On the campaign trail
Grambling hopes Eugene earns Heisman consideration
Nick's note: A sad conclusion came to this effort when Eugene went down in the third quarter of the 2004 opener with a season-ending knee injury. He would return for a record-smashing final campaign in 2005, however, leading Grambling to its 21st SWAC title.
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
July 7, 2004
GRAMBLING — Supporters from Grambling State are mounting a Heisman Trophy campaign for record-breaking senior quarterback Bruce Eugene.
It won't be easy.
"He's got an outstanding story," said interim GSU coach Melvin Spears, who recruited Eugene to Grambling. "You're talking about a guy who came out of the St. Thomas housing project (in New Orleans). It's a major feat if he's even considered in that company right now."
Eugene says making the list would be a great moment not only for himself, but for Grambling State.
"Being mentioned for an award like that lets me know that I'm doing what's being asked - and we're getting recognized," said Eugene, who has set GSU's single-season marks for yards, completions and TDs. "In the process, that helps other Grambling players get recognized and helps my school gets its name out there."
But, like all Division I-AA performers, Eugene will face an uphill battle for recognition by Heisman voters.
"I certainly feel that his accomplishments, his numbers, are worthy of the accolade," said former GSU quarterback James "Shack" Harris, vice president of player personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars. "But realistically, the Heisman is not something he can win. It's not Bruce. It's the system."
Alcorn State standout Steve McNair remains the highest recent vote-getter from I-AA. He finished third in 1994 - only to go on to league MVP honors while the top two choices, Rashaan Salaam and Ki-Jana Carter, have struggled in the NFL. Doug Williams finished fourth in the 1977 Heisman voting behind eventual winner Earl Campbell.
"But the Heisman Trophy, when you think about it, honors the best player in college football - whatever the division," Spears said. "Does that mean the best guy in his conference, the best guy on his team or just the best guy? The question I pose is this: What if the best college football player does not play in Division I-A?"
Grambling State supporters will use technology to present that message.
Kenn Rashad - a 1990 GSU graduate best known for launching the SWACPage.com site - has offered to help design a separate Heisman Web site for GSU. It's something that could quickly raise Eugene's profile among potential voters who don't closely follow Division I-AA football.
"Instead of trying to get the media to see Bruce Eugene, I thought we could bring Bruce Eugene to the media," Rashad said. "I'd like to see some flash components that illustrated what he did week by week on the field, with perhaps some video highlights that could be downloaded."
The Web site is still in the earliest planning stages, Rashad added.
E-mails were sent out a couple of weeks ago by Peter Forest, GSU's director of athletic media relations, that asked selected people to participate in a Heisman steering committee.
"We are in the process of putting together a group of supporters," Spears said. "When all the students get back, in August, we will also have a introductory party."
The hope isn't that Eugene wins so much as gets some measure of recognition for what he's already accomplished at Grambling State.
"He may not win the award," Rashad said, "but he most certainly should be on the list."
Eugene, who wowed observers even as a redshirt freshman out of New Orleans' Cohen High School, was a part-time starter during GSU's 2001 SWAC title season - then led the Tigers to another championship in 2002.
He is the school's record-holder in passing completions, attempts, yards and total offense, and is ranked second in passing touchdowns.
That dominance led to two consecutive top-three finishes in voting in the Walter Payton Award, which recognizes Division I-AA's offensive player of the year. He was third in 2002, then second last season.
Harris, who won or shared the conference title in every season he played at GSU in the 1960s, thinks Eugene will return to the Payton Watch List as a senior. "He should be a top candidate for the best player in Division I-AA," Harris said.
Eugene was also named a first-team All-America quarterback by The Sports Network in 2003, then a second-team quarterback on The Associated Press' All-America football team.
"I guess the only thing I can say about Eugene and the Heisman list is: How can you not have him on that list?" Rashad said. "He has been a finalist for the Walter Payton Award the last two years and I am certain he will be a finalist again this year. Being a finalist among the best football players on the I-AA level automatically makes Eugene better than many of the players on the I-A level."
Too, as more people hear about Eugene, they also reacquaint themselves with a Grambling State football program that was reborn under former coach Doug Williams.
"My outlook, my vision, is more institutional - rather than winning the award," said former offensive coordinator Spears, who took over as interim when Williams resigned in February. "It's about having the opportunity to have a guy that's talked about all over the country. That's good for Grambling. If you can have one kid say Bruce Eugene is a Heisman Trophy candidate, and look twice at Grambling, then we've done what we need to do from a marketing standpoint.”
Showing posts with label Grambling greats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grambling greats. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Continuing coverage of the Robinson Museum efforts
Time (finally) to mark calendars on long-delayed Robinson Museum project
August 18, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Key dates for the long-delayed Eddie Robinson Museum are being talked about in terms of months, instead of years.
For a project now nearly a decade in the making, that's a remarkable achievement in itself.
"We're hoping to have a groundbreaking some time in the fall, and we'll get the ball rolling," said Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, whose office would oversee the project. "We're making great progress."
At Grambling State from 1941-97, Robinson retired as the winningest football coach in college history with 408 wins — leading the Tigers to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles over the years. He passed away in April 2007 at age 88, as the state moved to approve a plan to house a museum in his honor in the former women's gym on the Grambling campus.
Over the intervening year, the museum began to build a belated head of steam.
Organizers are now hailing the opening of bids on the long-delayed project, which are being accepted through Sept. 11 through the state's Office of Facility Planning and Control. A pre-bid conference is slated for Thursday at the former women's gym on the GSU campus.
"The time frame from there goes like this: six weeks to award the bid to the contractor and then a start date is set — and then construction begins," Robinson Museum board chairman John Belton said. "I think the end of October looks good for that date."
Belton, a governor-appointed board member since the project's inception, adds: "God is good."
The bidding follows quick approval by the Louisiana Bond Commission of $1.3 million — $300,000 in cash and a $1 million line of credit — to be used for renovating exhibit space in the women's gym and hiring an exhibit designer.
Those were the first state funds ever specifically earmarked for the effort.
"We are on our way," local museum fundraiser and Robinson family friend Wilbert Ellis enthused. "I'm tickled to death."
This project was first proposed nearly a decade ago in 1999 — two years after Robinson's retirement at Grambling and several before the onset of the Alzheimer's-related symptoms that ultimately led to his death.
But a series of setbacks followed, including budget cuts and a since-resolved argument over where the museum would be located.
"You know it's often very difficult to get in line for capital outlay projects," Dardenne admitted.
Robinson's passing spurred renewed interest in the concept.
"It has taken off," said Eddie Robinson Jr., the coach's only son and a former player and assistant under his father.
"That's so great for the family. It's an inspiration to all of us. We're all so very happy about that."
The Secretary of State's office has also been consistent in its support for a proposed Robinson Museum.
"I had just been elected right before he died and had already been committed to try and move that project along," Dardenne said, "because I was very interested in it, personally. And I think the combination of those two events helped kick start it to get to the point where we're now going to have it as a reality in the next year or so."
Word came last week that a groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 20 at the proposed museum site. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Dardenne and other state and local officials are scheduled to attend, said Ray Higgins, museum curator.
Higgins recently reviewed the state's extensive collection of Robinson-related material, including a priceless briefcase containing materials from the coach's final season at Grambling.
That's part of a months-long project he's undertaking to collect and catalogue items for inclusion in the exhibit space — yet another tangible sign the museum, though it's taken a while to get here, is no longer a faraway point on the horizon.
"We've had Coach with us that whole time," Ellis said. "I think he's working right along with us on this. I feel Coach's hand in all of it."
g g g
Organizers praised for ushering long-delayed Robinson Museum forward
August 29, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Members of the Eddie Robinson Museum Commission are hailing the opening of bids on their long-delayed project.
They met on Thursday for the first time in a location dedicated to the museum, the former women's gymnasium on the Grambling State University campus where Robinson coached for nearly 60 years.
"A long time coming," marveled John Belton, a governor-appointment board member since the project's 1999 inception. "We're almost there."
After the commission met, prospective contractors then toured the facility, used more recently as university office space and for practice by GSU cheer groups, as part of a pre-bid question-and-answer session.
Bids will be taken beginning Sept. 11 to underwrite a retrofit of the gym and a sweeping plan — on display during the meeting — to showcase Robinson through memorabilia and interactive exhibits.
"You should all be very proud of your tenacity," said Cliff Deal, coordinator of museums with the Louisiana Secretary of State's office, which will oversee the project. "Your energy got it where it is today. Your desire and your hope got us here — no other reason."
A museum in Robinson's honor was first approved by the Louisiana Legislature nine years ago, just after Robinson's retirement from a career that ended with a Division I record of 408 career football victories. But a series of disagreements over where the exhibits would be housed slowed the project to a near standstill until more recently.
Robinson died in April 2007 from complications related to Alzheimer's at age 88, and that too gave an emotional charge to the efforts. The museum received its first state funding earlier in the year, and has now begun setting projected dates for groundbreaking and opening ceremonies.
"It's a terrific feeling," said Eddie Robinson Jr., who played for and coached with his father. "The hay is almost in the barn."
Deal was joined by Sailor Jackson of the Louisiana State Archives, who helped set an agenda for the coming months. The museum, for instance, still has to work out a loan agreement for memorabilia with the Robinson family.
"This is not the end; it's just the beginning," Jackson said. "Next, we'll open bids, then we're on a fast track. We're talking mid-October when hammers start swinging."
Exhibit designer Jules Babineaux outlined his plans for the space, which include a special exhibit for former players called "Tigers in the Pros," an interactive database, a large bronze statue of Robinson and a re-creation of his office.
"We're trying to make it like the man was, bigger than life," said Babineaux, of Exhibits Etc.
Organizers hope to hold a groundbreaking on the weekend of Grambling's first home football game this season, and open the doors on the weekend it returns to play at Robinson Stadium in 2009.
