn't want to be in front of the TV, pulling my hair out. I just wanted to be out there with the people who helped me get to the place where I am now."
So, the draft unfolded a world away.
"He started for the first time here with us," said GSU coach Melvin Spears, "and he was here with us for the draft."
That steady commitment is likely what attracted the Texans, who are based near Pettway's hometown of Gilmer, Texas. He will report with other rookies for Houston's mini-camp on Friday.
The Texans needed an upgrade at outside linebacker, the main pass rusher in head coach Dom Capers' defense. Last year, Houston finished last in sacks with 24; the Texans were second-to-last the year before, with 19.
That must have stung Capers, who has worked as a coordinator on tough, quarterback-harassing defenses at Carolina, Jacksonville and Pittsburgh - grooming Pro Bowlers in Kevin Greene and Greg Lloyd, who could chase signal callers then drop into coverage.
"For him to go to his home team in Houston is a big thing - and he's close enough that we can still go see him," said GSU teammate Bruce Eugene, who tried to call Pettway upon seeing his name on the draft board - but said he couldn't reach him because Pettway was out fishing.
That's in-character for the grounded Pettway, who served as a student coach with the team during the GSU's just-completed spring sessions - sharing the lessons he learned, until the very end, as the only Southwestern Athletic Conference player to be invited to the NFL Scouting Combine this season.
"When I am on the field, I'm just teaching what somebody else taught me - from trying out, from playing under (former GSU) Coach (Doug) Williams and Spears, from going to the combine," said Pettway. "I want to hand out that information."
The combine experience turned into another showcase for Pettway's attention to his craft, when he injured his groin on the very first attempt at the 40-yard dash - but participated in every drill anyway.
His stock had been rising, with positive notices in USA Today last week, among others.
"Everybody has aspirations, and I do too," said Eugene. "But for it to become a reality, that's a dream come true."
Pettway attended Gilmer High School, playing football for coach Mike Mullins. He also lettered in basketball, baseball and track before spending his first two collegiate seasons primarily as a backup defensive end at Southern Arkansas.
Pettway then transferred to play for Williams in 2002 and began garnering playing time at outside linebacker, as well.
He grabbed 70 tackles and made five sacks as a junior, then earned All-America accolades from The NFL Draft Report and All-SWAC first-team honors as a senior. Pettway made 45 tackles, including 28 solos, and ranked second in the conference with 16 stops for losses last season. He also tied for a SWAC-best 8.5 sacks.
But GSU, a haven for NFL talent in the 1960s and '70s, hadn't had a player drafted since Scotty Anderson was selected in the fifth round by Detroit in 2001.
"A dream come true, absolutely," said Spears. "This is a great day for Kenneth Pettway - and also a great day for Grambling."
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GSU's Pettway keeps focus
Houston's pick in the 7th round gets NFL taste
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Grambling State product Kenneth Pettway got ready for his first taste of the NFL by continuing to run his linebacker drills on the practice field where he played college ball.
He couldn't have guessed how long he'd end up spending inside the Houston Texans' facility, meeting and studying the club's scheme.
"The meetings were about 10 times longer than college," said Pettway, a seventh-round pick for the Texans last month. "I think the shortest was about two hours. You've got to stay focused. There are no wasted words. Everything they say is something you need to know. There is no room for errors."
The Texans' six draft picks - as well as free agents, and others trying out - participated in four rookie practices earlier this month where coaches introduced the players to the system.
He then returned to Grambling State, where he lifted and ran with friends.
"Working out, it feels the same," said Pettway. "But being back in Grambling, there was a different intensity. So many people know I have been drafted, and are pulling for me."
Pettway is back in Houston this week to participate in 14 coaching sessions that last through June 8. A three-day minicamp follows, before a long break in front of training sessions.
"They emphasized before every meeting that we take notes," said Pettway. Houston coach "Dom Capers walked around and watched for who was taking notes and paying attention. They didn't let us take the playbook home, but he said we could take the notepad home. We were expected to know the defense when we got back. I wrote down some extra things to work on."
Pettway will keep the same number he had in two all-conference seasons at Grambling, the departed Jamie Sharper's No. 55. He found a jersey with his name already embroidered on it when he arrived at camp.
"It was Grade A treatment," Pettway said. "We got off the plane and there was somebody waiting for you with Texans apparel. When we got there, our lockers were all set up. Everything was there, and it was all the right size. Everything you need, they had it."
Pettway's transition was easier than many of the other newcomers, because he was born and raised in nearby Gilmer, Texas.
"A lot of guys were from faraway places," said Pettway, a multi-sports prep star. "They had a couple of guys from Florida and California. Some of them said, `You are lucky to play in front of your hometown.' To me, it was big joy to get the opportunity to play where I grew up."
His familiarity didn't translate, however, into recommendations on places to eat around Houston.
"They fix everything for you," said Pettway, chuckling. "They give you a target weight and then you eat in the cafeteria, and that's it. You can go out and get your own food, but they encourage you to eat what the nutritionist has for you."
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Pettway's first NFL deal is for three years with Texans
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Will Jordan, agent for Grambling State product Kenneth Pettway, says his client has signed with the Houston Texans.
Pettway, a seventh-round pick in last April's NFL Draft, inked a three-year deal, Jordan said in a phone message on Friday. The contract, reportedly worth $965,494, includes a $40,494 signing bonus.
"Pettway is a very special guy who has great skills," said Melvin Spears, who was an assistant and then interim head coach during Pettway's two seasons at GSU. "The Houston Texans are going to benefit more than they know."
Playing both defensive end and outside linebacker, Pettway recorded 115 tackles and 13® sacks in 2003-04 at Grambling.
Jordan said a quick deal is essential for rookies, who need to focus on making the team - not negotiating a deal.
Hayes day in Bossier: Former GSU star Lionel Hayes lit up the Battle Wings last week in Bossier City, as the af2 Macon Knights posted an easy 57-36 victory.
He finished 18-of-29 in the air, including a 17-yard touchdown pass to Jamaal Garman. Hayes also ran for a 4-yard touchdown as Macon improved to 4-6 with the victory.
Quarterback at GSU during former coach Doug Williams' first two seasons at the helm, Hayes had his best year as a senior in 1999. Hayes completed 188-of-366 passes for 2,935 yards and 30 touchdowns with just six interceptions. A year earlier, as a junior, Hayes completed 151-of-301 passes for 2,373 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Home cooking with Doug: Williams, now a personnel executive with the NFL's Tampa Bay franchise, talked about scouting Southwestern Athletic Conference products in a Q&A at buccaneers.com this week.
"Well, No. 1, my job is for the Buccaneers, to get the best players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers," he said. "But at the same time, there's no doubt that I might be a little partial to the historically black colleges, the SWAC or what have you. I'm not going to bring in a kid just because he went there. I want him to be able to show it."
The Bucs have drafted former Southern cornerback Lenny Williams and given a tryout to ex-Grambling receiver Scotty Anderson since Williams arrived in Tampa, but neither made the team.
Williams couldn't attend the opening of an exhibit of Eddie Robinson memorabilia in Grambling on Friday, he said, because he is filming a new special by NFL Films on the Super Bowl. Williams was the MVP of the 1988 game leading Washington over Denver.
Tiger bites: The just-completed Melvin Spears Football Camp included 200 young hopefuls - hailing from places as far flung as Alaska. Large groups came from Shreveport, Alexandria and Belzoni, Miss., as well. … The AFL's New Orleans franchise re-signed Grambling product Calvin Spears, who has played for the VooDoo for the past two seasons. Spears coached the secondary at Grambling last season, then returned to finish fifth on the VooDoo with 32® tackles.
