Eddie robinson sr biography

American football coach (–)

For the early s coach, see Edward N. Robinson. For the (unrelated) coach at Alabama State University, see Eddie Robinson Jr.

Robinson c.
Born	()February 13, Jackson, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	April 3, () (aged&#;88) Ruston, Louisiana, U.S.
Alma&#;mater	Leland College University of Iowa
–	Grambling State
–	Grambling State
Overall	––15 (football)
Bowls	10–6
Tournaments	0–3 (NCAA DI–AA playoffs)
Football 9 black college national (, , , –, , , , ) 17 SWAC (, –, –, –, , , , )
College Football Hall of Fame Inducted in (profile)

Eddie Gay Robinson Sr. (February 13, – April 3, ) was an American football coach.

For 56 years, from to and again from to , he was the leader coach at Grambling State University, a historically black university (HBCU) in Grambling, Louisiana. During a period in college football history when black players were not allowed to play for southern college programs, Robinson built Grambling State into a "small" college football powerhouse.

He retired in with a record of ––

Robinson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in The Black College All Star Bowl award for unmatched NFL rookies, the Los Angeles Football Classic Foundation's HBCU championship award, and the Football Writers Association of America's Eddie Robinson Award are all named for him.

Super Bowl XXXII, played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, was dedicated to Robinson.

Biography

Robinson was born in Jackson in East Feliciana Parish in South Louisiana, to the son of a sharecropper and a domestic worker.

He graduated in from McKinley Senior High College in the capital city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and briefly attended Southern University there. He then played quarterback and earned his bachelor's degree in English at unaccredited Leland College in Baker, Louisiana,^[1] before obtaining his master's degree in from the University of Iowa in Iowa City—at which he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Career

Robinson began his coaching career at Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute (now Grambling State University).^[2] He applied for the job and was hired by the school's president and baseball coach, Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones.

In his first year the team went 3–5–1, but the following season—during which he recruited new players and dismissed those who did not survive up to his expectations—the Tigers had a perfect 9–0 season, going unbeaten, untied, and unscored upon.^[3]

Robinson returned to the field in , and remained at the school, which became Grambling College in and Grambling Express University in , until his retirement in ^[4]

More than of his players went on to play in the National Football League, American Football League, and Canadian Football League.

Robinson coached three AFL players who would later be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame: the Kansas City Chiefs' Buck Buchanan; the Oakland Raiders' Willie Brown; and the San Diego Chargers' Charlie Joiner. Robinson also coached James Harris, who with the AFL's Buffalo Bills became the first black quarterback in modern Pro Football history to start at that position in a season opener.

He also coached Packersdefensive end and Hall of Famer Willie Davis and the Super Bowl XXIIMVP, RedskinsquarterbackDoug Williams, who would ultimately accomplish Robinson as Grambling's head coach in

During his coaching career, Robinson compiled 45 winning seasons, including winning or sharing 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and nine black college football national championships.^[5] He was winless in his three NCAA playoff appearances.

Enormous publicity attended Robinson's record-breaking win with Grambling State in Some observers feared that the coach would become the aim of white hatred, much as Henry Aaron had when he broke Babe Ruth's home jog record.

Instead Robinson reported that he did not receive a single hate letter, even from the legion of southern fans who worshipped Bear Bryant.

Eddie Robinson born brought Louisiana's Grambling State University eight black college football championships during his 56 seasons of coaching. At the time of his retirement, the legendary Robinson had won games, more than any other football coach in history, college or professional. Across the street lived the Williams family, whose son John, 15 years younger than Robinson, would later become the mayor of Grambling. Young Eddie organized sandlot games and was fascinated from an early age with coaching.

When asked if his record was somehow tarnished by the fact that his team played most of its games against Division I-AA caliber competition, Robinson told Sports Illustrated: "I grew up in the South. I was told where to attend elementary school, where to attend junior high college, where to attend high university.