The museum would include free admission, Deal said. "Our interest is in celebrating the memory of Coach," he said, "and to let everyone who can enjoy it."
Former Grambling coach and athletic administrator Wilbert Ellis, a family friend and principal local fundraiser for the museum effort, praised a number of major donors — including the Dallas alumni chapter and the Shack Harris-Doug Williams Foundation.
g g g
Eddie Rob Museum groundbreaking gets emotional
September 21, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — A groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Eddie Robinson Museum, nearly a decade in the making, moved many to tears.
"Coach used to say: 'Nobody can outwork me, if God gives me the strength,'" said former Grambling State University baseball coach and athletic administrator Wilbert Ellis. "And God gave him the strength. He gave us that strength, too."
Ellis was one of a handful of locals who worked tirelessly toward this goal of honoring Robinson, who died in 2007 at age 88 after setting a still-standing Division I mark for college football victories.
They gathered Saturday to unveil plans for the exhibit space, to be housed at the former women's basketball gymnasium on the Grambling State campus where Robinson coached for most of six decades.
But a largely ceremonial moment took on a deeper emotion after so many years of struggle.
"It's a great day, an unbelievable day," Eddie Robinson Jr. said, smiling even as he cried. "We are so blessed as a family."
Recent dental work limited comments from Doris Robinson, the former GSU coach's widow. But she was in great spirits, presenting the state's renovation plans and then — after donning a hardhat affixed with the familiar Grambling "G" logo — turning over the initial mounds of dirt with a golden shovel.
As many as a half a dozen people were dabbing tears by then.
Robinson's legend, established over a career that spanned 1941-97, still holds that kind of startling power. Grambling President Horace Judson on Saturday called his school "the house that Eddie Robinson built," to widespread applause.
But plans to honor him with a museum, first mentioned in 1999, hit a series of roadblocks involving funding, arguments over location, then shifting commission dynamics.
That changed over the last few years as a rejuvenated board — helmed by John Belton, a governor-appointed member, with help from former Robinson assistant coach Doug Porter — began to pick up key support from Louisiana officials.
Robinson's passing, after years of battling complications related to Alzheimer's, gave the efforts a final push.
In a matter of months, the University of Louisiana System, which oversees Grambling, worked out a deal to house the exhibits on campus. The Louisiana Legislature then funded the museum for the first time since its inception.
Throughout the long journey, the Secretary of State's Office — through the administrations of Fox McKeithen, Al Ater and now Jay Dardenne — has remained a strong advocate.
"I appreciate the work that has gone on for the past 10 years," Dardenne said. "Their sweat and tears made this possible."
Choudrant businessman James Davison, a longtime family friend of the Robinsons, was one of several in attendance wearing specially made shirts inscribed with the motto: "Coach Rob — we kept the faith."
Like many, he paused several times during his remarks to compose himself.
"This is a collective achievement, a historic occasion," Belton said. "Many asked: Will it ever happen? The answer is yes, and praise God for it."
He specifically mentioned others besides Robinson who had not lived to see this belated ceremony, including original board chair Lottie Green; former Grambling professor David Lewis; and McKeithen, an early advocate.
A surprise guest was former state Sen. Randy Ewing — who in 1999 introduced Senate Bill No. 919, which created the Robinson Museum commission.
"We come here to honor Coach Robinson, but also his wife," Ewing said, gesturing to Robinson's partner of 64 years. "That was a winning team, too."
Familiar faces from Grambling lore dotted the audience, including NBA Hall of Famer Willis Reed.
"I am proud to have gone to a university where such a great man coached," Reed said.
Respected school architects were represented by Mary Hobdy, widow of Reed's former basketball coach Fred Hobdy and secretary to the school's second president, R.W.E. Jones; along with Ophelia Nicholson, widow of the school's renowned former sports information director, Collie J. Nicholson.
Several ex-players were in attendance, including Albert Dennis III and Eddie Scott, who has formed an alumni group called Eddie Robinson's Boys.
Grambling Mayor Martha Andrus ruminated on the emotional reunion of so many faces from the area's storied past.
"History is born again today, as we break ground for this museum," she said. "We are humble, fortunate and oh-so-very proud to see this come to fruition."
State Sen. Bob Kostelka (R-Monroe) and state Rep. Rick Gallot (D-Ruston) both spoke as part of the official program, as well.
"How sweet it is," Gallot said, "that this day has finally come."
Other officials on hand included Ruston mayor Dan Hollingsworth, University of Louisiana System president Randy Moffett, District Attorney Bob Levy and Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau president Kyle Edmiston.
The Rev. Julius R. Sumler, pastor at Grambling's New Rocky Valley Baptist — Robinson was a member there — gave the invocation: "We thank you, Lord, for a dream that you wouldn't allow to die."
Grambling's Tiger Marching Band performed, both before and after the ceremony — playing Bill Wither's classic soul favorite "Lovely Day" as the program got under way and then the school's alma mater and fight song to conclude the event.
"I'm pleased to be a part of history," Ellis said, as more tears welled up again. "This is a day I will always remember. I can see Coach now — and he's smiling."
August 18, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Key dates for the long-delayed Eddie Robinson Museum are being talked about in terms of months, instead of years.
For a project now nearly a decade in the making, that's a remarkable achievement in itself.
"We're hoping to have a groundbreaking some time in the fall, and we'll get the ball rolling," said Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne, whose office would oversee the project. "We're making great progress."
At Grambling State from 1941-97, Robinson retired as the winningest football coach in college history with 408 wins — leading the Tigers to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles over the years. He passed away in April 2007 at age 88, as the state moved to approve a plan to house a museum in his honor in the former women's gym on the Grambling campus.
Over the intervening year, the museum began to build a belated head of steam.
Organizers are now hailing the opening of bids on the long-delayed project, which are being accepted through Sept. 11 through the state's Office of Facility Planning and Control. A pre-bid conference is slated for Thursday at the former women's gym on the GSU campus.
"The time frame from there goes like this: six weeks to award the bid to the contractor and then a start date is set — and then construction begins," Robinson Museum board chairman John Belton said. "I think the end of October looks good for that date."
Belton, a governor-appointed board member since the project's inception, adds: "God is good."
The bidding follows quick approval by the Louisiana Bond Commission of $1.3 million — $300,000 in cash and a $1 million line of credit — to be used for renovating exhibit space in the women's gym and hiring an exhibit designer.
Those were the first state funds ever specifically earmarked for the effort.
"We are on our way," local museum fundraiser and Robinson family friend Wilbert Ellis enthused. "I'm tickled to death."
This project was first proposed nearly a decade ago in 1999 — two years after Robinson's retirement at Grambling and several before the onset of the Alzheimer's-related symptoms that ultimately led to his death.
But a series of setbacks followed, including budget cuts and a since-resolved argument over where the museum would be located.
"You know it's often very difficult to get in line for capital outlay projects," Dardenne admitted.
Robinson's passing spurred renewed interest in the concept.
"It has taken off," said Eddie Robinson Jr., the coach's only son and a former player and assistant under his father.
"That's so great for the family. It's an inspiration to all of us. We're all so very happy about that."
The Secretary of State's office has also been consistent in its support for a proposed Robinson Museum.
"I had just been elected right before he died and had already been committed to try and move that project along," Dardenne said, "because I was very interested in it, personally. And I think the combination of those two events helped kick start it to get to the point where we're now going to have it as a reality in the next year or so."
Word came last week that a groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept. 20 at the proposed museum site. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Dardenne and other state and local officials are scheduled to attend, said Ray Higgins, museum curator.
Higgins recently reviewed the state's extensive collection of Robinson-related material, including a priceless briefcase containing materials from the coach's final season at Grambling.
That's part of a months-long project he's undertaking to collect and catalogue items for inclusion in the exhibit space — yet another tangible sign the museum, though it's taken a while to get here, is no longer a faraway point on the horizon.
"We've had Coach with us that whole time," Ellis said. "I think he's working right along with us on this. I feel Coach's hand in all of it."
g g g
Organizers praised for ushering long-delayed Robinson Museum forward
August 29, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Members of the Eddie Robinson Museum Commission are hailing the opening of bids on their long-delayed project.
They met on Thursday for the first time in a location dedicated to the museum, the former women's gymnasium on the Grambling State University campus where Robinson coached for nearly 60 years.
"A long time coming," marveled John Belton, a governor-appointment board member since the project's 1999 inception. "We're almost there."
After the commission met, prospective contractors then toured the facility, used more recently as university office space and for practice by GSU cheer groups, as part of a pre-bid question-and-answer session.
Bids will be taken beginning Sept. 11 to underwrite a retrofit of the gym and a sweeping plan — on display during the meeting — to showcase Robinson through memorabilia and interactive exhibits.
"You should all be very proud of your tenacity," said Cliff Deal, coordinator of museums with the Louisiana Secretary of State's office, which will oversee the project. "Your energy got it where it is today. Your desire and your hope got us here — no other reason."
A museum in Robinson's honor was first approved by the Louisiana Legislature nine years ago, just after Robinson's retirement from a career that ended with a Division I record of 408 career football victories. But a series of disagreements over where the exhibits would be housed slowed the project to a near standstill until more recently.
Robinson died in April 2007 from complications related to Alzheimer's at age 88, and that too gave an emotional charge to the efforts. The museum received its first state funding earlier in the year, and has now begun setting projected dates for groundbreaking and opening ceremonies.
"It's a terrific feeling," said Eddie Robinson Jr., who played for and coached with his father. "The hay is almost in the barn."
Deal was joined by Sailor Jackson of the Louisiana State Archives, who helped set an agenda for the coming months. The museum, for instance, still has to work out a loan agreement for memorabilia with the Robinson family.
"This is not the end; it's just the beginning," Jackson said. "Next, we'll open bids, then we're on a fast track. We're talking mid-October when hammers start swinging."
