2014GramblingLegendHallofFamers2009HallofFameLegends Category

TommieAgee BaseballWill ieBrown FootballBuckBuchanan FootballWill ieDavis FootballHenryDyer FootballRalphGarr BaseballCharlesHardnett BasketballFredHobdy ContributorRobertHopkins BasketballAutryLaneHowell FootballStoneJohnson TrackCharlesJoiner FootballRalphW.E.Jones ContributorWill ieJoseph FootballErnieLadd FootballLegolian"Boots"Moore FootballEdward"Bo"Murray FootballCollieJ.Nicholson ContributorWill isReed BasketballHelenRichards-Smith ContributorEddieRobinson ContributorRichardStebbins TrackHershellWest BasketballWill ieYoung FootballPaul"Tank”Younger Football

2014HallofFameLegends CategoryDorisMottRobinson ContributorLeonSimmons FootballJophreyBrown BaseballJohnWyatt BaseballJohnnyComeaux BasketballFredHilton BasketballWinstonShort TrackLeroyCarter FootballStephenDennis FootballBillyNewsome FootballMatthewReed Football

Stephen Dennis (football) – A four year starter at cornerback for the Tigers during 1969 to 1972, earning All-SWAC and All-American honors (AP & UPI). He earned the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Award and toured Western Europe on behalf of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The Sarepta native played nine (9) seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Toronto Argonauts (2) and the Saskatchewan Roughriders (7). Steve received honors as a CFL All Star as well as being selected on the Saskatchewan Roughriders Seventy-Fifth (75th) Anniversary Team. After his pro football career ended, he started coaching at Carroll High School in Monroe. In 1985 his alma mater came calling and he accepted an assistant coaching position and stayed until 1993. While at Grambling, the football team would win four SWAC championships and two Black National Championships, making him the 1st Grambling player to both play and coach on a Black National Championship team coached by Eddie Robinson. Dennis is currently the Athletic Director, assistant coach and teacher at Green Oaks Performing Arts Academy in Shreveport, LA.

LeroyCarter(football)– AZacharynative,Carterearnedhighschoolstatechampionshipsinbasketballandtrack.HeledtheGramblingTigersinrushingin1964with714yardsandwastabbedAll- SWACin1964,1965,and1966.In1965hewasdraftedbytheBuffaloBillsandtheClevelandBrowns.Thelongtimeeducatorservedasaheadfootballcoach,athleticdirector,assistantprincipalandprincipalpriortoretiringfromtheEastBatonRougeParishSchoolSystem.

John Wyatt (baseball) – An All-SWAC standout outfielder during 1962- 1964, Wyatt was known as the fastest runner going from home plate to first base. During the 1964 NAIA Baseball tournament, he was selected to the All Tournament team. Affectionately known as “Moose”, he was never caught stealing a base, or while stretching a single into a double. John was signed by the Baltimore Orioles and played on the Bluefield Oriole farm team in 1964. He went on to coach at the high school and college level from 1965 to 1976, and in 1996 he retired as a college administrator with NYCTC.

Winston Short (track) – Short, born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, West Indies, came to the United States in 1965. He received a scholarship to run track at Grambling under Coach Tom Williams during 1966-1969, and earned NAIA All-American and All-SWAC honors in the 60, 100 and 220 yard dashes. Winston was selected as the track team’s captain from 1967 to 1969. In 1968, he represented Trinidad in the Olympic Games of Mexico City. He retired after serving as a teacher in the Chicago Public School System from 1970 to 2010.

Matthew Reed (football) – An exceptional quarterback at Richwood High School, where he threw a record 12 touchdowns in one game, Reed would go on to be selected as the Best Freshman player on the football team. In 1971 he would be selected as the MVP, and in 1972 he would be named an All-American and MVP of the Pelican Bowl game. In 1973 Matt was drafted by the Buffalo Bills, but he chose to play in the Canadian and World Football Leagues, playing for the Toronto Argonauts, the Calgary Stampeders, the Birmingham Vulcans and the Birmingham Americans. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach from 1990 to 2000. He is most proud of his picture as a member of the World Football League that hangs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, and, being featured on a commemorative poster celebrating Coach Eddie Robinson’s 400th win. Reed is a teacher/coach at Wossman High School in Monroe, LA.

FredHilton(basketball)– ThehighschoolAll-AmericanfromMcKinleyHighinBatonRougewasaprolificscorerandhadthequickesthandsofanyguardofhisday.FredchosetoattendGramblingCollegeoveralargenumberofothercollegesseekingtohavehimplayfortheirteams.HiltonplayedguardatGramblingfrom1967-71,endinghiscollegecareerasoneofthebestscorersinthenation.TheNAIAAll-AmericanwasdraftedbytheBuffaloBravesandplayedforthemfortwoseasons(71-72&72-73),averaging9.4pointspergame.AfterbasketballFredstartedacareerintheinsuranceindustrywithMonumentalLifeandNewYorkLifethatlastedover20years.

Leon Simmons (football) – The Dallas, TX native played linebacker for the Tigers in the late 50’s and early 60’s. He is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Dallas. After his arrival in Grambling, his tough style of play earned him the respect of his fellow players, coaches and NFL scouts. Leon signed as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos in 1963.