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GSU's Pettway staying a Texan
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Grambling product Kenneth Pettway is staying home.
Pettway, a seventh-round 2005 draft pick for the Houston Texans, has reupped as an exclusive-rights free agent.
"This is a really good organization," said Pettway, a native of Gilmer, just outside of Houston. "I was born and spent most of my life here. The city has grown a lot but, at the same time, it's home to me. As far as this franchise goes, they handle their business really well."
Taken 237th overall by the Texans last year, Pettway finished with 115 tackles, 13.5 sacks, 30 tackles for a loss, 10 quarterback pressures, three forced fumbles, four passes defensed and two blocked kicks in 23 games at Grambling. He later garnered an invite to the 2005 Las Vegas All-American Classic postseason all-star game and was the only invitee from the Southwestern Athletic Conference at the 2005 NFL Scouting Combine.
Pettway says he signed one-year contract, just as he did last season, in the hopes that a breakout year might result in a better deal.
He's met new coach Gary Kubiak and a series of new assistants who were hired in the wake of Houston's league-worst 2-14 mark last season.
"When I first met the new coach, he came off as a really good guy," said Pettway, who spent most of his rookie season — save for games against Jacksonville and San Francisco — on the practice squad.
Kubiak and defensive coordinator Richard Smith Miami's coordinator last season under Nick Saban are moving from Houston's familiar 3-4 defensive alignment to the more conventional 4-3 look, with Pettway working on the outside.
"So far, so good," Pettway said. "They've got me playing Sam or Will, either one."
Pettway, who is participating in off-season training right now, said he expects the 4-3 playbook to be installed later in the spring.
"We've been running and conditioning," Pettway said. "We'll start learning the new defense when we start coaching sessions."
Pettway began his collegiate career at Southern Arkansas, where he had 52 tackles, 10 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries and one forced fumble in 16 games. He was a four-sport performer in football, basketball, track and baseball at Gilmer High.
The Texans now have signed nine free agents, and re-signed another eight players. They hold the top pick in April's NFL Draft and, by exercising a $8 million option that extends quarterback David Carr's contract through the 2008, seem to be positioning themselves to select Texas running back Reggie Bush.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Remembering: Grambling enters period of turmoil
Nick's note: This was, of course, just the beginning of a remarkable period of change for Grambling at the dawn of the administration of school president Horace Judson (pictured at right). In the four years that followed, Grambling would see Willie Jeffries come and go as athletics director, followed by an interim and then Troy Mathieu. Spears would be let go in 2006 and replaced by Rod Broadway. Then, in a series of shattering losses over an eight-month period, Grambling would mark the passings of seminal legends Collie J. Nicholson (September 2006) -- who is extensively quoted in the following piece -- then Ernie Ladd (March 2007) and Eddie Robinson (April 2007). g g g
Back to earth
The good ol' days of steadiness in the GSU athletics department are over.
July 12, 2004
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - Will Grambling State ever again see the bedrock stability it once knew?
Not in today's topsy-turvy world, said Collie J. Nicholson, the sports information director at GSU for 30 years, beginning in 1948.
But even Nicholson is taken back by 2004's evolving situation. "There have been changes made over the years," he said, "but not to this degree."
A year ago, fans of the Grambling State football program were still savoring a third consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.
The Tigers didn't add a fourth - finishing with a respectable nine wins, but still one game short of the 2003 SWAC title game in Birmingham.
A year ago, Michael Roach, coordinator for each of those championship teams, was running GSU's defense. One game into the 2003 season, he resigned - citing personal and family concerns.
A year ago, receiver Tramon Douglas had just broken future Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice's conference record for receiving yards. An off-season injury would so alter his senior season that Douglas would go undrafted by the NFL.
Heishma Northern, in his sixth season at Grambling as coach of defensive backs and special teams, took over for Roach. Defensive line coach Gabe Northern, in his third season with the Tigers, handled the linebackers last season.
But as 2004 dawned, Heishma Northern was not asked to continue as defensive coordinator. Gabe Northern was fired.
Coach Doug Williams, the architect of GSU's first SWAC titles and first winning seasons since 1994, hired Tom Lavigne as defensive coordinator - but would resign his post before Lavigne took over. Williams is now with the NFL's Tampa Bay franchise.
Lavigne, a GSU graduate, was subsequently fired by interim head coach Melvin Spears, Williams' long-time offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
A year ago, Albert Dennis III - a former player whose father was also one of Robinson's first team captains - was the athletics director. He had overseen three conference titles in football, the completion of a new baseball facility and the groundbreaking on a basketball gym.
But, after the University of Louisiana System board hired Horace Judson as new president for GSU, Judson fired Dennis on his first official day in office.
Then, an item on Spears' resume came into question - a situation that was apparently resolved after a trip to Northern Arizona University over the weekend.
All of this turbulence seems particularly noteworthy when placed alongside a bit of relevant trivia: Williams was just the second GSU coach since Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency.
Eddie Robinson had earned 408 career victories from 1941 through 1997, setting an all-time record for wins that would stand until last season - and he did it all at this country school, located in the hills of western Lincoln Parish.
Williams, his replacement, would coach for 51 fewer years at Grambling. A school that was the very model of stability has apparently caught up with the times.
"I don't think it will ever be as stable as it used to be," Nicholson said. "Things have changed to such a degree, that I think this is the norm nowadays."
Questions about a master's degree from Northern Arizona prompted Spears to travel to Flagstaff to resolve the issue over the weekend. A dean there confirmed to The News-Star on Friday that Spears had completed the required courses, but still needed to finish minor paperwork to receive his degree. His transcript was expected to be updated early this week.
"Really it's a question of having a degree posted, not having completed the degree requirements," said William Wright, chair of the department of research, foundations and leadership - in which Spears studied at Northern Arizona from 1993 until taking job with Williams before then 1998 season.
But that still leaves the question of who will be athletics director at Grambling State - and what all of this has done to a team that some expected to return to championship form in 2004.
"My first concern," said Williams, upon hearing that Spears' resume was under review, "is for those players. I pray for them."
So far, the team has tried to carry on as usual, said senior linebacker Kenneth Pettway.
"When it involves your coach, it's going to be on the players' mind all the time," Pettway said. "He comes in every morning, then to every workout every evening. He's in his office if you need someone to talk to. Then, when there comes a time that he might not be there, it's difficult for the team."
Judson hasn't officially addressed the AD situation since asking Dennis to step down more than a week ago.
While the school rebounded in football during Dennis' tenure, Grambling State hasn't captured the SWAC Commissioner's Cup, an all-sports trophy, since 1997-98 - the last year before Dennis took over for Robert Piper.
Left unfinished is an away game against Mississippi Valley, which outside promoters hoped to move from Itta Bena, Miss., to Chicago's Soldier Field. Dennis said just days before he was fired that GSU had still not completed negotiations on moving that contest.
Then, there is the opening for a defensive coordinator. Spears was reviewing applications before questions about his resume had him on a plane to Arizona.
"I've got applications coming in, but the administration hasn't signed off on the new job description for the position. Until that point, we are not ready to comment," he said last week. "A bunch of guys have sent resumes. Quite naturally, you're talking about Grambling, so a lot of people are going to be interested."