Exhibit designer Jules Babineaux outlined his plans for the space, which include a special exhibit for former players called "Tigers in the Pros," an interactive database, a large bronze statue of Robinson and a re-creation of his office.
"We're trying to make it like the man was, bigger than life," said Babineaux, of Exhibits Etc.
Organizers hope to hold a groundbreaking on the weekend of Grambling's first home football game this season, and open the doors on the weekend it returns to play at Robinson Stadium in 2009.
The museum would include free admission, Deal said. "Our interest is in celebrating the memory of Coach," he said, "and to let everyone who can enjoy it."
Former Grambling coach and athletic administrator Wilbert Ellis, a family friend and principal local fundraiser for the museum effort, praised a number of major donors — including the Dallas alumni chapter and the Shack Harris-Doug Williams Foundation.
g g g
Eddie Rob Museum groundbreaking gets emotional
September 21, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — A groundbreaking ceremony for the proposed Eddie Robinson Museum, nearly a decade in the making, moved many to tears.
"Coach used to say: 'Nobody can outwork me, if God gives me the strength,'" said former Grambling State University baseball coach and athletic administrator Wilbert Ellis. "And God gave him the strength. He gave us that strength, too."
Ellis was one of a handful of locals who worked tirelessly toward this goal of honoring Robinson, who died in 2007 at age 88 after setting a still-standing Division I mark for college football victories.
They gathered Saturday to unveil plans for the exhibit space, to be housed at the former women's basketball gymnasium on the Grambling State campus where Robinson coached for most of six decades.
But a largely ceremonial moment took on a deeper emotion after so many years of struggle.
"It's a great day, an unbelievable day," Eddie Robinson Jr. said, smiling even as he cried. "We are so blessed as a family."
Recent dental work limited comments from Doris Robinson, the former GSU coach's widow. But she was in great spirits, presenting the state's renovation plans and then — after donning a hardhat affixed with the familiar Grambling "G" logo — turning over the initial mounds of dirt with a golden shovel.
As many as a half a dozen people were dabbing tears by then.
Robinson's legend, established over a career that spanned 1941-97, still holds that kind of startling power. Grambling President Horace Judson on Saturday called his school "the house that Eddie Robinson built," to widespread applause.
But plans to honor him with a museum, first mentioned in 1999, hit a series of roadblocks involving funding, arguments over location, then shifting commission dynamics.
That changed over the last few years as a rejuvenated board — helmed by John Belton, a governor-appointed member, with help from former Robinson assistant coach Doug Porter — began to pick up key support from Louisiana officials.
Robinson's passing, after years of battling complications related to Alzheimer's, gave the efforts a final push.
In a matter of months, the University of Louisiana System, which oversees Grambling, worked out a deal to house the exhibits on campus. The Louisiana Legislature then funded the museum for the first time since its inception.
Throughout the long journey, the Secretary of State's Office — through the administrations of Fox McKeithen, Al Ater and now Jay Dardenne — has remained a strong advocate.
"I appreciate the work that has gone on for the past 10 years," Dardenne said. "Their sweat and tears made this possible."
Choudrant businessman James Davison, a longtime family friend of the Robinsons, was one of several in attendance wearing specially made shirts inscribed with the motto: "Coach Rob — we kept the faith."
Like many, he paused several times during his remarks to compose himself.
"This is a collective achievement, a historic occasion," Belton said. "Many asked: Will it ever happen? The answer is yes, and praise God for it."
He specifically mentioned others besides Robinson who had not lived to see this belated ceremony, including original board chair Lottie Green; former Grambling professor David Lewis; and McKeithen, an early advocate.
A surprise guest was former state Sen. Randy Ewing — who in 1999 introduced Senate Bill No. 919, which created the Robinson Museum commission.
"We come here to honor Coach Robinson, but also his wife," Ewing said, gesturing to Robinson's partner of 64 years. "That was a winning team, too."
Familiar faces from Grambling lore dotted the audience, including NBA Hall of Famer Willis Reed.
"I am proud to have gone to a university where such a great man coached," Reed said.
Respected school architects were represented by Mary Hobdy, widow of Reed's former basketball coach Fred Hobdy and secretary to the school's second president, R.W.E. Jones; along with Ophelia Nicholson, widow of the school's renowned former sports information director, Collie J. Nicholson.
Several ex-players were in attendance, including Albert Dennis III and Eddie Scott, who has formed an alumni group called Eddie Robinson's Boys.
Grambling Mayor Martha Andrus ruminated on the emotional reunion of so many faces from the area's storied past.
"History is born again today, as we break ground for this museum," she said. "We are humble, fortunate and oh-so-very proud to see this come to fruition."
State Sen. Bob Kostelka (R-Monroe) and state Rep. Rick Gallot (D-Ruston) both spoke as part of the official program, as well.
"How sweet it is," Gallot said, "that this day has finally come."
Other officials on hand included Ruston mayor Dan Hollingsworth, University of Louisiana System president Randy Moffett, District Attorney Bob Levy and Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau president Kyle Edmiston.
The Rev. Julius R. Sumler, pastor at Grambling's New Rocky Valley Baptist — Robinson was a member there — gave the invocation: "We thank you, Lord, for a dream that you wouldn't allow to die."
Grambling's Tiger Marching Band performed, both before and after the ceremony — playing Bill Wither's classic soul favorite "Lovely Day" as the program got under way and then the school's alma mater and fight song to conclude the event.
"I'm pleased to be a part of history," Ellis said, as more tears welled up again. "This is a day I will always remember. I can see Coach now — and he's smiling."
Friday, September 12, 2008
Remembering: Grambling's first game at Northwestern State
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."
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."
Monday, July 21, 2008
Grambling greats: College Hall of Famer Doug Porter
College Hall of Fame beckons Grambling resident Douglas Porter
May 7, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Grambling resident Douglas Porter, who had a five-decade long career in coaching and athletic administration, will be inducted into the College Hall of Fame.
The National Football Foundation is expected to announce the 2008 class today. Porter appeared on the lower-classification ballot.
A former assistant at Grambling State under Eddie Robinson, Porter was a head coach at former Division I-AA programs Mississippi Valley (from 1961-65) and Howard University (from 1974-78) and finally at Division II Fort Valley State (from 1979-94). He was a longtime administrator at Fort Valley, as well.
Porter’s helped establish a Valley program that had not had a winning season in five years before his first in 1963, and has only matched his three in a row (through 1965) two other times — once in the 1950s, and another under Archie Cooley beginning in 1983. His .550 winning percentage has only been bested once among MVSU coaches who stayed five or more years.
He then coached for nine seasons under Robinson, running an offense that featured future Pro Football Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner and quarterbacks James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, later a Super Bowl MVP.
Every Grambling senior was drafted by the NFL in 1969. In 1971, 43 GSU players were in pro football camps.
“Even when I got to Fort Valley, the lead story was always that I was formerly an assistant under Coach Eddie Robinson,” Porter said recently. “That’s what they would start with. That gave you credibility, the fact that you had worked with Coach Rob.”
Porter, who won 61 percent of the games he coached, was 30-21-2 in five seasons at Howard — part of a career record of 166 victories.
At Fort Valley, a Division II program in Georgia, Porter won six conference championships and made two NCAA playoff appearances on his way to seven league coach of the year honors.
Porter retired back to Grambling in 1997, where he became a trusted advisor to both former GSU coaches Doug Williams and Melvin Spears and current coach Rod Broadway. He has also been a steady presence in the efforts to establish a museum in Robinson’s honor.
Porter has already been inducted into the Mississippi Valley State Hall of Fame.
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OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Legendary Grambling assistant built Hall of Fame resume as a head coach too
May 12, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Until this week, Douglas Porter was most often referred to as a former assistant under Grambling State’s mythical Eddie Robinson.
Porter stood, without complaint, inside the dark outline of that coaching legend’s shadow — despite having assembled a terrific, if seldom decorated, career of his own.
“That couldn’t have been easy with a person of his skill,” said James “Shack” Harris, Porter’s first quarterbacking protégé at GSU. “He was able to do it without ego, and to do it well.”
Porter, in fact, had been a part of a larger storyline in shaping successful programs, even in the most trying of situations. He had won nearly 170 games during a trio of head coaching stints at Mississippi Valley State, Howard and Fort Valley State — a resume built far from the red clay hills of Grambling.
Recognition for those efforts came on Wednesday when Porter was announced as part of the College Hall of Fame’s 2008 divisional class for lower-classification coaches and players.
“He has never been in the limelight,” said Doug Williams, who later received mentoring from Porter at Grambling as a redshirt freshman passer. “This is one time when he gets his 15 minutes. He deserves it.”
Nothing could stop Porter’s Hall of Fame journey: Not the crushing disparities found at rural black schools like Mississippi Valley State and Grambling, the benign neglect rampant even at metropolitan institutions like Howard, the forgotten backwaters of Division II ball at Fort Valley, or even a shocking moment when his body betrayed him.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION
Porter, so happy to be taking over a program, didn’t ask too many questions upon assuming his first head coaching job at Valley.
Once he got to Itta Bena, though, the gravity of the situation became apparent.
“Hadn’t beaten Jackson, hadn’t beaten Alcorn — in ages,” Porter said, sizing up Mississippi Valley State’s performance against key league foes. “Two years before, Grambling had beaten us 93 to nothing.”
He set about building a foundation of pride. That would require more than scoring 94 points on a Saturday afternoon.
“It took us a couple of years,” Porter said. “We played a lot of freshmen, played a lot of young people. But then, it began to pay off for us.”
Though Valley had not had a winning season in five years before Porter’s first in 1963, he reeled off three in a row through 1965 — something that has only been matched in Itta Bena on two other occasions.
Grambling, it’s no surprise, was a measuring stick. That time when Robinson’s squad had nearly hung a Benjamin on the Delta Devils stuck with Porter.
