Grambling State Tigers
Encyclopedia
The Grambling Tigers represent Grambling State University
in NCAA
intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I (I-AA for football
) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference
(SWAC). Currently, the Grambling State University Department of Athletics sponsors men's intercollegiate football, along with men's and women's basketball, baseball, track & field, softball, golf, soccer, tennis, bowling and volleyball.
, with red as a tertiary color symbolizing the blood of people of African descent. The school's mascot is the Tiger.
in the annual "Bayou Classic,"
which is hosted at the Louisiana Superdome
in New Orleans, Louisiana
over Thanksgiving weekend and broadcast nationally on NBC
. GSU also plays in the annual State Fair Classic
against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at the Cotton Bowl
, in Fair Park
, in Dallas, Texas
.
Former football coach Eddie Robinson previously held the NCAA
record for most career wins as a head coach at a NCAA division I school.
During Robinson’s 57-year coaching career, the university gained a national reputation because of the large number of athletes who joined the professional ranks in football.
After Robinson’s retirement in 1997, former GSU standout and NFL Super Bowl XXII
MVP Doug Williams took over the reins of the university's football program.
Grambling has won fourteen black college national championships
, more than any other school (Robinson's teams won nine of those championships).
National championship tournament
in 1961
, beating Georgetown College (Ky.). In the following years, the Tigers made it to the NAIA Final Four, and placed 3rd in 1963
, and 1966
, defeating Fort Hays State (Kan.)
and Norfolk State (Va.)
respectively. The Tigers appeared in the NAIA National Tournament eight times from 1959
to 1971
, with a total NAIA National Tournament record of 19-7. Former NBA star Charles Hardnett
played for the National Championship Tiger team.
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I (I-AA for football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
) as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
(SWAC). Currently, the Grambling State University Department of Athletics sponsors men's intercollegiate football, along with men's and women's basketball, baseball, track & field, softball, golf, soccer, tennis, bowling and volleyball.
Traditions
Grambling State's colors are black and goldGold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
, with red as a tertiary color symbolizing the blood of people of African descent. The school's mascot is the Tiger.
Football
Grambling State plays its arch rival Southern UniversitySouthern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in the annual "Bayou Classic,"
Bayou Classic
The State Farm Bayou Classic is the annual college football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Southern University Jaguars, first held under that name in 1974 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, although the series itself actually began in 1936...
which is hosted at the Louisiana Superdome
Louisiana Superdome
The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, previously known as the Louisiana Superdome and colloquially known as the Superdome, is a sports and exhibition arena located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, USA...
in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
over Thanksgiving weekend and broadcast nationally on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. GSU also plays in the annual State Fair Classic
State Fair Classic
The State Fair Classic is an annual college football game between the Grambling State University Tigers and the Prairie View A&M University Panthers. The game's official title is the Southwest Airlines State Fair Classic after its sponsor, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines. This game has also been...
against the Prairie View A&M Panthers at the Cotton Bowl
Cotton Bowl (stadium)
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,...
, in Fair Park
Fair Park
Dallas Fair Park is a recreational and educational complex located in Dallas, Texas . The complex is registered as a Dallas Landmark, National Historic Landmark and is home to nine museums, six performance facilities, a lagoon, and the largest Ferris wheel in North America...
, in Dallas, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Former football coach Eddie Robinson previously held the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
record for most career wins as a head coach at a NCAA division I school.
During Robinson’s 57-year coaching career, the university gained a national reputation because of the large number of athletes who joined the professional ranks in football.
After Robinson’s retirement in 1997, former GSU standout and NFL Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII
Super Bowl XXII was an American football game played on January 31, 1988 at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1987 regular season...
MVP Doug Williams took over the reins of the university's football program.
Grambling has won fourteen black college national championships
Black college football national championship
The black college football national championship is a mythical national championship won by the best black college football team in the United States of America. There has been some criticism of this title on the grounds that the schools in the various polls compete in different levels of...
, more than any other school (Robinson's teams won nine of those championships).
Pro Football Hall of Fame Members
- Willie Brown
- Buck BuchananBuck BuchananJunious "Buck" Buchanan was an American collegiate and professional Football defensive tackle. He played for the Kansas City Chiefs in the American Football League and in the National Football League ....
- Willie Davis
- Charlie JoinerCharlie JoinerCharles B. Joiner Jr. is a former American football player who starred in professional football for eighteen seasons, virtually exclusively at the position of wide receiver. He retired with the most career receptions, receiving yards, and games played of any wide receiver in NFL history. He was...
Baseball
- Tommie AgeeTommie AgeeTommie Lee Agee was a Major League Baseball center fielder most noted for making two of the greatest catches in World Series history, both of which occurred in game three of the 1969 World Series.-Cleveland Indians:...
- Matt AlexanderMatt AlexanderMatthew Alexander was a Utility Player for the Chicago Cubs , Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates...
- James Cooper
- Courtney DuncanCourtney DuncanCourtney Duncan , is a retired Major League Baseball player who played pitcher from -. He would play for the Chicago Cubs. He now is a pitching trainer in Huntsville,AL.-External links:...
- Ralph GarrRalph GarrRalph Allen Garr is a former Major League Baseball player who played outfield for the Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox and California Angels. He batted left-handed and threw right...
- AJ Hostak
- Johnny Jeter
- Olen Parker
- Lenny WebsterLenny WebsterLeonard Irell Webster is a former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a platoon catcher from 1989-2000...
- Gerald Williams
Men's Basketball
The Grambling State Tigers won the NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
National championship tournament
NAIA national men's basketball championship
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship has been held annually since 1937 . The tournament was established by James Naismith to crown a national champion for smaller colleges and universities...
in 1961
1961 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1961 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 24th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . The championship game featured the 13th seeded Grambling and the 3rd seeded...
, beating Georgetown College (Ky.). In the following years, the Tigers made it to the NAIA Final Four, and placed 3rd in 1963
1963 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1963 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 26th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format...
, and 1966
1966 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1966 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 29th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . This tournament featured the game with the most points scored...
, defeating Fort Hays State (Kan.)
Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University is a public, co-educational university located in Hays, Kansas, United States. It is the fourth-largest of the six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, with an enrollment of approximately 11,200 students .- History :FHSU was founded in 1902 as the...
and Norfolk State (Va.)
Norfolk State University
Norfolk State University is a four-year, state-supported, coed, liberal arts, historically black university located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund and the Virginia High-Tech Partnership.-Academics:...
respectively. The Tigers appeared in the NAIA National Tournament eight times from 1959
1959 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1959 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 22nd annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format . The 1959 Tournament is the first tournament to use the 16-seed system,...
to 1971
1971 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 1971 NAIA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 34th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format ....
, with a total NAIA National Tournament record of 19-7. Former NBA star Charles Hardnett
Charles Hardnett
Charles "Charlie Red" Hardnett is a former NBA basketball player. The 6' 8" power-forward played for Carver High School Atlanta, GA. He played college basketball for Grambling State University from 1959 to 1963. Hardnett earned All-America honors in 1962. He was also the NAIA Basketball Tournament...
played for the National Championship Tiger team.