By T. Scott Boatright
GramFam love.
It permeated the air thicker than the north Louisiana humidity inside the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center Saturday night.
The Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame held its 2024 induction ceremony Saturday and love for the Black and Gold was the unmistakable theme of the night,
Representing football were Glynn Alexander, Aldrich Allen, Scotty Anderson, Herman Arvie and Arlester Brown. Elsie Dillard and Napoleon Johnson stand as basketball honorees, while Michael Cummings and Robert Williams represent baseball. Track and field contributions were celebrated through the induction of Ainsley Armstrong and Gail Emmanuel. Additionally, former Band Director Larry Pannell was recognized in the contributor category.
But undoubtedly, probably the biggest highlight of the night was the induction of the 100-year-old Brown, a member of Grambling’s 1041 undefeated and unscored team of 1941 who received multiple standing ovations on the night.
The first inductee, former baseball shortstop/outfielder Michael Cummings, was a four-time All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection and was drafted in the sixth round of the 1969 League baseball draft by the Boston Red Sox
Cummings played 10 seasons as an AA and AAA Minor League player, playing in 679 games for the Red Sox and Braves organizations, batting .293 with 181 runs batted in.
“This is like a dream,” Cummings said. “I cannot even explain what I’m going through. God is good. God is good. Thank you all.”
Team captain and all-conference selection on the 1967 SWAC championship baseball team, Williams was a three-sport star at Central High School in Mobile, Alabama, before coming to Grambling.
He went on to a successful career as a railroad executive and public/motivational speaker.
“What I’m saying to you tonight is that 1967 was a great year,” William said. “I asked my wife to marry me in 1967. She agreed — that was 1967. And then suddenly, we found ourselves blessed with our first son, so it was a great year.
Williams went on to say it was his children, grandchildren and wife were his biggest wins throughout his life.
“To each and every one of you here, I love you,” Williams said. “This is as great as it gets.”
Dillard was a versatile guard and forward for the Lady Tigers basketball team who earned academic honors, including the SWAC Female Student-Athlete of the Year, and was featured in Ebony Magazine as an outstanding scholar-athlete in 1990.
She later went on to a successful career in law enforcement, going on to become the first female SWAT commander for the Miami-Dade Police Department, the eighth largest department in the country.
Dillard made a point of remembering a pair of deceased teammates who she missed being there with her.
“I wouldn’t be here without my teammates or coaches, many of whom are all in attendance here tonight and God knows how much I appreciate their support,” Dillard said. “Grambling State University brought us together and has ensured a lifelong bond between us.
“Two of the greats, who are no longer with us, Mary Currie and LeChandra Leday, I will work to ensure their contributions to the sport are never forgotten, … I shall proudly represent Grambling State University until the day I leave this Earth.”
Johnson was an All-American post player for Coach Fred Hobdy’s Tigers, twice earning All-SWAC honors, before a lengthy pro career that began in the NBA as a 10th-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks but earned his most pro success in the international game in Italy.
After his playing career, Johnson served for 10 years for the Alexandria Police Department before becoming an insurance executive for the past 15 years.
“Here I am standing on Grambling’s basketball court, 40 years after taking the 00 (jersey) off my back, being honored as a Hall of Famer in front of the Tiger nation,” Johnson said.
“How did I get here? My mother once took me to visit her sister, the late professor Bessie Foster, who on the visit gave me eight Grambling yearbooks to look at —- 1959-67. And I saw one page in there with a headline that said, ‘Jim Dandy (the nickname of late GSU hoops standout Howard Willis) to the Rescue!’
“That stuck in my head. In 1967 she took me to a Grambling basketball game when they were playing in the (Shreveport) Coliseum to go to (the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) basketball tournament in Kansas City and introduced me to Coach Hobdy. Before that, I did not know that my mother had played for Coach Hobdy in the 1950s. By that time that 9-year-old boy was already ready to come to Grambling.”
Armstrong was an All-American sprinter at Grambling who represented his native Trinidad and Tobago in the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games.
“It’s so nice to be back in Grambling,” Armstrong said. “The last time I was here was when I graduated in 1978. So, I’m back on sacred ground.
“Attending Grambling was a great experience. At the running club I represented in Trinidad, there were two guys — Winston Short, deceased, and Lennox Yearwood.
“When I realized those two guys were running for Grambling, I told myself that I would have to represent Grambling, too. And the rest is history.”
Emmanuel, also from Trinidad and Tobago, competed for her country in the 1984 Olympics and was an NCAA Indoor and Outdoor All-American in the 400-meter dash, including a national runner-up finish for the Lady Tigers.