He finally began to gain on Valley’s cross-conference rivals and, in the process, to earn Eddie Robinson’s respect.
Porter had gotten blown out by Grambling during their first trio of meetings — and by a combined score of 149-12. But Porter was gaining, losing by an average of about two touchdowns over the last three games
“We came down in 1965, we played in Grambling —- and we led at halftime,” Porter said. “We lost 34-20, but we had been ahead 14-7. That was a measure of where we had come. We had gotten to the point where we could play anybody on our schedule. That was what I had hoped to do when I came there.”
A year later, he was running Robinson’s offense.
Porter said the chance to work alongside an American legend at Grambling — and to mentor future Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers like Harris and Frank Lewis — made what amounted to a demotion to offensive coordinator an attractive offer.
“He was very effective in a variety of situations,” Harris said. “He was someone who really knew the game. Coach Porter was a leader in his own right. You respected him.”
Grambling won six SWAC titles in the eight years Porter served under Robinson — three of them with Harris, who compiled a 31-9-1 record at Grambling.
That period of profound success, however, was leavened by the emerging reality that Robinson was becoming professionally and personally entwined in Grambling.
This relationship, already nearly 35 seasons old, was set for life.
Porter would have to move on in order to get an opportunity to run a program. After considering an offer from Florida A&M, he left in 1974 for the Washington, D.C.-based historically black college program Howard.
“I wanted to be a head coach,” he said. “I saw that, after a few years here, there was not going to be a chance for that.
“Change,” Porter added, laughing now, “wasn’t coming.”
Porter and Robinson, in fact, both would work for another 24 seasons, but while Porter moved from Howard to Fort Valley in coaching and administrative positions, his old boss never left the helm at GSU.
UPS AND DOWNS
Porter said he soon learned that the administration at Howard didn’t have the same commitment to athletics that he had become used to at Grambling under Robinson and then-president R.W.E. Jones.
Porter would finish with a winning record, but he’s always been left with the sense that he could have done better than his 30-21-2 mark over five seasons in D.C.
“I thought at that time that the best move for me and my future in football was Howard,” Porter said. “It didn’t turn out to be that way.”
Just over the horizon, however, was Fort Valley, where Porter would coach — save for one year — from 1979-97, and serve as athletics director from 1981-97.
“In all things that I have been involved with — people might think this is a little sanctimonious — I felt that the Lord has a way of directing you to go certain places and do certain things,” Porter said. “I was glad to get out of that situation.”
The then-current athletics director at Fort Valley was one of Porter’s college coaches. The school president had a child who attended Grambling during Porter’s tenure there.
And middle Georgia residents, like those in rural north Louisiana, boast a deep-seated love affair with football.
“There weren’t the same resources they had at Grambling, but the commitment to support the program was just as great,” Porter said.
He’d capture seven Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships between 1980-92, including four in a row from 1982-85.
“It definitely didn’t surprise me that he was able to leave and do well,” said Harris, now a top front-office executive in the NFL. “Some people are destined for success; he was one of those kinds of people.”
Five years after taking over, Fort Valley was winning its league title with both the offensive and defensive players of the year.
But Porter, after so long on the sidelines, was beginning to fray. An in-season heart attack during his seventh campaign at Fort Valley sent him into spiraling introspection.
'A GREAT FOOTBALL MIND'
Fort Valley has begun that impressive string of championships in the 1980s running an offense that bore little resemblance to the attack associated with Robinson’s Grambling teams.
Recruiting into a Division II program had something to do with it.
“I didn’t have the offensive linemen that it would take to run the Wing T,” Porter said. “You need guys who have a lot of athletic ability to be successful. It was easier for us to find kids we could teach to pass block and drive block.”
By ‘85, Fort Valley had developed a powerful defense to match that offensive power, too, leading the lower classification in several categories. Opponents were often held under a touchdown, and to minus-yards rushing.
But these low-scoring matches — coupled with newly founded, Grambling-like expectations of winning — took their toll, creating a pressure-cooker environment.
Fort Valley, ranked No. 2, came into a game against No. 1 Central State and fell 14-7.
A coach known for his easy-going nature — in fact, some at Fort Valley had once criticized him for not being emotional enough — was taking all of this personally.
Too personally.
“It was a hard, hard loss,” Porter said. “We were going into our last two games with just one loss. To maintain that puts you under a tremendous amount of pressure that you don’t really realize.”
He ended up flat on his back in a hospital room, with doctors trying to get his heart fixed.
Porter kept asking about the scores, tried to keep his head in the game.
But the doctors recommended a year off.
The time away refocused Porter on what was important. He still loved football, but in a different way. He learned to let things go.
“At the end of that, I was in the best shape I have been in, other than when I was in the Army,” Porter said. “But I wanted to coach. Coaching is all I have ever really wanted to do.”
He would win more titles at Fort Valley, would serve as chairman of the Division II Football Committee and as president of the National Athletic Steering Committee and, after retiring, would play a key advisory role in smoothing the transition for Robinson successor Doug Williams at Grambling.
“Fort Valley was a good fit for me,” Porter said. “We found that they had a strong group of followers, and they had established a good winning tradition. As with Grambling, I was happy to be a part of that.”
Even if it always seemed to come second on his resume. Until Wednesday, when the College Hall of Fame called.
“It’s one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed,” said Williams, himself a 2001 inductee. “Nobody deserves to be rewarded more than Coach Porter.”
Porter attended the Hall of Fame ceremonies honoring Williams seven years ago, and Williams will join a burgeoning list of former students who will return the favor this summer. Porter said several Fort Valley players are organizing a group trip to South Bend, as well.
“Most people don’t know how special a coach he is,” said Harris, a Monroe native. “He coached at small schools, and that sometime means you get overlooked, but he did an outstanding job with those programs. He’s well deserving. What a great football mind.”
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For Grambling’s Porter, Hall of Fame career was about the kids
July 19, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
For Doug Porter, today will be the capstone on a career spent working with young people.
Of course, the new College Football Hall of Famer won some games along the way, too.
But that was never the point for Porter, a Grambling resident.
"To be able to touch young people," Porter said, "to get them to believe in something, that always meant so much."
The 79-year old earned membership in the College Hall’s 2008 divisional class after a 42-year career, which included 26 seasons as head coach at three small colleges. Porter also served eight seasons as an offensive coach during the legendary tenure of Grambling’s Eddie Robinson, and was athletics director at Fort Valley from 1981-97.
"He was a top football mind, someone who really knew the game," said one of Grambling’s passers at the time, James "Shack" Harris —- now a general manager with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. "Coach Porter is a leader in his right."
The National Football Foundation considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), Divisions II, III, and the NAIA National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for induction in the College Hall of Fame’s divisional classes.
Porter is joined in 2008 by W.C. Gorden, who coached at Grambling’s conference foe Jackson State from 1976-91.
Four players are also to be inducted in ceremonies held today at South Bend, Ill.: Quarterback Jim Ballard (Mount Union, 1991-93); linebacker Ronald McKinnon (North Alabama, 1992-95), defensive end John Randle (Texas A&M-Kingsville, 1988-89) and halfback Brad Rowland (McMurry College, 1947-50).
Porter, who won 61 percent of the games he coached, recorded 166 career victories —- the bulk of them at Fort Valley.
There, Porter earned seven Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships between 1980-92, including four consecutive crowns from 1982-85. He advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 1983 — when his team boasted the league’s offensive and defensive players of the year in Kelvin Parker and Taqwan Taylor, respectively — and to the quarterfinals in ‘85.
"I have as much respect for Coach Porter as any one I have been around," said Harris, a Monroe native who later played for the NFL’s Bills, Rams and Chargers. "As good a coach as he was, he always played his role in shadows. That couldn’t have been easy for a person of his skill."
Even working at that tiny Georgia Division II program, Porter coached three future NFL Draft picks, including first-rounder Tyrone Poole and Pro Bowl linebacker Greg Lloyd. (He also mentored some Grambling’s top quarterbacks in Harris, Matthew Reed and then Doug Williams, the future Super Bowl MVP.)
"Coach Porter is a special coach in that he would always tell you the honest truth, about football and about life," Harris said. "It sounds simple, but it’s rare. So often a coach will tell you what you want to hear. When you get a chance to work with people like Coach Porter, you become a better person yourself."
Named SIAC coach of the year seven times, Porter earned a lifetime achievement award from the All-American Football Foundation in 1998 and induction in the Mississippi Valley State Hall of Fame in 2006.
"The recognition is overwhelming," Porter said. "But the most important thing to me was to affect the lives of young people. That was satisfying."
COACH DOUG PORTER
Born: Aug. 15, 1929 in Memphis
Personal: Lives in Grambling, with wife Jean
Head coaching career: Mississippi Valley State (1961-65), Howard (1974-78), Fort Valley State (1979-85, 1987-96); also served as an offensive assistant at Grambling (1966-73) under Eddie Robinson, and has been a key advisor to each of his successors.
Career record: 166-107-5, only five losing seasons out of 26
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A SHARED EXPERIENCE: Grambling's duo of Dougs — Porter and Williams — boasts Hall of Fame friendship
July 20, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
A familiar face could be found among the crowd.
Doug Porter was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, with former player and protégé Doug Williams in attendance.
The roles had been reversed in 2001, when Williams was named to the hall's divisional class as a player. Seven years later, Porter was recognized in South Bend, Ill., for head coaching work at a trio of lower classification programs.
Porter also served from 1966-73 as an offensive assistant during the career of Grambling State's Eddie Robinson.
There, he met Doug Williams, then a young quarterback. Later, after retirement, Porter returned to become a key mentor when Williams succeeded Robinson as head coach at Grambling.
"It was big for me when Coach Porter showed up for my induction," Williams said. "When I found out that he was going in, I thought that was one of the greatest things. I got a chance to repay Coach by being there for him."