Despite such upheaval, GSU assistant Mark Hall still leads the team in a tough but reliable regimen of weights and summertime conditioning. Players say there's nothing more that can be done, during this off-season of change.
"It must be very difficult for them to understand that these problems are off the field," said Nicholson, major architect of the legendary Bayou Classic. "But they can still make Grambling proud."
A year ago, the path didn't seem so rocky. But Pettway says that doesn't mean the team is confused about what's ahead.
"As a team we came together and had a meeting," said Pettway, a 2003 transfer from Southern Arkansas who was this past spring's most impressive performer. "Our workout stayed intense. We still show up for running every day. Even though things are going on around the team, our goal remains the same: To win the championship. We are staying focused, even though things are going on."
Friday, December 08, 2006
Remembering: 'Grambling's White Tiger'
TV spotlight was on changeIssue of integration in college football hit the small screen 25 years ago with 'Grambling's White Tiger'
September 24, 2006
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Twenty-five years ago, a film crew descended on the town of Grambling to retell a turning-point moment in the history of its football team.
Coach Eddie Robinson's decision to integrate his then-all black college football team — and a book detailing the transition — had come in the turbulence of the late 1960s.
But the story had always struck former Olympian Bruce Jenner as one that would connect with a mainstream audience — and, more than a decade later, Jenner turned it into his first movie project.
"This was a true story of integration," Jenner said, "but it was going in the opposite direction."
Standing at the center of the book — "My Little Brother is Coming Tomorrow" by Bruce Behrenberg — and subsequent film was Jim Gregory. He became known forever by the 1981 TV movie's title: "Grambling's White Tiger."
"The experience itself was something that I would never want to do away with," said Gregory, who has since worked for 30 years as a teacher and coach at California's Reedley High. "It was a great experience. I would do it again in a heartbeat."
Parts of it, anyway.
Gregory's memories of his time at Grambling — he warmly describes the towering leadership of Robinson, and an enduring friendship with teammates like Monroe's Charles "Tank" Smith — have been forever changed by the media maelstrom that surrounded his presence.
He unwittingly contributed to that whirlwind when, as youngster, he signed the deal that led to Behrenberg's book.
But in the end, Gregory says that publication and the subsequent, more widely seen film stand as testament to the times more so than to his own story.
"It's not my life," Gregory likes to say. "It was only a semester."
A BRAND-NEW ERA
Robinson had met Gregory when he spoke at the high schooler's football banquet.
Two of Cocoran High's coaches had Grambling connections: Its head coach played for Robinson and an assistant, Ed Stevens (pictured above), later joined his staff.
Robinson, who is in failing health today, once said the times dictated his decision to integrate the team. He insisted that Grambling's players would have to live their lives around white people, and that segregation in school only prolonged that acclimation process.
In the end, he felt that no other player could have handled the adversity as well as Gregory did.
"I knew that I had learned something from 'Greg,' and he from us," Robinson said. "We all taught others some things in the process."
Gregory didn't see much playing time, beginning his career as a freshman on a team led by James "Shack" Harris and ending it behind Matt Reed, another Monroe native. But Robinson always stressed that football was just one small part of the journey.
"Eddie was looking for someone who would make it through and graduate; that was one of Eddie's goals all along — whether you became a star player or not," Gregory said. "He wanted us to go out into society and contribute."
Though he says he endured his share of curious looks as the only white person on the team, Gregory said he was greeted on campus with open arms.
"That was one thing about Eddie Robinson, he was going to make sure that anybody who came here was going to be treated equally," said Douglas Porter, then the offensive coordinator. "That was almost like a religion. It was going to be the same for everybody."
Players like Harris, then fighting to become the first black quarterback to be drafted at his true position, saw in Gregory a kindred spirit.
"It took a unique guy to go through that," said Harris, now an NFL personnel executive. "He had to accept some critical circumstances. But I think during that time, it may have been easier for Jim than it was to do it in the reverse."
Gregory, for his part, was introduced to a whole new world of Southern hospitality, soul food surprises and funky good times.
"I was put into the dorm with guys like James Harris and Charlie Joiner, and they had a lot of questions," Gregory said. "I can remember guys who didn't like me, because they had never been around a white guy before. Those people became some of my better friends as time went on."
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
The novelty of the situation soon drew nationwide attention. Grambling, becoming known as the cradle of the pros, suddenly had a sideshow.
"There was too much hype surrounding it," Gregory said. "It (the color barrier) was being broken, whether I did it or not. I just wanted to play football."
Still, Gregory signed the book deal that eventually became the basis for Jenner's movie while he was still enrolled at Grambling.
"I was a young kid and we jumped into it," Gregory said. "There were times I wished it had never come about. I was having trouble with the fact that I was stabbing my buddies in the back, as the white kid getting all the notoriety. It was really a tough time."
Grambling, through the brilliance of Robinson and sports information director Collie J. Nicholson, was coming into its own as a national presence.
The founding of the Urban League Classic, played at a sold-out Yankee Stadium in 1968, coincided with Gregory's arrival. Hundreds of Grambling products were flooding into the NFL.
Yet a cluster of reporters greeted the white quarterback at every GSU stop — cruelly ironic to the others in that he wasn't a starter.
"They were always trying to pull things from you that didn't have anything to do with what was going on, or put me at a higher standing than I was," Gregory said. "I was a freshman, after all. I was only traveling with the team because I could kick."
Through it all, Porter said Gregory deftly avoided becoming a disruptive force.
"We used to go a lot of places and reporters would try to draw him into making a remark about not getting a chance to play," Porter said. "He wouldn't do it. He never let them make that an issue."
Gregory earned his teammates' respect with that fair-minded attitude — not to mention gutty practice-yard play, even if that never transferred to all-conference stats.
"Jim Gregory was a real tough competitor," Harris said. "He just didn't have the ability that (former Grambling passers) Frank Holmes and Matthew Reed had. He won over some guys because when he practiced on the freshman team, he competed and took his hits."
He also learned a lot in those times of dramatic change in America.
Gregory said a scene from "Grambling's White Tiger" where a black co-ed is reluctant to go on a shopping trip with him accurately depicts the struggles between races at the time.
"Just my walking downtown in Ruston or Monroe with 'Tank,' we'd get dirty looks," Gregory said. "There were some tough times, but we hung through it. Over the five years I was there, I saw great change. There were still people who didn't like each other, but the overall relationship had become a lot better."
THE SPOTLIGHT RETURNS
While Gregory was toiling away in graduate school when work on Jenner's film began, his teammates and coach had become national figures.
Robinson was within sight of Paul "Bear" Bryant's once-thought unassailable all-time record for wins. Harris and Joiner were playing for the San Diego Chargers, while Smith was a member of the Philadelphia Eagles' roster.
So, the project — boosted, too, perhaps Jenner's involvement — drew some notable talents.
Harry Belafonte made his television acting debut as a tribute to his regard for Robinson. Harris would be played by Dennis Haysbert, who has since starred as President David Palmer in TV's "24" and in a series of Allstate commercials.
Smith was portrayed by LeVar Burton, best known for the ground-breaking miniseries "Roots" and later for his work on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
The film was directed by Georg Stanford Brown, who worked on TV's "Hill Street Blues" and won an Emmy for an episode of "Cagney and Lacey."
Yet, despite getting largely good notices for "Grambling's White Tiger" — the only quibble was, in fact, with the star's sometimes-wooden delivery as Gregory — Jenner's fledgling production company didn't take off.