When I became a coach, I was told who I could recruit, who I could play, where I could compete and when I could engage. I did what I could within the system." He added that his philosophy had always been "whatever league you're in, whatever level, win there."

Eddie Robinson held several jobs other than football coach, including instruction at Grambling High School, and coaching the girls basketball team during World War II.

His girls team lost the declare championship by 1 point. He also coached boys basketball, baseball, directed the band, and was in charge of the cheerleaders—with a budget of $

In the days of segregation, Robinson had the pick of most of the good black tall school football players in Louisiana, usually dividing them with Southern–a major reason why the game between the two schools was a major in-state rivalry prolonged before it was moved to New Orleans as the Bayou Classic in He was proficient to maintain his success for much of the time after integration, recording just one losing season between and However, after three consecutive losing seasons in the mids, pressure mounted for the now year old coach to resign.

Fellow college coach Joe Paterno is quoted in the Grambling State press reference as saying, "Nobody has ever done or ever will accomplish what Eddie Robinson has done for the game Our profession will never, ever be competent to repay Eddie Robinson for what he has done for the country and the profession of football."

In news escaped that Grambling was planning to dismiss him in mid-season.

General outcry—including condemnation from Louisiana elected officials like then-Gov.

For mythical Grambling State University football coach Eddie G. Robinson, football has always been the driving press motivating one of the most successful men to have ever set foot on a football field.

Mike Foster^[6]—led Grambling to retain Robinson's services through the remainder of the season.

Robinson developed Alzheimer's disease after his retirement.^[7] He died on April 3, , at Lincoln General Hospital in Ruston, Louisiana, after having been admitted earlier in the day.^[8]

Robinson and his wife, Doris, who died at the age of ninety-six in September ,^[9] had two children; Eddie, Jr.

and Lillian Rose Robinson.

Awards and honors

In the Jet College All Star Bowl committee named its award for superb NFL rookies from HBCUs the "Eddie G. Robinson Trophy;" its inaugural winner was Doug Williams.^[10] Grambling named its football facility, built in , Eddie Robinson Stadium.

A street on GSU's campus is also named for him.^[11] In South 13th Lane in Baton Rouge was renamed for him.^[12] The Los Angeles Football Classic Foundation's HBCU championship award was called the "Eddie G.

Robinson Trophy" in ^[13] Beginning in , a other Eddie Robinson Trophy was awarded in Atlanta to the foremost HBCU player of the year.^[14] In the Football Writers Association of America's Eddie Robinson Award was renamed for him.^[12] The Eddie Robinson Classic (held from to ) was named for him.

The American Urban Radio Networks has sponsored an award for HBCU coaches called the "SBN Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year;" it was won by Grambling's own Broderick Fobbs in ^[15] The Eddie G. Robinson Classic series of elevated school football games, begun in , was also named after him.^[16]

Robinson received the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in and the Amos Alonzo Stagg Coaching Award from the Together States Sports Academy in Robinson was the winner of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award, which was established to honor the NCAA Division I football coach whose team excels on the field, in the classroom, and in the community; the award is named for Bobby Dodd, longtime leader football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and was established in to honor the values that Dodd exemplified.^[17] Robinson was awarded the General Robert R.

Neyland trophy by the Knoxville Quarterback club in ^[18]

Super Bowl XXXII, played at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, was dedicated to Robinson. He was accompanied onto the field by Williams and Joe Gibbs to perform the ceremonial coin toss.

Museum

In , the Eddie G. Robinson Museum opened on GSU's campus.^[19] The museum chronicles and celebrates the major accomplishments of the G-Men football program and former head coach Eddie Robinson.^[20] The museum is 18, square feet and cost approximately $ million to complete.^[21]

In media

In the TV movie Grambling's White Tiger set in the s, about the true story of Jim Gregory, the first white quarterback at Grambling, Robinson is played by Harry Belafonte.

Head coaching record

^[22]

See also

References

External links