Porter won 61 percent of the games he coached, recording 166 career victories at former Division I-AA programs Mississippi Valley State (1961-65) and Howard (1974-78), then at Division II Fort Valley State (1979-97). He also served as athletics director at Fort Valley from 1981-97.
He might have won more still, had Williams followed Porter to Howard.
Williams certainly wanted to, back then.
"He was frustrated as a red shirt," Porter said. "He was running the scout team, but he felt he was better. He wasn't playing."
Porter, then as now a wise and fair man, knew the steep coaching climb ahead at Howard. But he wasn't willing to pluck Williams out of a more favorable situation.
"It wasn't in Doug's best interest to come," Porter said. "He wouldn't have been surrounded with the kind of people he had with Eddie: He wouldn't have had Dwight Scales; he wouldn't have had Sammy White — and those people were big contributors to his success. Had Williams come to us, he would have been a great quarterback, but throwing it to a group of receivers who made a lot of drops. That wouldn't have helped him."
Williams would win a pair of league championships under Robinson, success that launched him into the race for the Heisman Trophy. Williams then became a first-round NFL draft pick, and eventually earned Super Bowl MVP honors in 1988.
A lasting relationship, built as much on trust as on gridiron concepts, was forged.
Fate brought them back together in 1997, when Porter returned to Grambling upon retirement. Williams was in the midst of launching the difficult post-Robinson era — something nearly unthinkable after his stirring 57-season tenure — and Porter's guiding hand again played a key role Williams' success.
"It was Doug Porter who helped me though the whole transition," Williams said. "He wasn't looking for publicity for what he did. It wasn't hard for me to see that I needed Doug Porter close by me."
Long after retirement, Porter — the son of a coach, Memphis prep legend W.P. Porter — still possessed a keen passion for football.
"We'd sit down every day after practice and I would tell him what I felt," Porter said. "He was very amenable, though sometimes we would disagree. I could accept that, because it was his football team. The only thing I wanted to do was help him be successful."
He was: Williams, with Porter on the sidelines in an advisory role, would win a trio of Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in 2000-02, and was one game away from the championship match in both 1999 and 2003.
They now boast another bond, another shared memory in a lifetime filled with them.
"He had such an impact on my life," Williams said. "He had a lot to do with the success that I had. In my life, Coach Porter has been a Hall of Famer for a long time."
May 7, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
Grambling resident Douglas Porter, who had a five-decade long career in coaching and athletic administration, will be inducted into the College Hall of Fame.
The National Football Foundation is expected to announce the 2008 class today. Porter appeared on the lower-classification ballot.
A former assistant at Grambling State under Eddie Robinson, Porter was a head coach at former Division I-AA programs Mississippi Valley (from 1961-65) and Howard University (from 1974-78) and finally at Division II Fort Valley State (from 1979-94). He was a longtime administrator at Fort Valley, as well.
Porter’s helped establish a Valley program that had not had a winning season in five years before his first in 1963, and has only matched his three in a row (through 1965) two other times — once in the 1950s, and another under Archie Cooley beginning in 1983. His .550 winning percentage has only been bested once among MVSU coaches who stayed five or more years.
He then coached for nine seasons under Robinson, running an offense that featured future Pro Football Hall of Famer Charlie Joiner and quarterbacks James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, later a Super Bowl MVP.
Every Grambling senior was drafted by the NFL in 1969. In 1971, 43 GSU players were in pro football camps.
“Even when I got to Fort Valley, the lead story was always that I was formerly an assistant under Coach Eddie Robinson,” Porter said recently. “That’s what they would start with. That gave you credibility, the fact that you had worked with Coach Rob.”
Porter, who won 61 percent of the games he coached, was 30-21-2 in five seasons at Howard — part of a career record of 166 victories.
At Fort Valley, a Division II program in Georgia, Porter won six conference championships and made two NCAA playoff appearances on his way to seven league coach of the year honors.
Porter retired back to Grambling in 1997, where he became a trusted advisor to both former GSU coaches Doug Williams and Melvin Spears and current coach Rod Broadway. He has also been a steady presence in the efforts to establish a museum in Robinson’s honor.
Porter has already been inducted into the Mississippi Valley State Hall of Fame.
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OUT OF THE SHADOWS: Legendary Grambling assistant built Hall of Fame resume as a head coach too
May 12, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Until this week, Douglas Porter was most often referred to as a former assistant under Grambling State’s mythical Eddie Robinson.
Porter stood, without complaint, inside the dark outline of that coaching legend’s shadow — despite having assembled a terrific, if seldom decorated, career of his own.
“That couldn’t have been easy with a person of his skill,” said James “Shack” Harris, Porter’s first quarterbacking protégé at GSU. “He was able to do it without ego, and to do it well.”
Porter, in fact, had been a part of a larger storyline in shaping successful programs, even in the most trying of situations. He had won nearly 170 games during a trio of head coaching stints at Mississippi Valley State, Howard and Fort Valley State — a resume built far from the red clay hills of Grambling.
Recognition for those efforts came on Wednesday when Porter was announced as part of the College Hall of Fame’s 2008 divisional class for lower-classification coaches and players.
“He has never been in the limelight,” said Doug Williams, who later received mentoring from Porter at Grambling as a redshirt freshman passer. “This is one time when he gets his 15 minutes. He deserves it.”
Nothing could stop Porter’s Hall of Fame journey: Not the crushing disparities found at rural black schools like Mississippi Valley State and Grambling, the benign neglect rampant even at metropolitan institutions like Howard, the forgotten backwaters of Division II ball at Fort Valley, or even a shocking moment when his body betrayed him.
BUILDING A FOUNDATION
Porter, so happy to be taking over a program, didn’t ask too many questions upon assuming his first head coaching job at Valley.
Once he got to Itta Bena, though, the gravity of the situation became apparent.
“Hadn’t beaten Jackson, hadn’t beaten Alcorn — in ages,” Porter said, sizing up Mississippi Valley State’s performance against key league foes. “Two years before, Grambling had beaten us 93 to nothing.”
He set about building a foundation of pride. That would require more than scoring 94 points on a Saturday afternoon.
“It took us a couple of years,” Porter said. “We played a lot of freshmen, played a lot of young people. But then, it began to pay off for us.”
Though Valley had not had a winning season in five years before Porter’s first in 1963, he reeled off three in a row through 1965 — something that has only been matched in Itta Bena on two other occasions.
Grambling, it’s no surprise, was a measuring stick. That time when Robinson’s squad had nearly hung a Benjamin on the Delta Devils stuck with Porter.
He finally began to gain on Valley’s cross-conference rivals and, in the process, to earn Eddie Robinson’s respect.
Porter had gotten blown out by Grambling during their first trio of meetings — and by a combined score of 149-12. But Porter was gaining, losing by an average of about two touchdowns over the last three games
“We came down in 1965, we played in Grambling —- and we led at halftime,” Porter said. “We lost 34-20, but we had been ahead 14-7. That was a measure of where we had come. We had gotten to the point where we could play anybody on our schedule. That was what I had hoped to do when I came there.”
A year later, he was running Robinson’s offense.
Porter said the chance to work alongside an American legend at Grambling — and to mentor future Louisiana Sports Hall of Famers like Harris and Frank Lewis — made what amounted to a demotion to offensive coordinator an attractive offer.
“He was very effective in a variety of situations,” Harris said. “He was someone who really knew the game. Coach Porter was a leader in his own right. You respected him.”
Grambling won six SWAC titles in the eight years Porter served under Robinson — three of them with Harris, who compiled a 31-9-1 record at Grambling.
That period of profound success, however, was leavened by the emerging reality that Robinson was becoming professionally and personally entwined in Grambling.
This relationship, already nearly 35 seasons old, was set for life.
Porter would have to move on in order to get an opportunity to run a program. After considering an offer from Florida A&M, he left in 1974 for the Washington, D.C.-based historically black college program Howard.
“I wanted to be a head coach,” he said. “I saw that, after a few years here, there was not going to be a chance for that.
“Change,” Porter added, laughing now, “wasn’t coming.”
Porter and Robinson, in fact, both would work for another 24 seasons, but while Porter moved from Howard to Fort Valley in coaching and administrative positions, his old boss never left the helm at GSU.
UPS AND DOWNS
Porter said he soon learned that the administration at Howard didn’t have the same commitment to athletics that he had become used to at Grambling under Robinson and then-president R.W.E. Jones.
Porter would finish with a winning record, but he’s always been left with the sense that he could have done better than his 30-21-2 mark over five seasons in D.C.
“I thought at that time that the best move for me and my future in football was Howard,” Porter said. “It didn’t turn out to be that way.”
Just over the horizon, however, was Fort Valley, where Porter would coach — save for one year — from 1979-97, and serve as athletics director from 1981-97.
“In all things that I have been involved with — people might think this is a little sanctimonious — I felt that the Lord has a way of directing you to go certain places and do certain things,” Porter said. “I was glad to get out of that situation.”
The then-current athletics director at Fort Valley was one of Porter’s college coaches. The school president had a child who attended Grambling during Porter’s tenure there.
And middle Georgia residents, like those in rural north Louisiana, boast a deep-seated love affair with football.
“There weren’t the same resources they had at Grambling, but the commitment to support the program was just as great,” Porter said.
He’d capture seven Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships between 1980-92, including four in a row from 1982-85.
“It definitely didn’t surprise me that he was able to leave and do well,” said Harris, now a top front-office executive in the NFL. “Some people are destined for success; he was one of those kinds of people.”
Five years after taking over, Fort Valley was winning its league title with both the offensive and defensive players of the year.
But Porter, after so long on the sidelines, was beginning to fray. An in-season heart attack during his seventh campaign at Fort Valley sent him into spiraling introspection.
'A GREAT FOOTBALL MIND'
Fort Valley has begun that impressive string of championships in the 1980s running an offense that bore little resemblance to the attack associated with Robinson’s Grambling teams.