He has worked on various television and movie projects since, but devotes most of his time now to a corporate coaching company that works on staff development, leadership programs and crafting sales programs.
"It was certainly the high point of my acting career," Jenner said. "It was very well received and it was an important movie, I thought."
As time passed, Gregory's perspective on the book and the movie subtly changed.
He eventually integrated them into his classroom curriculum. Both are on file in his school library.
"It's a great history lesson on segregation and desegregation," he said. "I eventually had a better feeling about the movie, because I'd come to think of it as a learning tool."
Seeing his life story through the eyes of successive generations of young people continues to teach Gregory new things about those times.
"Whether I like it or not, my coming to Grambling had an effect on society," Gregory said. "As I finished up, other schools were just starting to beginning to integrate. We were part of something."
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Lights, camera, Grambling!
September 24, 2006
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Bruce Jenner's 1981 film stands as historical artifact not just because of its dramatic portrayal of the integration of Eddie Robinson's football team but also because it was shot on location in Grambling.
Jenner and his crew spent a month on campus that summer shooting "Grambling's White Tiger," using members of the current GSU football team as extras to portray events from 12 years before.
"We had to do it at Grambling, just because it was such a unique place and had such a rich history," said Jenner. "To give the storyline any credibility, it had to be done there."
Of course, that meant the whole town got to share in the experience.
Jenner, a former Olympic decathlon champion, shot a football game actually held in Marshall, Texas, against Wiley College at GSU's old Memorial Stadium.
As always, locals filled the background for crowd shots.
"They painted the press box on the visitors side purple and white," said Grambling alum Kenn Rashad, then a 13-year-old. "At the top of that press box was a sign that read 'Wylie College.' The movie producers misspelled the name of the school."
Pretty soon, everyone was angling for their big Hollywood moment.
"I begged the crew a number of times to get me into the movie," said John Barabin, who grew up in Baton Rouge but used to spend summers in Grambling with relatives. "They finally obliged by having me run down Grambling's Main Street sidewalk and do a double take at Bruce Jenner. I hung out with stars, ate from their catering truck — and, best of all, I received a paycheck for it!"
The television film originally aired Oct. 4, 1981, and has been rerun countless times since. Highlights include now-poignant glimpses into former coach Eddie Robinson's office and inside the Memorial Stadium locker rooms — neither of which are still used by the GSU football team.
There was at least one interruption of filming, after a student government representative objected to something in the script. But Jenner said even that turned into a moment of discovery.
"They thought it put the school in a bad light," Jenner said. "Coach Robinson said: 'Let's meet with the students and hear what they have to say, but let the process play out. Let them learn from the experience.' We made some minor changes, and kept going."
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Bayou Classics That Mattered Most
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
More than three decades in, which Bayou Classic games mattered the most? I'm talking turning-point moments. Not just because that particular day was (or wasn't) a big win, but because it had a lasting impact. Leading up to Saturday's Bayou Classic, I'll make my six points:
1980 Bayou Classic
November 19, 2006
SIX: When Mike Williams walked off the Superdome carpet with the most valuable player award after the 1980 Bayou Classic, it marked the end of an era.
The Williams' era.
A quarterback named Williams, either Mike or older brother Doug, had started for Grambling in every Classic until that point - and had won four of the seven MVPs ever given.
GSU had also gone 6-1 against Southern with a Williams under center, falling only in 1979. Five of the Top 6 best-attended games, including Nos. 1-4, occurred during this span, as well.
Doug Williams remembered the very first game, played at Tulane in 1974 while construction of the Superdome was completed:
"I looked around and said: 'What am I doing here?'" he told The News-Star in 2003. "We had 75,000 at a historically black college football game. I was a redshirt freshman, and scared to death. I was blessed to have some veterans around me and Coach Robinson ran a conservative offense that didn't put too much pressure on me."
Doug Williams would, of course, be named MVP in that game, as well as the third Bayou Classic in 1976. Mike Williams took over in 1978, and won the Classic MVP that season and in 1980.
(Grambling wingback Sammy White, now the program's offensive coordinator, was MVP in 1975, followed by GSU wingback Robert Woods in 1977. Southern quarterback Wilfred Charles was the 1979 honoree.)
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1993 Bayou Classic
November 20, 2006
FIVE: In 1993, rookie Southern coach Pete Richardson stormed into the SWAC - beating his first six league opponents by an average of 30 points. In fact, he'd only stumble once coming into the season-ending Bayou Classic, and that was against out-of-conference foe Nicholls State.
"I voted for him for Coach of the Year," former GSU line coach Billy Manning told The News-Star in 1993. "It's hard to come in and turn a team around like that. ... It all boils down to execution, motivation, technique and preparation. The talent has been there."
Southern had already punched its ticket to the Heritage Bowl, after GSU fell to Alabama State three weeks before. Richardson then topped Eddie Robinson in the 1993 Bayou Classic 31-13 with sophomore quarterback Eric Randall as MVP.
A subsequent bowl win over South Carolina State meant the first-year coach had led Southern to the school's second 11-win season ever, its first SWAC title in 18 years and its first outright championship since 1959.
What followed was a stunning run of dominance for Southern, as Pete eventually took eight straight Classics -- six from Robinson and two from Doug Williams, Rob's eventual successor. He beat Grambling by an average of two touchdowns over that span.
Before Pete, Grambling actually held a 13-6 Classic series lead, and Southern had never won more than two in a row (1981-82 and 1987-88). By 2000, the Richardson had already won four SWAC titles (1993, then 1997-99) -- and pulled ahead in the Classic series, 14-13.
It all started with that 1993 victory.
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1990 Bayou Classic
November 21, 2006
FOUR: In many ways, the 1990 Bayou Classic was somewhat routine, as Grambling won 25-13 - Eddie Robinson's second in a row over Southern coach Gerald Kimble. GSU had, at that point, won 12 of the initial 17 editions.
Only this time, 200 million people had the opportunity to experience the game - not to mention the halftime pageantry - through a new partnership deal with NBC TV.
Former Grambling sports information director Collie J. Nicholson's dream - 12 years after his celebrated 30-year run at GSU ended - had finally been completely realized.
"When Eddie Robinson came to Grambling, people in Lincoln Parish didn't even know where Grambling was," Nicholson told The News-Star in 2003. "It took a long time to build name recognition for the school, during the time of segregation."
This was a guy who used to type up the game stories, then drive 70 miles to Shreveport to wire them all over the country. Now, Nicholson's game was being beamed into every home in America.
GSU quarterback Shawn Burras was the 1990 Classic's MVP, leading a unit that included SWAC offensive player of the year Walter Dean and future NFL receiver Jake Reed. Still, I think my favorite guy from this period is Raymond Smith, the 6-7, 435-pound offensive tackle who so richly earned the nickname: "World."
Oddly enough, despite the addition of television coverage, the 1990 edition turned out to be the highest attended Classic since Southern beat Grambling 22-17 in 1982. The announced crowd of 70,600 was then No. 7 all time.
Nicholson, who was recognized with the Bayou Classic Founder's Award two seasons later, passed earlier this year after experiencing a series of health problems. The press box at Robinson Stadium is named in his honor.
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1992 Bayou Classic
November 22, 2006
THREE: Coaching legends Eddie Robinson and Marino Casem - winners between them of 568 college contests - faced off again, producing another remarkable rivalry game.
And another razor-thin margin.
Three times, they roamed the sidelines at the Bayou Classic. The average margin of victory: 6 points.