“This moment is a testament to not only my personal achievements but also to the unwavering support I received while I was at Grambling State University,” Emmanuel said.
The late Alexander, who died last October at the age of 76, was a 1969 All-American while playing defensive back, wide receiver and kick returner for Robinson. He played in the NFL for Buffalo and became an accomplished attorney and businessman in his hometown of New Orleans.
He was represented at the induction by his wife Toni.
“The special bond shared between Glynn and his Grambling teammates was like no other,” she said. “He was a protector of the brethren. The respect he had for his coach, the late Eddie Robinson, should not go unnoticed for this attributed to his success both on and off the field.
“His passion for the game was unmatched. You couldn’t touch him. His leadership on the field was unparalleled. You couldn’t stop him. And his spirit of excellence in every walk of his life superseded all expectations that made him the legend we honor this evening.”
Allen was a two-time All-America middle linebacker in 1978-79 and was the leader of the Tigers’ vaunted “Four Amigos” linebacking corps during those days.
“Coach Eddie Robinson and Coach (Ernest) Sterling were my mentors who brought me here,” Allen said. “And I would also like to thank Coach (Dr. Wallace) Bly for giving me the opportunity to get my degree.
“Because he used to always stop my girlfriend and tell her that Zach has homework and a project to do, and he needs to get it done. So, I’d like to thank Coach Bly for giving me the opportunity to get my degree.”
Bly, who passed away in 2007, was the tennis coach at GSU from 1976-84 and was an associate professor of physical education.
Anderson, who had starred at Jonesboro-Hodge High School, set Grambling’s career receiving records in 2000, finishing with 195 catches for 3,334 yards (17.1 average) and 35 touchdowns.
The first team Associated Press All-American played seven professional seasons, the first three in the NFL with the Detroit Lions, who drafted him in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He later played for the Arizona Cardinals (2004) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2005) before moving to the Arena and Canadian football leagues.
Anderson was the third in his family to serve on the GSU football team, following in the footsteps of brother Anthony, a defensive back, and Stevie, who was also a receiver.
“My mom gave us no choice, we had to go to Grambling,” Anderson said. “So, I want to thank her for that. Coach Robinson, Coach (Doug Williams), Coach (Melvin Spears), Coach (Sammy) White — Coach Doug Williams could do no wrong to my mama. Whatever he said went. Mama didn’t listen to anything I said. Whatever Coach Williams says goes.
“I was at USL for about a week and my brother Anthony got on the phone and talked to Coach Rob and they told me to come on, and I wasn’t sure, but mama told me I was going to Grambling. That was nowhere else.”
Arvie, an All-American offensive lineman, helped Robinson’s Tigers win the 1989 Southwestern Athletic Conference title and the 1992 National Black College Championship. A fifth-round 1993 NFL Draft pick, he played four seasons with the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens franchise.
“I owe this honor to the support of many — to my family, my mom, my siblings, my niece and nephews, who have been my unwavering pillars of strength,” Arvie said. “To my mentors, friends and teammates, your guidance has been invaluable.
“To my children, Barry, Noelle and Jordan, and my grandsons Saint and Sage, who will be G-Men, I love you immensely. And last, but certainly not least, to G-Men Nation Incorporated, I thank you.
Brown, who became a Shreveport educator and founded the still-functioning Shreveport Teachers Association Credit Union, was a football halfback alongside Tiger legend Tank Younger before being injured in World War II. He returned to Grambling and earned a bachelor’s and two masters’ degrees, then a degree in divinity, eventually leading him into the ministry along with later service as a security volunteer in the Clinton White House.
“God and Grambling State gave me these opportunities to help others,” Brown said. “God and Grambling State allowed me to be blessed to be a blessing to so many others.
“To my family, God keep you and God love you. Be the person God wants you to be. That is the thing the world needs more of today — more love. God bless you and God keep you.’
The lost inductee of the night was Pannell, a Shreveport native and former member of the World Famed Grambling Tiger Marching Band who graduated in 1973 and became part of the band’s leadership in 1990 and moved into the director’s position soon afterward. He led an array of noteworthy performances, not only on the field but in movies, and in the 1998 Super Bowl.
“I never thought when I came to Grambling in 1969 that I would become considered one of the legendary figures at Grambling State University,” Panel said. “I will not belabor you with a long acceptance speech. Let me just give a special thanks to my friends Doug Williams, Mr. James ‘Shack’ Harris (Grambling Legends founders) and all of the Hall of Fame induction committee members in making this such a memorable event.”