Recruiting into a Division II program had something to do with it.
“I didn’t have the offensive linemen that it would take to run the Wing T,” Porter said. “You need guys who have a lot of athletic ability to be successful. It was easier for us to find kids we could teach to pass block and drive block.”
By ‘85, Fort Valley had developed a powerful defense to match that offensive power, too, leading the lower classification in several categories. Opponents were often held under a touchdown, and to minus-yards rushing.
But these low-scoring matches — coupled with newly founded, Grambling-like expectations of winning — took their toll, creating a pressure-cooker environment.
Fort Valley, ranked No. 2, came into a game against No. 1 Central State and fell 14-7.
A coach known for his easy-going nature — in fact, some at Fort Valley had once criticized him for not being emotional enough — was taking all of this personally.
Too personally.
“It was a hard, hard loss,” Porter said. “We were going into our last two games with just one loss. To maintain that puts you under a tremendous amount of pressure that you don’t really realize.”
He ended up flat on his back in a hospital room, with doctors trying to get his heart fixed.
Porter kept asking about the scores, tried to keep his head in the game.
But the doctors recommended a year off.
The time away refocused Porter on what was important. He still loved football, but in a different way. He learned to let things go.
“At the end of that, I was in the best shape I have been in, other than when I was in the Army,” Porter said. “But I wanted to coach. Coaching is all I have ever really wanted to do.”
He would win more titles at Fort Valley, would serve as chairman of the Division II Football Committee and as president of the National Athletic Steering Committee and, after retiring, would play a key advisory role in smoothing the transition for Robinson successor Doug Williams at Grambling.
“Fort Valley was a good fit for me,” Porter said. “We found that they had a strong group of followers, and they had established a good winning tradition. As with Grambling, I was happy to be a part of that.”
Even if it always seemed to come second on his resume. Until Wednesday, when the College Hall of Fame called.
“It’s one of the greatest honors that can be bestowed,” said Williams, himself a 2001 inductee. “Nobody deserves to be rewarded more than Coach Porter.”
Porter attended the Hall of Fame ceremonies honoring Williams seven years ago, and Williams will join a burgeoning list of former students who will return the favor this summer. Porter said several Fort Valley players are organizing a group trip to South Bend, as well.
“Most people don’t know how special a coach he is,” said Harris, a Monroe native. “He coached at small schools, and that sometime means you get overlooked, but he did an outstanding job with those programs. He’s well deserving. What a great football mind.”
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For Grambling’s Porter, Hall of Fame career was about the kids
July 19, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
For Doug Porter, today will be the capstone on a career spent working with young people.
Of course, the new College Football Hall of Famer won some games along the way, too.
But that was never the point for Porter, a Grambling resident.
"To be able to touch young people," Porter said, "to get them to believe in something, that always meant so much."
The 79-year old earned membership in the College Hall’s 2008 divisional class after a 42-year career, which included 26 seasons as head coach at three small colleges. Porter also served eight seasons as an offensive coach during the legendary tenure of Grambling’s Eddie Robinson, and was athletics director at Fort Valley from 1981-97.
"He was a top football mind, someone who really knew the game," said one of Grambling’s passers at the time, James "Shack" Harris —- now a general manager with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. "Coach Porter is a leader in his right."
The National Football Foundation considers players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly I-AA), Divisions II, III, and the NAIA National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for induction in the College Hall of Fame’s divisional classes.
Porter is joined in 2008 by W.C. Gorden, who coached at Grambling’s conference foe Jackson State from 1976-91.
Four players are also to be inducted in ceremonies held today at South Bend, Ill.: Quarterback Jim Ballard (Mount Union, 1991-93); linebacker Ronald McKinnon (North Alabama, 1992-95), defensive end John Randle (Texas A&M-Kingsville, 1988-89) and halfback Brad Rowland (McMurry College, 1947-50).
Porter, who won 61 percent of the games he coached, recorded 166 career victories —- the bulk of them at Fort Valley.
There, Porter earned seven Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships between 1980-92, including four consecutive crowns from 1982-85. He advanced to the NCAA Division II semifinals in 1983 — when his team boasted the league’s offensive and defensive players of the year in Kelvin Parker and Taqwan Taylor, respectively — and to the quarterfinals in ‘85.
"I have as much respect for Coach Porter as any one I have been around," said Harris, a Monroe native who later played for the NFL’s Bills, Rams and Chargers. "As good a coach as he was, he always played his role in shadows. That couldn’t have been easy for a person of his skill."
Even working at that tiny Georgia Division II program, Porter coached three future NFL Draft picks, including first-rounder Tyrone Poole and Pro Bowl linebacker Greg Lloyd. (He also mentored some Grambling’s top quarterbacks in Harris, Matthew Reed and then Doug Williams, the future Super Bowl MVP.)
"Coach Porter is a special coach in that he would always tell you the honest truth, about football and about life," Harris said. "It sounds simple, but it’s rare. So often a coach will tell you what you want to hear. When you get a chance to work with people like Coach Porter, you become a better person yourself."
Named SIAC coach of the year seven times, Porter earned a lifetime achievement award from the All-American Football Foundation in 1998 and induction in the Mississippi Valley State Hall of Fame in 2006.
"The recognition is overwhelming," Porter said. "But the most important thing to me was to affect the lives of young people. That was satisfying."
COACH DOUG PORTER
Born: Aug. 15, 1929 in Memphis
Personal: Lives in Grambling, with wife Jean
Head coaching career: Mississippi Valley State (1961-65), Howard (1974-78), Fort Valley State (1979-85, 1987-96); also served as an offensive assistant at Grambling (1966-73) under Eddie Robinson, and has been a key advisor to each of his successors.
Career record: 166-107-5, only five losing seasons out of 26
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A SHARED EXPERIENCE: Grambling's duo of Dougs — Porter and Williams — boasts Hall of Fame friendship
July 20, 2008
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
A familiar face could be found among the crowd.
Doug Porter was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, with former player and protégé Doug Williams in attendance.
The roles had been reversed in 2001, when Williams was named to the hall's divisional class as a player. Seven years later, Porter was recognized in South Bend, Ill., for head coaching work at a trio of lower classification programs.
Porter also served from 1966-73 as an offensive assistant during the career of Grambling State's Eddie Robinson.
There, he met Doug Williams, then a young quarterback. Later, after retirement, Porter returned to become a key mentor when Williams succeeded Robinson as head coach at Grambling.
"It was big for me when Coach Porter showed up for my induction," Williams said. "When I found out that he was going in, I thought that was one of the greatest things. I got a chance to repay Coach by being there for him."
Porter won 61 percent of the games he coached, recording 166 career victories at former Division I-AA programs Mississippi Valley State (1961-65) and Howard (1974-78), then at Division II Fort Valley State (1979-97). He also served as athletics director at Fort Valley from 1981-97.
He might have won more still, had Williams followed Porter to Howard.
Williams certainly wanted to, back then.
"He was frustrated as a red shirt," Porter said. "He was running the scout team, but he felt he was better. He wasn't playing."
Porter, then as now a wise and fair man, knew the steep coaching climb ahead at Howard. But he wasn't willing to pluck Williams out of a more favorable situation.
"It wasn't in Doug's best interest to come," Porter said. "He wouldn't have been surrounded with the kind of people he had with Eddie: He wouldn't have had Dwight Scales; he wouldn't have had Sammy White — and those people were big contributors to his success. Had Williams come to us, he would have been a great quarterback, but throwing it to a group of receivers who made a lot of drops. That wouldn't have helped him."
Williams would win a pair of league championships under Robinson, success that launched him into the race for the Heisman Trophy. Williams then became a first-round NFL draft pick, and eventually earned Super Bowl MVP honors in 1988.
A lasting relationship, built as much on trust as on gridiron concepts, was forged.
Fate brought them back together in 1997, when Porter returned to Grambling upon retirement. Williams was in the midst of launching the difficult post-Robinson era — something nearly unthinkable after his stirring 57-season tenure — and Porter's guiding hand again played a key role Williams' success.
"It was Doug Porter who helped me though the whole transition," Williams said. "He wasn't looking for publicity for what he did. It wasn't hard for me to see that I needed Doug Porter close by me."
Long after retirement, Porter — the son of a coach, Memphis prep legend W.P. Porter — still possessed a keen passion for football.
"We'd sit down every day after practice and I would tell him what I felt," Porter said. "He was very amenable, though sometimes we would disagree. I could accept that, because it was his football team. The only thing I wanted to do was help him be successful."
He was: Williams, with Porter on the sidelines in an advisory role, would win a trio of Southwestern Athletic Conference titles in 2000-02, and was one game away from the championship match in both 1999 and 2003.
They now boast another bond, another shared memory in a lifetime filled with them.
"He had such an impact on my life," Williams said. "He had a lot to do with the success that I had. In my life, Coach Porter has been a Hall of Famer for a long time."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Recruiting: South side of Monroe has been a Grambling talent pipeline
Grambling's great provider
South side of Monroe has been talent pipeline
February 6, 2006
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - James Harris grew up right around the corner from Sammy White.
Who lived down the way from Lane Howell. Who lived near a street that would eventually produce a flinty talent named Brandon Landers.
Who shares a zip code with Desmond Lenard.
The south side of Monroe sent them all to Grambling State, in an unbroken storyline that continued through last week's National Signing Day.
"I grew up in that neighborhood," said Sammy White, a Richwood product who played and now coaches at GSU as offensive coordinator. "It gives me great joy to see where these guys progress and how they move along."
In 1965, a Carroll High product was quarterback at Grambling. Forty years later, Landers is likely to follow Harris into the role.
White was a star wingback for former GSU coach Eddie Robinson - after winning both football and basketball titles at Richwood in the early 1970s. Lenard, Carroll's wingback last season, committed to Grambling after earning All-Northeast honors as a kick returner.
