February 24, 1952 Frederick Rudolph “Fred” Dean, hall of fame football player, was born in Arcadia, Louisiana. Dean played college football at Louisiana Tech University and was an All-Southland Conference defensive tackle. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 1975 NFL Draft and over his eleven season professional career was a four-time [...]
Tag Archives | College Football Hall of Fame
Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson – January 23rd in African American History
January 23, 1976 Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson, concert singer, scholar, stage and film actor, athlete, and multi-lingual orator, died. Robeson was born April 9, 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey. He won a full academic scholarship to Rutgers University, the third African American student accepted at Rutgers. Although he was the only black student on campus [...]
January 9th in African American History – Jerome Heartwell “Brud” Holland
January 9, 1916 Jerome Heartwell “Brud” Holland, education administrator and diplomat, was born in Auburn, New York. Holland graduated from Cornell University, where he was the first African American to play on the football team and an All-American in 1937, 1938, and 1939. Despite his athletic abilities, the National Football League ignored him because of [...]
December 30th in African American History – Melvin Lacy Renfro
December 30, 1941 Melvin Lacy Renfro, hall of fame football defensive back, was born in Houston, Texas. Renfro attended the University of Oregon where he was a track star and All-American halfback and defensive back. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1964 NFL Draft and over his 14 year professional career was [...]
December 14th in African American History – Ernest Davis
December 14, 1939 Ernest Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania, but raised in Elmira, New York. Davis attended Syracuse University where he was a running back from 1959 to 1961, winning first team All-American honors in 1960 and 1961 and earning the nickname “the Elmira [...]
March 16th in African American History – Ozzie Newsome, Jr.
March 16, 1956 Ozzie Newsome, Jr., hall of fame football player, was born in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Newsome played college football at the University of Alabama and was an All-American in 1977. He earned his bachelor’s degree in recreation administration in 1978. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 1978 NFL Draft and [...]
February 13th in African American History – Edward Gay Robinson
February 13, 1919 Edward Gay Robinson, hall of fame football coach, was born in Jackson, Louisiana. Robinson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree at Leland College in 1941 and in 1954 earned his Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa.