2010GramblingLegendHallofFamers2009HallofFameLegends 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
2010HallofFameLegends CategoryJerryBarr BasketballPatriciaCage-Bibbs BasketballGarlandBoyette FootballAdolphByrd FootballMaryCurrie BasketballMackieFreeze BaseballEugene"Doc"Harvey ContributorMelvinLee FootballJamesHooper BasketballJosephB.Johnson ContributorJerryRobinson FootballRooseveltTaylor FootballSammyWhite FootballDougWilliams FootballRobertWilliams Baseball
PatriciaCage-BibbsenteredcoachingtohelpheralmamaterGSUtoshoreupit’swomen’sbasketballprogram.26yearslater,sheiscreditedforhelpingwomen’sbasketballflourish,especiallyatHBCUs.Bibbsmadehistoryin2008bybecomingthe38thactiveheadwomen’sbasketballcoachtocapture400winsinacareer.Bibbholdsa471-264recordandhascoachedinsevenofthelast12MEACChampionshipgames.SheistheonlycoachinHBCUhistorywhohaswontwogamesinNCAApostseason.BibbsistheonlyfemalecoachknowntotakethreedifferentteamstotheNCAAtournamentbywinningtheconferencetournamentchampionship.PatriciaCage-BibbswillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.Garland
JerryBarrisaBastrop,LAnativeandaplatinum-platedGramblingsuperstarofthelate50’s.Jerryandhisteammate,JamesHooper,formedthehottestscoringduoinGrambling’scagehistorywith110victoriesin118games.Hewasatwo-timeAll-AmericanwhoplayedfortheG-Menfrom1956-1959.HeisamemberoftheGSUHallofFame.AccordingtohiscollegeCoachFredrickHobdy,Jerrywasuniquelysetapartfromtheaverageplayerbyaspecialmixoftalent,stamina,andshootingability.HealsoplayedprofessionalgolfonthePGASeniorTour.JerryBarrwillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
GarlandBoyettebeganhisstellarathleticcareeratEmmaH.WallaceHighSchoolinOrange,TX.Garlandparticipatedinseveralsports,including:football,track,basketball,andbaseball.Aftergraduation,hewasencouragedbyGramblinglegendErnie“BigCat”Ladd,Garland’snephew,toattendGrambling.GarlandhadahighlysuccessfulathleticcareeratGrambling,receivingAll-Americanhonorsinbothfootballandtrackandaninvitationtothe1960Olympictrials.AfterGrambling,Garlandhadanoteworthy15-yearcareerinprofessionalfootball,achievingAll-Starstatusinfourdifferentleagues– theNFL,CFL,AFL,andWFL.GarlandBoyettewillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
AdolphByrd,BatonRouge,LAnative,playedtackleonGrambling’s1940’steamsbeforebecomingoneofthefootballprogram’smostimportanttalentscoutsinsouthLouisiana.AmongtheplayershedirectedtoGSUwereLeroyCarter,HenryDavis,HenryDyerandbothDougandMikeWilliams.Hewasafootball,trackandbasketballcoachbetween1950-1966atBatonRouge’sMcKinleyHigh.ByrdwasinductedintoGramblingStateUniversity’sGalleryofDistinctionin1984.HewasinductedintotheGSUHallofFamein1984.AdolphByrdwillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
MaryCurrie(July16,1965– June252000),isaDubach,LAnativeandaformerbasketballstar.This1987GSUgraduatehadastellarcareeratGramblingStateUniversity.MaryCurriewasthefirstfemalebasketballplayertoscoreover2,000pointsinacareeratGSU.WhileatGSU,shewasSWACPlayeroftheWeekandLeadingRebounder.ShewasanAll-AmericanandAll-SWACmemberfrom1983-1987.Hergreatestaccomplishmentsinclude:TeamMVPandacareerhigh51pointsinthe1987DialClassic.MaryCurriewillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
MackieFreezeisaLumpkin,LAnative.CoachMackieFreezeisthefoundingFatherofoneofthemostsuccessfulhighschoolathleticprogramsintheStateofLouisiana.CoachFreezestartedathleticprogramsatTerziaHighSchool,latertoberenamedRichwoodHigh.Hewonfour(4)statefootballchampionshipsandhadarecordof119winsvs.21lossesasheadcoachandAD.CoachMackieFreeze’sheadcoachingcareerproduced55collegeplayersand8professionalplayers,plusseveralplayerswithprofessionalcampopportunitiesandtwo(2)first-roundNBAdraftchoices,oneSuperBowlchampion,andoneNBAchampion.MackieFreezewillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
Berwick,LAnativeEugene“Doc”Harveyspentacombined35yearsasanathletictraineratGramblingStateUniversityandalsowiththeLosAngelesDodgersBaseballClub,Inc.HeisaHallofFameroftheNationalAthleticTrainers’Association(1986),andtheLouisianaAthleticTrainerAssociation.HarveysupervisedtheathletictrainingandrehabilitativefacilityatGramblingStateUniversityuntilretiringin1998.Harveyexemplifiedtheessenceofathletictraining– leadinganathleteoffthatroadofinjuryanddespair.Eugene“Doc”HarveywillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
MelvinLee,NewOrleans,LAnativewasatri-captainoftheUndefeatedNationalChampionshipteamof1955.Heearnedtwo(2)yearsodMid-WesternConferencehonors.HeplayedGramblingTigerFootballfrom1952to1955andwasonthecoachingstafffrom1960to1997.HeisaBayouClassicXXIIIHonoreefromGSU.Asoffensivecoordinator,heparticipatedwiththelateEddieG.Robinsoninan“AllSportsCoachingClinic”discussingGramblingFootball,sponsoredbyDickMansperger.MelvinLeewillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.James
JamesHooper(November6,1935– May21,2008)isconsideredoneofthebestGramblingTigerbasketballplayers.AfterhisfreshmanyearatGSU,theteamrecordwas79-13,withthree(3)straightplayoffappearances.Duringthisspan,Hooperwasatwo(2)timeNAIAAll-American,UPIandAPAll-American,andAll-SWACteammember.HooperranksamongthetopscorersinGramblingbasketballhistorywith1,946points.Healsospentthe1961-1963seasonswiththeNewYorkTuckTapersteamoftheAmericanBasketballLeague.Becauseofhisachievementsonthebasketballcourt,hebecamea“LivingLouisianaLegend”.JamesHooperwillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
JosephB.Johnson,aNewOrleansnative,isadistinguisheduniversitypresident.AspresidentofGramblingStateUniversityfrom1977-1991,hebroughtanewdimensionofprogressandenhancementtotheuniversity.HewasalsopresidentofTallegdaUniversityfrom1991-1998.This1957alumattendedGSUona4yearathleticscholarshipandwascaptainoftheGSUTigerbasketball1954team.Aftergraduation,hecoachedtheLIALOAAAChampionshipteamwitha33-2record.HewasinductedintheLouisianaBlackHallofFame,GSUHallofFame,andtheNationalBlackCollegeAlumniHallofFame.HehasmultiplehonorarydoctoratedegreesfromWesternMichigan,GandhigramUniv.ofIndia,andGSU.JosephB.JohnsonwillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
JerryRobinson,fromDobson,LAisaformerNFLwidereceiver.Heplayedonthe1963AFLWorldChampionSanDiegoChargersandthe1964NYJetsAFLDivisionChampionshipTeams.HehadastellarcareeratGSUwhichincluded:beinga3timeAllAmerican,MVP,andSWACScoringLeaderfor2straightseasons.HewasdraftedbytheNewYorkYankeesoutofhighschoolandwasahighschoolbasketballandbaseballchampion.JerryRobinsonwillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
RooseveltTaylor,NewOrleans,LAnative,isaformerAllPro,ProBowl,andchampionNFLsafetywhoplayedfortheChicagoBears,SanFrancisco49ers,andWashingtonRedskinsoftheNationalFootballLeague.HeledtheNFLininterceptionsin1963andisamemberofthe1963NFLChampionChicagoBears.HeplayedcollegefootballatGramblingStateUniversity.HerecognizedthelackofopportunitiesforAfricanAmericansinNewOrleansandfoundedandfinanciallysupportedthefirstresidentialcampforAfricanAmericanboysinNewOrleans.RooseveltTaylorwillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
SammyWhite,Jr.isaformerNFLwidereceiverandaMonroe,LAnative.Hewasthe1976NFLRookieoftheYear.Heisa2timeProBowlerandamemberoftheViking’sSilverAnniversaryAllTimeTeam.HeplayedandscoredinSuperBowlXI.In1983,hewasawardedtheNFLManoftheYearaward.Hespent12yearsasacoachatGramblingStateUniversity.Asaplayerandcoach,SammyWhite,Jr.wasapartofseven(7)NationalBlackchampionshipteamsatGramblingStateUniversity.HeheldtheVikingsall-timereceivingyardagerecord.HeisamemberoftheLouisianaSports’HallofFameandamemberoftheSWACHallofFame.SammieWhite,Jr.willforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
DouglasL.Williams,Zachary,LAnative,isbestknownforhisMVPperformanceinSuperBowlXXIIagainsttheDenverBroncos.Heis,todate,theonlyAfricanAmericanquarterbackwhohaswontheSuperBowl.HeledtheTigerstoan11-1recordasafreshmanandthefirstofthreeSWACchampionshipsduringhisfourseasonsasastarter.In1977,heledthenationintouchdownpasses(38)andpassingyards(3,286).HewasnamedanAPAll-Americanandfinished4thintheHeismanTrophyvoting.Williamsisatwo-timeBlackCollegePlayeroftheYear.DougWilliamsbecametheheadfootballcoachatGSUin1998,succeedingthelegendaryEddieRobinson.HeledtheTigersto3straightSWACConferencetitles.DouglasL.WilliamswillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
RobertWilliamswasastandoutpitcherasGramblingcompletedarunoffourstraightSWACtitlesin1960-64.WilliamsstartedGames1and3,andwasthecloserinGame2andthejuniorwonthemalltowinthe1963championshipagainstrivalSouthern.TheTigerswerealsonationalrunnersupinthe1963-64NAIAchampionshiptournament.Williamswasastarreliefpitcherinthe’63tournament,andwasapproachedaboutacontractbyGeneAutry,owneroftheLosAngelesAngels.HeultimatelysignedwiththeClevelandIndians,buthisprocareerwascutshortbyarotatorcuffinjuryin1968..Heistheelderbrotherof2010LegendsinducteeDougWilliams,whohasalwayscalledRobertWilliamshisgreatestinspiration.RobertWilliamswillforeverbeaGramblingLegendsSportsHallofFamer.