Derrick Wilhite, a 2006 signee out of Wossman, contributes to a legacy that includes ex-Wildcats assistant Lee Fobbs, a former player under Robinson, and current defensive back Bakari Guice.
"There's no question that the south side of Monroe has added to that Grambling mystique," said GSU coach Melvin Spears. "From the Howells to James Harris to Goldie Sellers and on down to Brandon Landers - our freshman sensation in '04."
Landers shot to conference freshman of the year honors in relief of injured quarterback Bruce Eugene, then redshirted last year when Eugene returned for a final season of eligibility.
"I think this is a good place for finding highly skilled athletes - and that's true at many inner-city schools," said Carroll coach Jesse Smith Sr., who is also a Grambling product.
"There is a lot of talent in this area. I think that through the years, we've proven that."
Carroll's connection to GSU goes deeper than the head coach.
Back in 2001, current Bulldogs assistant Levi Washington Jr. led all receivers in yards as Grambling won the second of three straight SWAC titles. The team uses an offense patterned on GSU's, as well.
So, it's perhaps no surprise that Carroll split end Jesse Smith Jr. joined Lenard in signing with Grambling last week - along with teammates Derrick Johnson and Xavier Lee, both of whom play linebacker.
In the end, though, all three of the southside schools - notably Richwood and, more recently, Wossman - have been an important thread through the tapestry of Grambling's football legacy.
"It's great coming from that tradition," said Landers. "I'd like to have that same impact - not only as a player, but as an individual."
Harris, perhaps the south side's most legendary product, led Grambling to 31-9-1 record between 1965-68, winning a conference title every single year. He was voted the team's most valuable player his final two seasons.
But Landers reminds, Harris' most important contribution came after he left Grambling.
Harris would become the first black athlete to be drafted as a quarterback. His NFL career - which included stops in Buffalo, Los Angeles and San Diego - was capped by an MVP performance in the 1974 Pro Bowl.
Harris later moved into even more rarified air, working in the front offices of Baltimore and currently Jacksonville as one of the NFL's highest ranking black executives.
Smith said Grambling provided a platform in that journey, and for the scores of southside youths who followed him.
"Anytime you've got a kid who goes on and does well, that's an example that you can stir these kids with," said Smith. "It makes them understand that you can dream and it can happen."
Carroll's Lane Howell, a two-way lineman for Robinson, was the first of three brothers to star at Grambling, beginning in 1960. Michael, a cornerback nicknamed "Trackdown," followed two seasons later. Delles, another defensive back, would arrive seven seasons later - but by then the family had moved to California.
Grambling won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference title with Lane up front, establishing a 23-5-2 mark between 1960-62. Michael's 1964 squad went 9-3, winning the Sugar Cup over Bishop before falling in the Orange Blossom Classic.
One of Michael's teammates that season was cornerback Goldie "Spider" Sellers, a Winnsboro native who eventually moved to the south side and played for Richwood.
In 2004, White joined Harris in the SWAC Hall of Fame, recognition for a career that included three conference championships and co-offensive player of the year honors in 1975 at Grambling.
"It was passed down to me," said White, later an NFL rookie of the year at Minnesota. "James Harris and Delles took me to a Grambling basketball game when I was in junior high. I was always around it. There were other places I could have played, but this was the only place I was ever going."
Quarterback Matthew Reed, born in Winnfield, would prove so dominant at Richwood that he once threw nine touchdowns in a single game. Later, he was named Grambling's MVP as a junior, then made All-America as a senior in the early 1970s.
White grew up idolizing Amos Augustine and Charlie "Tank" Smith at Richwood, then played after them at Grambling. Between 1968-71, former Carroll guard Solomon Freelon Jr. protected Harris, Reed and Frank Holmes.
White says many of those greats called a neighborhood known as Bryant's Addition home. He still scouts for talent there, giving another generation the Grambling road map out of one of the area's most impoverished communities.
"The thing about it is, we thought we were pretty good - and these guys could be that too," said White. "It's all about hard work."
Landers, for his part, says he can't account for the staggering impact such a small geographic area has had on Grambling. But, when he's home, he sees the next group working to get there.
"If you ride around, you see little kids out playing in empty lots and at the rec centers - and that's year-round," said Landers. "They're playing everything too, just like we did. Football, basketball, baseball. With small schools, you've got guys going both ways, playing all sports. That makes you better. Who knows? One of those kids could follow me someday."
South side of Monroe has been talent pipeline
February 6, 2006
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING - James Harris grew up right around the corner from Sammy White.
Who lived down the way from Lane Howell. Who lived near a street that would eventually produce a flinty talent named Brandon Landers.
Who shares a zip code with Desmond Lenard.
The south side of Monroe sent them all to Grambling State, in an unbroken storyline that continued through last week's National Signing Day.
"I grew up in that neighborhood," said Sammy White, a Richwood product who played and now coaches at GSU as offensive coordinator. "It gives me great joy to see where these guys progress and how they move along."
In 1965, a Carroll High product was quarterback at Grambling. Forty years later, Landers is likely to follow Harris into the role.
White was a star wingback for former GSU coach Eddie Robinson - after winning both football and basketball titles at Richwood in the early 1970s. Lenard, Carroll's wingback last season, committed to Grambling after earning All-Northeast honors as a kick returner.
Derrick Wilhite, a 2006 signee out of Wossman, contributes to a legacy that includes ex-Wildcats assistant Lee Fobbs, a former player under Robinson, and current defensive back Bakari Guice.
"There's no question that the south side of Monroe has added to that Grambling mystique," said GSU coach Melvin Spears. "From the Howells to James Harris to Goldie Sellers and on down to Brandon Landers - our freshman sensation in '04."
Landers shot to conference freshman of the year honors in relief of injured quarterback Bruce Eugene, then redshirted last year when Eugene returned for a final season of eligibility.
"I think this is a good place for finding highly skilled athletes - and that's true at many inner-city schools," said Carroll coach Jesse Smith Sr., who is also a Grambling product.
"There is a lot of talent in this area. I think that through the years, we've proven that."
Carroll's connection to GSU goes deeper than the head coach.
Back in 2001, current Bulldogs assistant Levi Washington Jr. led all receivers in yards as Grambling won the second of three straight SWAC titles. The team uses an offense patterned on GSU's, as well.
So, it's perhaps no surprise that Carroll split end Jesse Smith Jr. joined Lenard in signing with Grambling last week - along with teammates Derrick Johnson and Xavier Lee, both of whom play linebacker.
In the end, though, all three of the southside schools - notably Richwood and, more recently, Wossman - have been an important thread through the tapestry of Grambling's football legacy.
"It's great coming from that tradition," said Landers. "I'd like to have that same impact - not only as a player, but as an individual."
Harris, perhaps the south side's most legendary product, led Grambling to 31-9-1 record between 1965-68, winning a conference title every single year. He was voted the team's most valuable player his final two seasons.
But Landers reminds, Harris' most important contribution came after he left Grambling.
Harris would become the first black athlete to be drafted as a quarterback. His NFL career - which included stops in Buffalo, Los Angeles and San Diego - was capped by an MVP performance in the 1974 Pro Bowl.
Harris later moved into even more rarified air, working in the front offices of Baltimore and currently Jacksonville as one of the NFL's highest ranking black executives.
Smith said Grambling provided a platform in that journey, and for the scores of southside youths who followed him.
"Anytime you've got a kid who goes on and does well, that's an example that you can stir these kids with," said Smith. "It makes them understand that you can dream and it can happen."
Carroll's Lane Howell, a two-way lineman for Robinson, was the first of three brothers to star at Grambling, beginning in 1960. Michael, a cornerback nicknamed "Trackdown," followed two seasons later. Delles, another defensive back, would arrive seven seasons later - but by then the family had moved to California.
Grambling won its first Southwestern Athletic Conference title with Lane up front, establishing a 23-5-2 mark between 1960-62. Michael's 1964 squad went 9-3, winning the Sugar Cup over Bishop before falling in the Orange Blossom Classic.
One of Michael's teammates that season was cornerback Goldie "Spider" Sellers, a Winnsboro native who eventually moved to the south side and played for Richwood.
In 2004, White joined Harris in the SWAC Hall of Fame, recognition for a career that included three conference championships and co-offensive player of the year honors in 1975 at Grambling.
"It was passed down to me," said White, later an NFL rookie of the year at Minnesota. "James Harris and Delles took me to a Grambling basketball game when I was in junior high. I was always around it. There were other places I could have played, but this was the only place I was ever going."
Quarterback Matthew Reed, born in Winnfield, would prove so dominant at Richwood that he once threw nine touchdowns in a single game. Later, he was named Grambling's MVP as a junior, then made All-America as a senior in the early 1970s.
White grew up idolizing Amos Augustine and Charlie "Tank" Smith at Richwood, then played after them at Grambling. Between 1968-71, former Carroll guard Solomon Freelon Jr. protected Harris, Reed and Frank Holmes.
White says many of those greats called a neighborhood known as Bryant's Addition home. He still scouts for talent there, giving another generation the Grambling road map out of one of the area's most impoverished communities.
"The thing about it is, we thought we were pretty good - and these guys could be that too," said White. "It's all about hard work."
Landers, for his part, says he can't account for the staggering impact such a small geographic area has had on Grambling. But, when he's home, he sees the next group working to get there.
"If you ride around, you see little kids out playing in empty lots and at the rec centers - and that's year-round," said Landers. "They're playing everything too, just like we did. Football, basketball, baseball. With small schools, you've got guys going both ways, playing all sports. That makes you better. Who knows? One of those kids could follow me someday."
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
The time that the Robinson Museum was (finally) funded
State considers $1.3M for Robinson Museum
Long-delayed project, first proposed 8 years ago, in line to receive funding for first time
May 17, 2007
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Earlier this month, the long-delayed Eddie Robinson Museum project found a home.
Today, supporters hope it will receive funding.
The state's Bond Commission will consider a $1.3 million line of credit, money to be used for renovating exhibit space on campus and hiring an exhibit designer.
"The other day was a big one, when we got the building," said local fundraiser and Robinson family friend Wilbert Ellis, "but this will be even greater because we will have the funds to do all the things we've dreamed of."
At Grambling from 1941-97, Robinson retired as the winningest football coach in college history with 408 wins — leading the Tigers to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles over the years. He passed away on April 3 at age 88, sparking renewed interest across the nation in this project.
The museum was first proposed eight years ago — two years after Robinson's retirement at Grambling and several before the onset of the Alzheimer's-related symptoms.
One of the points of contention for years was where the museum would be located, though that was resolved when Grambling and its oversight board agreed to transfer the school's former women's gymnasium for exhibit space.
More consistent has been the issue of funding.
A temporary exhibit of Robinson-related items opened in the lobby of the GSU Stadium Support Facility in June 2005. But Hurricane Katrina's devastation drew away whatever resources might have come from the state to build on that momentum.
The Robinson Museum, organizers say, has never been closer to becoming a reality.
"What the $1.3 million will do for the museum," said governor-appointed commission chairman John Belton, "is allow us to hire an architect, commission the museum exihibit designer as well as a local contractors to renovate and design the building that will hopefully become one of the top museums in the state of Louisiana."
The project's closest brush with funding had previously come as former Gov. Mike Foster prepared to leave office, when he approved a wide variety of favored projects. His final state budget for fiscal year 2004 included $5.5 million dollars earmarked for the Grambling facility.
But the Robinson museum was part of nearly $700 million in projects slashed by his successor, Kathleen Blanco, in an effort at budget balancing.
Renovation costs for the gym — Robinson coached basketball there early in his career — have been estimated at $3 million to $4 million. An additional $2 million, Ellis said, would likely be required to complete the space — money that will need to come from outsider donors.
The museum will be a part of the Department of State Museums Program, administered by the secretary of state.
Jay Dardenne, the third person to serve in that role since the museum board was formed, took over in February — and quickly discovered that it could become the centerpiece for larger economic and tourism goals.
"He's a true Louisiana legend, the benchmark for coaching," said Dardenne, who spoke at Robinson's local memorial. "There is such a broad base of respect for Eddie Robinson as some one who influenced young lives."
The project was originally mentioned during the Louisiana Legislature's 1999 session, when then-Sen. Randy Ewing introduced Senate Bill No. 919. That bill, co-sponsored by the late Rep. Pinky Wilkerson of Grambling and several others, created the commission that has worked off and on since to develop a Robinson museum.
"From '99 up until this point, we've come a long way," said Ellis, a longtime former Grambling baseball coach and athletics administrator. "We are making some progress. We are just going to keep taking it one step at a time until we get there. But we'll get there."
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Robinson Museum, finally, gets more than a million in state funds
May 18, 2007
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
The long-delayed Eddie Robinson Museum is, all of a sudden, on a roll.
Eight years after first being proposed, the project received quick approval on Thursday from the Bond Commission for state funding of $1.3 million.
"It took less than five minutes," said local museum fundraiser and Robinson family friend Wilbert Ellis. "They made a motion, and it was done."
Organizers sought the money for renovating exhibit space on campus and hiring an exhibit designer, said board-appointed museum board chairman John Belton.
"In 12 to 18 months, we will be able to see one of the greatest museums in the state of Louisiana," Belton said. "I'm looking forward to that day."
The commission voted unanimously to shift $300,000 from an administration project for repairs on state facilities to the museum project, transforming that allocation into available cash.
Another $1 million was allocated as a non-cash line of credit, which means museum officials can make agreements to begin the project — which the state budget will then fund.
State Treasurer John N. Kennedy, who chairs the Bond Commission, said: "We wanted to fast-track this. That's why we did it with lines of credit. They can move right along and get it done."
The Thursday funding came less than a month after Grambling State's oversight board approved transfer of the former women's gymnasium for exhibit space on the Grambling State campus where Robinson coached for 57 years.
At GSU from 1941-97, Robinson retired as the winningest football coach in college history with 408 wins — leading the Tigers to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles over the years. He died on April 3 at age 88, sparking renewed interest across the nation in this project.
"We've had Coach with us that whole time," Ellis said. "I think he's working right along with us on this. I feel Coach's hand in all of it."
This museum was first proposed eight years ago — two years after Robinson's retirement at Grambling and several before the onset of the Alzheimer's-related symptoms that ultimately led to his death.
But these are the first state funds ever specifically earmarked for it.
"We are on our way," said an enthused Ellis, a former longtime GSU baseball coach and athletics administrator. "This is the booster shot we needed! I'm tickled to death."
The museum will be a part of the Department of State Museums Program, administered by the secretary of state.
Long-delayed project, first proposed 8 years ago, in line to receive funding for first time
May 17, 2007
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
GRAMBLING — Earlier this month, the long-delayed Eddie Robinson Museum project found a home.
Today, supporters hope it will receive funding.
The state's Bond Commission will consider a $1.3 million line of credit, money to be used for renovating exhibit space on campus and hiring an exhibit designer.
"The other day was a big one, when we got the building," said local fundraiser and Robinson family friend Wilbert Ellis, "but this will be even greater because we will have the funds to do all the things we've dreamed of."
At Grambling from 1941-97, Robinson retired as the winningest football coach in college history with 408 wins — leading the Tigers to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles over the years. He passed away on April 3 at age 88, sparking renewed interest across the nation in this project.
The museum was first proposed eight years ago — two years after Robinson's retirement at Grambling and several before the onset of the Alzheimer's-related symptoms.
One of the points of contention for years was where the museum would be located, though that was resolved when Grambling and its oversight board agreed to transfer the school's former women's gymnasium for exhibit space.
More consistent has been the issue of funding.
A temporary exhibit of Robinson-related items opened in the lobby of the GSU Stadium Support Facility in June 2005. But Hurricane Katrina's devastation drew away whatever resources might have come from the state to build on that momentum.
The Robinson Museum, organizers say, has never been closer to becoming a reality.
"What the $1.3 million will do for the museum," said governor-appointed commission chairman John Belton, "is allow us to hire an architect, commission the museum exihibit designer as well as a local contractors to renovate and design the building that will hopefully become one of the top museums in the state of Louisiana."
The project's closest brush with funding had previously come as former Gov. Mike Foster prepared to leave office, when he approved a wide variety of favored projects. His final state budget for fiscal year 2004 included $5.5 million dollars earmarked for the Grambling facility.
But the Robinson museum was part of nearly $700 million in projects slashed by his successor, Kathleen Blanco, in an effort at budget balancing.
Renovation costs for the gym — Robinson coached basketball there early in his career — have been estimated at $3 million to $4 million. An additional $2 million, Ellis said, would likely be required to complete the space — money that will need to come from outsider donors.
The museum will be a part of the Department of State Museums Program, administered by the secretary of state.
Jay Dardenne, the third person to serve in that role since the museum board was formed, took over in February — and quickly discovered that it could become the centerpiece for larger economic and tourism goals.
"He's a true Louisiana legend, the benchmark for coaching," said Dardenne, who spoke at Robinson's local memorial. "There is such a broad base of respect for Eddie Robinson as some one who influenced young lives."
The project was originally mentioned during the Louisiana Legislature's 1999 session, when then-Sen. Randy Ewing introduced Senate Bill No. 919. That bill, co-sponsored by the late Rep. Pinky Wilkerson of Grambling and several others, created the commission that has worked off and on since to develop a Robinson museum.
"From '99 up until this point, we've come a long way," said Ellis, a longtime former Grambling baseball coach and athletics administrator. "We are making some progress. We are just going to keep taking it one step at a time until we get there. But we'll get there."
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Robinson Museum, finally, gets more than a million in state funds
May 18, 2007
By Nick Deriso
nderiso@thenewsstar.com
The long-delayed Eddie Robinson Museum is, all of a sudden, on a roll.
Eight years after first being proposed, the project received quick approval on Thursday from the Bond Commission for state funding of $1.3 million.
"It took less than five minutes," said local museum fundraiser and Robinson family friend Wilbert Ellis. "They made a motion, and it was done."
Organizers sought the money for renovating exhibit space on campus and hiring an exhibit designer, said board-appointed museum board chairman John Belton.
"In 12 to 18 months, we will be able to see one of the greatest museums in the state of Louisiana," Belton said. "I'm looking forward to that day."
The commission voted unanimously to shift $300,000 from an administration project for repairs on state facilities to the museum project, transforming that allocation into available cash.
Another $1 million was allocated as a non-cash line of credit, which means museum officials can make agreements to begin the project — which the state budget will then fund.
State Treasurer John N. Kennedy, who chairs the Bond Commission, said: "We wanted to fast-track this. That's why we did it with lines of credit. They can move right along and get it done."
The Thursday funding came less than a month after Grambling State's oversight board approved transfer of the former women's gymnasium for exhibit space on the Grambling State campus where Robinson coached for 57 years.
At GSU from 1941-97, Robinson retired as the winningest football coach in college history with 408 wins — leading the Tigers to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles over the years. He died on April 3 at age 88, sparking renewed interest across the nation in this project.
"We've had Coach with us that whole time," Ellis said. "I think he's working right along with us on this. I feel Coach's hand in all of it."
This museum was first proposed eight years ago — two years after Robinson's retirement at Grambling and several before the onset of the Alzheimer's-related symptoms that ultimately led to his death.
But these are the first state funds ever specifically earmarked for it.
"We are on our way," said an enthused Ellis, a former longtime GSU baseball coach and athletics administrator. "This is the booster shot we needed! I'm tickled to death."
The museum will be a part of the Department of State Museums Program, administered by the secretary of state.
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.
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