This time, GSU won 30-27 before a sold-out crowd of 71,283, the year before Casem moved up to become Southern's athletics director. It was the last time these two Southwestern Athletic Conference legends met on the field.
The Classic's most valuable player was Grambling quarterback Alex Perkins, who would then help craft a 45-15 win over Florida A&M in the Heritage Bowl to win the '92 black college national championship - the final under Robinson. (Current GSU running backs coach Darius Matthews was also on that team.)
This would be the only time Robinson got the better of Casem in New Orleans. Southern beat Grambling by a touchdown in both 1987 and '88. (Southern's Daryl Garner and Chris Scott, respectively, were named MVPs.)
In all, 182,516 people saw these titanic struggles, which led to one of the most famous descriptions of this game from Casem - who called it "the biggest and best thing in all of blackdom."
Known as The Godfather of the SWAC, Casem served as coach and athletics director at both Southern, Alcorn and, for one season early in his coaching career, at Alabama State.
That run included seven football titles at Alcorn, where he set a school record for wins. (Though the two played to a virtual draw over Casem's first decade at Alcorn, Rob eventually established a 13-8 advantage). Casem oversaw another four SWAC championships as AD at Southern, then had another brief tenure in the same position at Alcorn before retiring.
Both Robinson and Casem, who finished with a coaching record of 160-91-8, are now members of the College Football Hall of Fame.
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1975 Bayou Classic
November 23, 2006
TWO: It's not just that this game was the first to be played in the Superdome, which is reason enough.
This one boasted more eventual NFL talent from Grambling than any Bayou Classic ever: Eight starters went on to play three or more years in the pros, and at least 15 were eventually invited to NFL camps.
"Grambling's football tradition is second to none," former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told The News-Star in 1992. "Under Eddie Robinson's leadership, Grambling contributed an unusually large number of players to the NFL."
Wingback Sammy White (Vikings, 1976-86) took handoffs from quarterback Doug Williams (Buccaneers, 1978-83; and Redskins, 1986-89). Now GSU's offensive coordinator, White was named the game's most valuable player.
Williams also had Dwight Scales (Rams, 1976-79; Chargers, 1981-83; and Seahawks, 1984) as a top target. Big Ron Singleton (Chargers, 1976; and Niners, 1977-80) would play both tight end and offensive tackle. The group scored 33 points that year on Charlie Bates' Jaguars, thrilling a crowd of 73,214 at the Dome.
Defensive back James Hunter (Lions, 1976-82) and linebacker Robert Pennywell (Niners, 1976; and Falcons, 1977-80) led a unit that held Southern to 17 points. The defensive line was anchored by Robert Barber (Packers, 1976-80) and Michael St. Claire (Browns, 1976-79; and Bengals, 1980-82).
Others from this amazingly talented Tiger team who appeared on NFL rosters included offensive tackle Larry Favorite (Falcons); defensive end Arthur Gilliam (Broncos); defensive tackle Jessie O'Neal (Oilers, Seahawks and Redskins); offensive lineman Robert Simon (Oilers); defensive backs Eugene Williams (Jets) and Michael Harris (Eagles, Jets and Steelers); and center Billy Manning (Saints) -- who later became an assistant under Robinson.
The Bayou Classic would be played another 29 times at the Superdome before Hurricane Katrina rendered the facility unplayable in 2005. After a one-year hiatus at Houston's Reliant Stadium, the contest returns home this year.
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1997 Bayou Classic
November 24, 2006
ONE: There would be no stopping Southern's Pete Richardson, then in the midst of eight years of domination in New Orleans.
Nevertheless, Eddie Robinson's final game, after 57 seasons at Grambling, provided the proper send off to college football's winningest coach.
The NBC broadcast included several features chronicling his storied career. Tributes flowed in from then President Bill Clinton, fellow coaches like Penn State's Joe Paterno and a bevy of former players.
More than 300 media credentials were issued, and they quickly scattered out to interview the likes of Willie Davis, Charles "Tank" Smith, Elfrid Payton, Henry Dyer, Mike Williams, James Hunter, and others.
The build up threatened to subsume the Bayou Classic itself.
Of course, Robinson took it all in stride: "I'm really not trying to think of this game as my last," he told The News-Star in 1997. "It's there in the back of my mind, but I'm really just trying to take this as just the next game we have to try to win."
That didn't happen, as Southern dispatched GSU, 30-7.
Even so, there were other numbers threading through the four-hour broadcast, staggering numbers - 408 wins in 587 games, 17 SWAC titles and 210 players in the NFL. Hundreds, if not thousands of young men, with a road map to life in the form of a college degree.
In carrying the game, NBC shared the story of Eddie Robinson with the world one final time.
The 1997 Classic was one instance - this year, with the return to New Orleans, is another - when it seemed appropriate that the game turned into a sideshow. Robinson's towering achievements deserved no less.
Also considered: 2004 Bayou Classic, an upset win by Grambling that sent Richardson into a tailspin. Then the reigning SWAC champion, the Jaguars went on to lose in the '04 title match and haven't had a winning season since. ... 1974 Bayou Classic, the first ever held. This game was held at Tulane Stadium while construction of the Superdome continued. ... 2006 Bayou Classic, which is set to include an emotional homecoming in New Orleans, a year after Hurricane Katrina.
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
More than three decades in, which Bayou Classic games mattered the most? I'm talking turning-point moments. Not just because that particular day was (or wasn't) a big win, but because it had a lasting impact. Leading up to Saturday's Bayou Classic, I'll make my six points:
1980 Bayou Classic
November 19, 2006
SIX: When Mike Williams walked off the Superdome carpet with the most valuable player award after the 1980 Bayou Classic, it marked the end of an era.
The Williams' era.
A quarterback named Williams, either Mike or older brother Doug, had started for Grambling in every Classic until that point - and had won four of the seven MVPs ever given.
GSU had also gone 6-1 against Southern with a Williams under center, falling only in 1979. Five of the Top 6 best-attended games, including Nos. 1-4, occurred during this span, as well.
Doug Williams remembered the very first game, played at Tulane in 1974 while construction of the Superdome was completed:
"I looked around and said: 'What am I doing here?'" he told The News-Star in 2003. "We had 75,000 at a historically black college football game. I was a redshirt freshman, and scared to death. I was blessed to have some veterans around me and Coach Robinson ran a conservative offense that didn't put too much pressure on me."
Doug Williams would, of course, be named MVP in that game, as well as the third Bayou Classic in 1976. Mike Williams took over in 1978, and won the Classic MVP that season and in 1980.
(Grambling wingback Sammy White, now the program's offensive coordinator, was MVP in 1975, followed by GSU wingback Robert Woods in 1977. Southern quarterback Wilfred Charles was the 1979 honoree.)
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1993 Bayou Classic
November 20, 2006
FIVE: In 1993, rookie Southern coach Pete Richardson stormed into the SWAC - beating his first six league opponents by an average of 30 points. In fact, he'd only stumble once coming into the season-ending Bayou Classic, and that was against out-of-conference foe Nicholls State.
"I voted for him for Coach of the Year," former GSU line coach Billy Manning told The News-Star in 1993. "It's hard to come in and turn a team around like that. ... It all boils down to execution, motivation, technique and preparation. The talent has been there."
Southern had already punched its ticket to the Heritage Bowl, after GSU fell to Alabama State three weeks before. Richardson then topped Eddie Robinson in the 1993 Bayou Classic 31-13 with sophomore quarterback Eric Randall as MVP.