Billy Newsome (football) – The Jacksonville, TX native is a former Tiger defensive lineman (1966-70) who went on to play in the National Football League for the Baltimore Colts (70-72), New Orleans Saints (73-74), New York Jets (75-76), and the Chicago Bears (77). Billy was a 5th round draft pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1970 (one of Grambling’s largest draft classes) and helped lead the Colts to the 1971 Super Bowl Championship. At Grambling, Billy was an All-SWAC defensive lineman.

Jophery Brown (baseball) – the Grambling native had a sterling career as a pitcher at Grambling (1964-66) under the guidance of R.W.E. Jones, the head coach and president of Grambling. His known record was 12-2 with a 0.88 ERA, including a no-hitter and five one hitters. These stats drew a lot of interest from Major League Baseball teams, and in 1966 the Chicago Cubs drafted Brown in the second round of the secondary phase of the June 1966 draft. His professional career in baseball would be cut short by an injury to the rotator cuff in his pitching arm. Calvin, an older brother, had become a well known stuntman in Hollywood, and he introduced the field to Jophery in 1964. Jophery went on to become a top stuntman, in his own right, until his last work on the 2013 film Oblivion. Some of the shows/films that he appeared in are; I Spy, The A-Team, Coffy, Papillon, Live and Let Die, The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars, Convoy, Lethal Weapon, Die Hard, Speed, Jurassic Park. Jophery doubled for various prominent African-American actors, such as Sidney Poitier, James Earl Jones, Danny Glover, Gregory Hines, Yaphett Koto, and Denzel Washington. In May 2010, he received the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work as a stuntman. (Rory Costello, sabr.org/bio)

Johnny Comeaux (basketball) – The Mossville High School scoring machine was one of the most sought after cagers in the country. During his high school career, he scored more than 3,000 points. Following a very successful college career under the guidance of Coach Fred Hobdy, Johnny was signed by the New Orleans Buccaneers during the 1967-68 season and in 23 games scored an average of 3.3 points per game.

Doris Robinson (contributor) - Doris Robinson was born Doris Inez Mott on May 2, 1919 in Wilson, Louisiana, where she spent her early childhood years. As a young flower from a “tree” of educators, she would later become an educator herself, as well as a guidance counselor, and mentor. Of course, her most important job was that of “First Lady of College Football”, as wife of Eddie Robinson, Sr., the winningest coach in Division I college football history. Mrs. Robinson, an only child, was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her mother, Lillian Mott Coleman, was an educator, and her father, John Mott, was a businessman. She was raised with her first cousins Jannie Cox and Gloria Handy; and they maintained a close sisterly bond throughout their lives. The Robinsons met in elementary school and their love continued to blossom at McKinley High School in Baton Rouge. Mrs. Robinson attended Southern University from 1936-1938 and then Leland College, graduating with her sweetheart on May 15, 1941. The newlyweds moved to Grambling that year when a young, eager Eddie Robinson was offered the head football position by President Ralph W. E. Jones at then Louisiana Normal Negro Normal and Industrial Institute, now known as Grambling State University. Mrs. Robinson was in Grambling for a workshop and the sports world can credit her aunt, Mrs. Grace Jackson, with communicating to Eddie Robinsonthejobopportunity.Theywouldspendthenext56yearstogetherinGrambling,havingraisedtheirtwochildren,LillianRoseandEddie,Jr.there.Theirfamilytreewasexpandedwiththelivesoffivegrandchildren,ninegreat-grandchildrenandonegreat-great-granddaughter.Mrs.RobinsoncountsthescoresofathletesthattheytouchedthroughtheircontributionstoGramblingasextendedfamily.Mrs.RobinsonmadehermarkatFriendshipandLincolnElementarySchoolsandthenatLincolnHighSchoolinRuston,Louisiana.AfterLincolnwasclosedduetointegration,Mrs.RobinsoncontinuedhercareeratRustonHighSchoolasaguidancecounselor.Eventoday,Mrs.Robinson’sstudentsmarvelinherpresenceandreminisceaboutthepositiveinfluencesheimpresseduponthem.HerworkintheuniversityandsurroundingcommunitythroughhermembershipintheSigmaGammaRhoSorority,Inc.,Links,Inc.,NationalEducationAssociation,andothergroups,securedherplaceasoneofthemostwell-respectedwomeninthecommunity,alwaysdemonstratingclassandgraceinanysetting.UntilEddieRobinson’sdeathin2007,Mrs.Robinsonhadbeenherhusband’sconfidante,speakingcoach,fashionadvisor,andbestfriend.Andevennow,sheishismostloyalfan.EddieRobinsononcenoted,“Westarteddatingaroundtheendofelementaryschool,soshe’salwaysbeenhereforme.She’sanimportantpartofmyfoundation.”CoachRobinsonwasalsooftenheardsaying(andsomemaysaybragging)thatinhislifeheonlyhad…’onejobandonewife’forhisentirecareer.ItwasDorisRobinsonthatgavehimthesparkleinhiseye.AnyonewhoknowsDorisRobinsonandherdedicationtoEddieRobinson,theirfamilyandhiscareerwillattestthattherearenotruerwords.Shestillreignstodayas“THEFIRSTLADYOFCOLLEGEFOOTBALL!”