(ThyBlackMan.com) For so many years as a journalist, I have written about science, racism, women’s rights, health, justice, legal matters, worldwide events, wars, politics and so much more. After looking at the NFL Football Draft this year, I decided it was time I wrote an article about sports.
I am a graduate of several schools popular for their sports teams. Among them UCLA when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was there; and the University of Southern California when O.J. Simpson was there. I didn’t graduate from the University of Michigan, but I did study there and follow football. However, I attended and graduated from Grambling University in Louisiana, and Grambling wasn’t as big as those schools, but in my heart, Grambling was always the greatest when it came to sports.
You see, Grambling had not only the great band, the great speech and dramatic arts department, the great basketball team and baseball team, but Grambling had the best coach anybody could ever wish for–young men and young women. Obviously, I’m remembering the one and only great Eddie Robinson who began working at Grambling before I was born and remained for 57 years. Despite our age difference, he became one of my best friends and advisors.
Coach Robinson inspired so many young people–especially young men to be their best in sports. Among them are many others, such as Doug Williams, Tank Younger, Everson Walls, James “Shack” Harris, Trumaine Johnson, Larry Wright, Willis Reed, Rich Johnson, Aaron James, Bob Hopkins, Fred Hilton, Charlie Hardnett, Rex Tippitt and so many more, who became friends and one of them who introduced me to professional football was the late Willie Davis.
As I watched the recent NFL Draft, I thought of all the young men who now have great opportunities before them–especially young Black men. As their names were called because they were the greatest in their chosen sport, most of their families and friends were there to rejoice about the great opportunity with which they were being presented.
If Coach Robinson were there with them, along with the opportunity for which they were selected, he would have told them about the great responsibility before them. Everybody can’t be the greatest educator, the greatest doctor, the greatest lawyer, but their talents have already shown they can be the greatest in their chosen profession, and their responsibilities are no less as an athlete than those in other professions. Especially young men who have not yet succeeded in anything because of a lack of opportunity can and do look up to successful athletes!
I pray that the happiness, the glee, the great and determined attitude and the emotion I saw in the draft will remain with them as they make us proud and inspire and help other young people in sports to follow in their footsteps.
Bud Clark, from my hometown in Alexandria, Louisiana was just drafted by the Seattle Seahawks and I have the same hope for success for him. At the close of this article, I was still waiting and pulling for Jacobian Guillory, also from my hometown in Louisiana, will be successfully drafted.
Finish story here; NFL Draft Dreams And The Legacy Of Coach Eddie Robinson.