A subsequent bowl win over South Carolina State meant the first-year coach had led Southern to the school's second 11-win season ever, its first SWAC title in 18 years and its first outright championship since 1959.
What followed was a stunning run of dominance for Southern, as Pete eventually took eight straight Classics -- six from Robinson and two from Doug Williams, Rob's eventual successor. He beat Grambling by an average of two touchdowns over that span.
Before Pete, Grambling actually held a 13-6 Classic series lead, and Southern had never won more than two in a row (1981-82 and 1987-88). By 2000, the Richardson had already won four SWAC titles (1993, then 1997-99) -- and pulled ahead in the Classic series, 14-13.
It all started with that 1993 victory.
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1990 Bayou Classic
November 21, 2006
FOUR: In many ways, the 1990 Bayou Classic was somewhat routine, as Grambling won 25-13 - Eddie Robinson's second in a row over Southern coach Gerald Kimble. GSU had, at that point, won 12 of the initial 17 editions.
Only this time, 200 million people had the opportunity to experience the game - not to mention the halftime pageantry - through a new partnership deal with NBC TV.
Former Grambling sports information director Collie J. Nicholson's dream - 12 years after his celebrated 30-year run at GSU ended - had finally been completely realized.
"When Eddie Robinson came to Grambling, people in Lincoln Parish didn't even know where Grambling was," Nicholson told The News-Star in 2003. "It took a long time to build name recognition for the school, during the time of segregation."
This was a guy who used to type up the game stories, then drive 70 miles to Shreveport to wire them all over the country. Now, Nicholson's game was being beamed into every home in America.
GSU quarterback Shawn Burras was the 1990 Classic's MVP, leading a unit that included SWAC offensive player of the year Walter Dean and future NFL receiver Jake Reed. Still, I think my favorite guy from this period is Raymond Smith, the 6-7, 435-pound offensive tackle who so richly earned the nickname: "World."
Oddly enough, despite the addition of television coverage, the 1990 edition turned out to be the highest attended Classic since Southern beat Grambling 22-17 in 1982. The announced crowd of 70,600 was then No. 7 all time.
Nicholson, who was recognized with the Bayou Classic Founder's Award two seasons later, passed earlier this year after experiencing a series of health problems. The press box at Robinson Stadium is named in his honor.
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1992 Bayou Classic
November 22, 2006
THREE: Coaching legends Eddie Robinson and Marino Casem - winners between them of 568 college contests - faced off again, producing another remarkable rivalry game.
And another razor-thin margin.
Three times, they roamed the sidelines at the Bayou Classic. The average margin of victory: 6 points.
This time, GSU won 30-27 before a sold-out crowd of 71,283, the year before Casem moved up to become Southern's athletics director. It was the last time these two Southwestern Athletic Conference legends met on the field.
The Classic's most valuable player was Grambling quarterback Alex Perkins, who would then help craft a 45-15 win over Florida A&M in the Heritage Bowl to win the '92 black college national championship - the final under Robinson. (Current GSU running backs coach Darius Matthews was also on that team.)
This would be the only time Robinson got the better of Casem in New Orleans. Southern beat Grambling by a touchdown in both 1987 and '88. (Southern's Daryl Garner and Chris Scott, respectively, were named MVPs.)
In all, 182,516 people saw these titanic struggles, which led to one of the most famous descriptions of this game from Casem - who called it "the biggest and best thing in all of blackdom."
Known as The Godfather of the SWAC, Casem served as coach and athletics director at both Southern, Alcorn and, for one season early in his coaching career, at Alabama State.
That run included seven football titles at Alcorn, where he set a school record for wins. (Though the two played to a virtual draw over Casem's first decade at Alcorn, Rob eventually established a 13-8 advantage). Casem oversaw another four SWAC championships as AD at Southern, then had another brief tenure in the same position at Alcorn before retiring.
Both Robinson and Casem, who finished with a coaching record of 160-91-8, are now members of the College Football Hall of Fame.
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1975 Bayou Classic
November 23, 2006
TWO: It's not just that this game was the first to be played in the Superdome, which is reason enough.
This one boasted more eventual NFL talent from Grambling than any Bayou Classic ever: Eight starters went on to play three or more years in the pros, and at least 15 were eventually invited to NFL camps.
"Grambling's football tradition is second to none," former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue told The News-Star in 1992. "Under Eddie Robinson's leadership, Grambling contributed an unusually large number of players to the NFL."
Wingback Sammy White (Vikings, 1976-86) took handoffs from quarterback Doug Williams (Buccaneers, 1978-83; and Redskins, 1986-89). Now GSU's offensive coordinator, White was named the game's most valuable player.
Williams also had Dwight Scales (Rams, 1976-79; Chargers, 1981-83; and Seahawks, 1984) as a top target. Big Ron Singleton (Chargers, 1976; and Niners, 1977-80) would play both tight end and offensive tackle. The group scored 33 points that year on Charlie Bates' Jaguars, thrilling a crowd of 73,214 at the Dome.
Defensive back James Hunter (Lions, 1976-82) and linebacker Robert Pennywell (Niners, 1976; and Falcons, 1977-80) led a unit that held Southern to 17 points. The defensive line was anchored by Robert Barber (Packers, 1976-80) and Michael St. Claire (Browns, 1976-79; and Bengals, 1980-82).
Others from this amazingly talented Tiger team who appeared on NFL rosters included offensive tackle Larry Favorite (Falcons); defensive end Arthur Gilliam (Broncos); defensive tackle Jessie O'Neal (Oilers, Seahawks and Redskins); offensive lineman Robert Simon (Oilers); defensive backs Eugene Williams (Jets) and Michael Harris (Eagles, Jets and Steelers); and center Billy Manning (Saints) -- who later became an assistant under Robinson.
The Bayou Classic would be played another 29 times at the Superdome before Hurricane Katrina rendered the facility unplayable in 2005. After a one-year hiatus at Houston's Reliant Stadium, the contest returns home this year.
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1997 Bayou Classic
November 24, 2006
ONE: There would be no stopping Southern's Pete Richardson, then in the midst of eight years of domination in New Orleans.
Nevertheless, Eddie Robinson's final game, after 57 seasons at Grambling, provided the proper send off to college football's winningest coach.
The NBC broadcast included several features chronicling his storied career. Tributes flowed in from then President Bill Clinton, fellow coaches like Penn State's Joe Paterno and a bevy of former players.
More than 300 media credentials were issued, and they quickly scattered out to interview the likes of Willie Davis, Charles "Tank" Smith, Elfrid Payton, Henry Dyer, Mike Williams, James Hunter, and others.
The build up threatened to subsume the Bayou Classic itself.
Of course, Robinson took it all in stride: "I'm really not trying to think of this game as my last," he told The News-Star in 1997. "It's there in the back of my mind, but I'm really just trying to take this as just the next game we have to try to win."
That didn't happen, as Southern dispatched GSU, 30-7.
Even so, there were other numbers threading through the four-hour broadcast, staggering numbers - 408 wins in 587 games, 17 SWAC titles and 210 players in the NFL. Hundreds, if not thousands of young men, with a road map to life in the form of a college degree.
In carrying the game, NBC shared the story of Eddie Robinson with the world one final time.
The 1997 Classic was one instance - this year, with the return to New Orleans, is another - when it seemed appropriate that the game turned into a sideshow. Robinson's towering achievements deserved no less.
