The 2^nd Black College Football Hall of Fame - Watching History Meet History



On a beautiful Saturday evening of Feb. 19, 2011, eleven individuals were inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta, GA. One by one, as the individuals and their family members and friends gathered in the ballroom, there was an atmosphere that this was truly a special event. All of the inductees expressed gratitude and humility, yet each had a unique story of perseverance and triumph to share.

One of the most memorable moments for me was meeting Mel Blount, who also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers who won four Super Bowls in the 1970’s. Being a big Steelers fan, it was almost surreal talking to the same person that I watched on television. I even wore his jersey number 47 when I played football.   

Some of the inductees had big impacts on the NFL. Willie Davis was an All Pro/NFL Hall of Famer on the 1960’s Green Bay Packers team. He won 5 NFL championships under Vince Lombardi. Lem Barney was an All Pro cornerback for the Detroit Lions. Roosevelt Brown and Art Shell were All Pro offensive linemen and won NFL championships for the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders. Mel Blount was so dominant at the cornerback position that the NFL changed the rule so that defensive back contact with wide receivers could not go past 5 yards. As a result of Bob Hayes’ tremendous speed, the zone defense was introduced because most defensive backs could not cover him.  Doug Williams became the first and only African American quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.

Other inductees had significant impacts in different ways. Coaches Earl Banks and Willie Jefferies won a combined 70% of their games, placed numerous players in the NFL and were father figures to many. Jefferies became the first African American to coach in Division I. Collie Nicholson, “the man with the golden pen,” and longtime Sports Information Director (SID) for Grambling State University was known for marketing the Tigers football team. As a man ahead of his time, his marketing strategies included: sending Western Union telegrams about game results to news media across the United States, setting up games in Yankee Stadium and Japan, negotiating with then NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle for the band to perform at Super Bowl I and starting the Bayou Classic. Joe Kendall, who played in the 1930’s, had great impact on people in the community after his playing days also.

The emcee of the event was Jon Gruden, former coach and current ESPN MNF analyst.

The presenter was David “Deacon” Jones, a 2010 BCFHOF inductee. Both had

a special opportunity to meet a person who was part of sports history. The person was Harry Flournoy, captain of the 1966 NCAA Basketball Champions, Texas Western (now El Paso). Flournoy was part of the first team to win a NCAA basketball championship with five African American starters. When Deacon Jones was introduced to Flournoy, there was a sense of amazement. Jones asked, “You think I can check you on the post?” Flournoy responded, “Yes, as long I can head slap you!”  That was the moment where Watching History met History.

2011 BCFHOF Inductee List

Lem Barney – DB Jackson State University

Mel Blount – DB Southern University

Willie Davis – DL Grambling State University

Roosevelt “Rosie” Brown - OL/DL Morgan State University

Art Shell - OL/DL University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Joe Kendall – QB Kentucky State University

Doug Williams – QB Grambling State University

Earl Banks – HC Morgan State University

Willie Jefferies – HC South Carolina State University/Howard University

Collie Nicholson – SID Grambling State University

Robert “Bob” Hayes – RB Florida A&M University

To view highlights of this event go to:  www.63angls.com. The video is located on the main page. For more information go to: www.blackcollegefootballhof.org.

Black College Football Hall of Fame
Four Seasons - Atlanta, GA
February 19th 2011
Photo Credits: MG Productions