Also considered: 2004 Bayou Classic, an upset win by Grambling that sent Richardson into a tailspin. Then the reigning SWAC champion, the Jaguars went on to lose in the '04 title match and haven't had a winning season since. ... 1974 Bayou Classic, the first ever held. This game was held at Tulane Stadium while construction of the Superdome continued. ... 2006 Bayou Classic, which is set to include an emotional homecoming in New Orleans, a year after Hurricane Katrina.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Remembering: Collie J.
In honor of this week's Bayou Classic, here are some more recent pieces about longtime Grambling sports information director Collie J. Nicholson, a friend and hero:
His sweeping influence
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
By Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Framing the late Collie J. Nicholson's legacy within the context of Grambling is fitting, but it sells short his sweeping influence.
Without Nicholson, it's true, much of Grambling's nomenclature wouldn't exist - the nicknames, the classics, so on. But there are larger lessons, moments of towering leadership, inside these stories.
For Nicholson to be able to convince people in New York City, deep in the troubled 1960s, to let two black colleges square off in Yankee Stadium - and promising a sell out - is, to my mind, more impressive than actually selling it out.
He did, and they did.
As the legend of Grambling grew, so too did that of black college football in general - and then, after the school joined in 1959, the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Nicholson's accomplishment, then, was twofold: In telling the story of Eddie Robinson, and his players, a case was made for African-Americans ballplayers everywhere.
That's his true contribution, and it can't be contained within a simple telling of Grambling's history. Without Collie J., everything is different.
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Nicholson dead, put GSU on map
Thursday, September 14, 2006
By Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Former Grambling State University sports information director Collie J. Nicholson, credited as the brains behind the Bayou Classic, has died at 85.
Nicholson battled a series of age-related illnesses throughout his early 80s, finally succumbing at 7:08 a.m. Wednesday morning at his Shreveport home. His wife Ophelia, daughter and son surrounded him.
"Grambling lost a great soldier today," said Doug Williams, a former player and coach at GSU. "Flags should fly at half mast on campus for Collie J. The reputation that school has across the nation is all because of him."
During a 30-year career that began in 1948 at Grambling, Nicholson played a key role in many of its signature high points in sports — most notably the creation of the neutral-site rivalry game against Southern University at the Superdome in New Orleans.
He also helped establish the early careers of several future professional players, from Paul "Tank" Younger (the first black to sign a football contract in the 1940s) to Williams and Larry Wright (first-round draft picks by the NFL and NBA, respectively, in the 1970s).
"I feel quite sure that I never would have been chosen that high, if not for Collie J.," said Wright, who later returned to coach men's basketball at GSU. "This is a great, great loss for Grambling."
Nicholson's flair for promotion helped spawn celebrated football games at Yankee Stadium in the 1960s and in Hawaii and Japan in the 1970s. And by the time Nicholson retired in 1978, Grambling had played football in 27 of the 50 states, he once said.
A television program featuring team highlights, with comments from legendary former football coach Eddie Robinson, aired on 90 stations across the nation. Stories about Grambling athletics regularly ran in hundreds of newspapers.
Nicholson was widely recognized late in his life for those historic marketing breakthroughs, all accomplished in the days before facsimile, modem and cable.
The NCAA and College Sports Information Directors of America twice named his press guides as best in the nation, part of a string of 13 national awards Nicholson garnered.
A member of the Grambling Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference hall and received CoSIDA's Trailblazer Award in 2002. The Louisiana Sports Writers Association honored Nicholson with its Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism in 1990.
More recently, the University of Louisiana System Board, which oversees GSU, approved a plan in May to rename the Robinson Stadium press box on campus after Nicholson. He was too ill to attend the subsequent ceremonies, held in June.
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'Collie J.' remembered for lifting Grambling’s programs, players
Thursday, September 14, 2006
By Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Collie J. Nicholson, Grambling's first sports information director, wrote GSU right into the national consciousness.
And he did it with nothing more than a battered typewriter and a big heart.
"Collie was the catalyst that put Grambling in the consciousness of America," said Douglas Porter, a former GSU assistant football coach. "His perseverance in promoting the team and the band across the country meant that eventually everywhere you went, people were aware of Grambling. And that's to his credit."
The 85-year-old Nicholson, who served as SID for 30 years through 1978, succumbed to a series of age-related illnesses on Wednesday morning at his Shreveport home.
But not before forging an identity for this country college, and shaping the careers of countless young student athletes with his flair for descriptive writing.
"When people think of Grambling, they think of (legendary former football coach) Eddie Robinson, and rightfully so. But the one who taught people about him was Collie J.," said Doug Williams, a former GSU quarterback and football coach. "He's the reason all of America knows about all that we did."
That no one had ever heard of marketing in the 1940s, well, that never stopped Nicholson — who had an unbendable optimism. When he was done, Grambling had established a far-flung reputation far beyond its humble and distinctly rural beginnings.
"We just came along at the right time. I tell you, the Lord was in the plan," Nicholson once said. "It was timing: Coach Robinson was developing all these players for pro football — and we had a marketing plan. We didn't know what it was — they didn't call it marketing, back then — but we had a concept."
Nicholson, the Marine Corps' first black correspondent during World War II, had been hired on the spot in 1948 by former Grambling president R.W.E. Jones during a chance meeting on campus. That proved to be an inspired choice.
Nicholson began building momentum by sending stories to a widespread national network of black newspapers, eventually contributing regularly to more than 400 of them. In those primitive times, he would type up dispatches and then drive 75 miles to the Western Union station in Shreveport to wire them out.
"When we wanted something to happen, we had to do it for ourselves," Nicholson once said. "Black college football and Grambling had to stick up for itself."
After the Grambling brand became better known, Nicholson then set about promoting a series of neutral-site games — eventually dubbed "classics" — to be played in large American cities against other historically black football programs.
Sold-out games followed in the late 1960s at Yankee Stadium and then later at Giants Stadium. The initial event, in 1968 against Morgan State, drew 64,000 fans.
Later, he negotiated deals that saw Grambling play in Hawaii and Japan — becoming the first American college program to play overseas — and also helped found the Bayou Classic, an in-state rivalry game against Southern played at the Superdome in New Orleans.
"There were naysayers when it came to neutral-site games," said Porter, who made that groundbreaking marketing trip to New York with Nicholson in the segregated 1960s. "But he was so positive. There was a never a shadow of a doubt. He had a tremendous amount of confidence — in himself, and in Grambling."
Much of Nicholson's — and Grambling's — legend was built around football. But Nicholson worked just as hard at promoting other sports, making household names out of talents like Willis Reed and Larry Wright on the basketball court, as well as slugger Ralph Garr and sprinter Stone Johnson, among others.
"He believed in all of the programs," said former baseball coach Wilbert Ellis, who worked with Nicholson for two decades at GSU. "He just loved Grambling. It's a great loss not just for Grambling, but for the entire sports world."
More personal marketing triumphs bookended his career at Grambling.
In Nicholson's first years at the school, he was instrumental in pushing Paul "Tank" Younger into the NFL, ensuring that Younger became the first black college player to sign a pro contract.
Nicholson's tireless promotion also lifted Williams to a fourth-place finish in the 1977 Heisman Trophy voting and to first-team honors on the Associated Press All-America team, both firsts among black colleges.
"To be mentioned for the Heisman?" Williams said, still a bit incredulous. "That was all Collie J. When he told me he was going to put me up, I though that was as funny as Bugs Bunny. It was the highest a player from a black school had ever finished. That's never going to happen again."
Nicholson's legacy continued to play out in ways both large and small.
He never stopped writing about sports. This was, after all, a man so dedicated to his craft that he actually learned Japanese while negotiating the Toyko game.
Years after retiring from Grambling, he was still working as a freelancer — and oftentimes for the same newspapers he'd once cold-called in the 1940s.
Known for his flair with the pen, Nicholson conjured dozens of nicknames that stuck forever — from Paul "Tank" Younger and Ernie "Big Cat" Ladd to Gary "Big Hands" Johnson and Ernest "Monster" Sterling.
"He described players in such a way that it captured the imagination," Porter said. "He had a way of attaching a name that fit the player. And he told their stories just as well. A lot of them never would have gotten a chance to play if not for Collie."
He earned national recognition 13 times during his time at Grambling for press guides. And, even in the end, awards continued to line his mantel.
The Louisiana Sports Writers Association gave Nicholson its Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism in 1990. The College Sports Information Directors of America followed with its Trailblazer Award 12 years later, even as Nicholson was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.
Nicholson remained humble, framing his legacy in simple terms.
"I would like to be remembered as someone who tried to find a way to fit the Grambling program into the general marketplace," he said. "I've tried my best to do that."
Finally, just last May, the University of Louisiana System Board, which oversees GSU, approved a plan to rename the Robinson Stadium press box on campus after Nicholson.
His old typewriter was placed inside a special display at the Robinson Stadium Support Facility.
Friends and family hailed the honor, saying it will stand forever as a reminder of all that he'd accomplished.
By then, however, Nicholson's health was failing and he could not attend.
"He made Coach a household name," Porter said. "He had a gift for putting together words. That gift was to Grambling's great benefit. Without Collie J. Nicholson, such a great many things would not have been."
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GSU family still honoring Nicholson
Monday, September 18, 2006
By Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com
HOUSTON — Saturday's Grambling State game turned into a tribute to the school's first sports information director.
Santoria Black presented an extended tribute to Collie J. Nicholson, who passed away on Wednesday, as part of halftime on the GSU radio broadcast.
Grambling product James "Shack" Harris also fondly recalled Nicholson's unique marketing genius while scouting seniors as the general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars, even while Nicholson's son Jim was visiting with the team on the sidelines. His initials, CJN, were affixed to the back of the team's helmets.
"He's an icon and a legend," said Grambling offensive coordinator Sammy White, who played at GSU during the latter part of Nicholson's 30-year tenure, which lasted from 1948-78. "He had a passion — and that opened so many doors for me."
Nicholson is credited with establishing the Grambling name nationwide through neutral-site games in larger American markets — including the Bayou Classic in New Orleans against Southern. He was also the brains behind two trips to Japan, where GSU became the first college program to play overseas.
"He put Grambling on the map," said longtime GSU trainer Eugene "Doc" Harvey. "He had ideas long before his time. I was fortunate to be a part of that, and I got a chance to see the world."
Funeral arrangements for Nicholson were completed over the weekend.
A public viewing is scheduled for 1-6 p.m. Tuesday at Winnfield Funeral Home, 3701 Hollywood Ave. in Shreveport. Nicholson's funeral is at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Matthew A.M.E. Church, 1610 Murphy St. in Shreveport. Military burial follows at Forest Park Cemetery.
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Williams: Nicholson 'made Grambling what it is'
Thursday, September 21, 2006
By Nick Deriso, nderiso@thenewsstar.com
SHREVEPORT — Collie J. Nicholson, Grambling State University's first sports information director, was given a hero's sendoff during his funeral Wednesday morning.
Family and friends spoke passionately for nearly three hours at St. Matthew A.M.E. Church in tribute to the man who made Coach Eddie Robinson's program — and black college football — internationally famous.
Nicholson died last week at his Shreveport home after a lengthy illness. He was 85.
"We as players tried to live up to Collie J. Nicholson's words," said former Grambling quarterback James Harris, now an NFL executive. "He'll probably never get the credit that he deserves. But I think I speak for the thousands of players when I say: We always knew what he meant to Grambling."
A military funeral followed at Forest Park West Cemetery, with ex-players Harris, Doug Williams and Steve Dennis, among others, serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers included Robinson, football and wrestling star Ernie Ladd, boxing promoter Don King and Negro League baseball legend Buck O'Neal.
"I could talk about all of his accomplishments, but the proof is in the pudding," Williams said. "Collie J. made Grambling what it is."
Born July 7, 1921, in Winnfield, Nicholson served in the U.S. Marine Corps as its original black World War II combat correspondent before beginning his career in 1948 as GSU's first sports information director.
Nicholson's innovations over the following three decades at Grambling included the "classic" game concept, where Grambling traveled with its marching band to major cities — including groundbreaking events at Yankee Stadium; trips to Hawaii and Japan; and the Bayou Classic, an on-going rivalry played against Southern in New Orleans.
"He isn't here with us today, but his legend — his legend lives on," said longtime Shreveport newspaperman Andrew Harris, as he fought back emotion. Harris got his start writing as an assistant sports information director under Nicholson.
Other speakers included Joseph Carter, who as president of the Shreveport chapter of the Grambling University National Alumni Association pushed forward a resolution to christen the press box at Robinson Stadium in Nicholson's honor. Naming ceremonies were held in June of this year.
"It didn't happen until he was in his twilight," Carter said, "but at least it came before the sunset."
Members of Nicholson's family in attendance included his wife, Ophelia; son Jim Nicholson and his wife, Donna, of Houston; and daughter Shirley Rhodes of Shreveport; as well as two grandsons and a great-grandson.
"He loved Ophelia," Jim Nicholson said, as he detailed his father's more personal side. "It was like MasterCard; he never left home without her."
Jim Nicholson spent the service with his arm around Doris Robinson, wife of the ailing former coach. Eddie Robinson was too ill to attend.
Grambling president Horace Judson was on hand, as were former presidents Steve Favors and Harold Lundy. Wilbert Ellis, the school's second baseball coach and longtime administrator, sat in a crowd dotted with longtime GSU staff members, including Bessie McKinney and Ruby Higgins.
Former Robinson assistant coaches Melvin Lee and Doug Porter were joined by most of the current staff under coach Melvin Spears. Larry Pannell, director of the Tiger Marching Band, played clarinet as part of the GSU Faculty Ensemble, which performed throughout the services.
National writers paying tribute included Jerry Izenberg of The (N.J.) Star-Ledger and Michael Hurd, a 10-year staffer at USA Today.
Hurd, a collaborator with Nicholson on the reference book "Black College Football, 1892-1992," was at work on a biography at the time of Nicholson's death. Hurd said the book is due later this year.
"We'll always remember what he stands for, and I mean 'stands for'— not stood for," said Izenberg, who met and befriended Nicholson while on assignment to write his first story about Grambling in 1963. "We will all carry Collie J. Nicholson in our minds when we leave here."
After retiring from Grambling in 1978, Nicholson founded a successful public relations firm, while continuing to work as a freelance sports writer. He also handled publicity for both the Southwestern Athletic Conference and with Don King Enterprises over the years.
June's renaming of the Robinson Stadium press box became the final honor in a life filled with them. Nicholson received the Louisiana Sports Writers Association's distinguished service award in 1990, the Bayou Classic Founders Award in 1992 and the College Sports Information Directors of America's Trailblazer Award in 2002.
He was inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 2002, as well.
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