The parade of coaches and athletes from MEAC member schools into the National Football Foundation & College Football Hall of Fame will continue when SC State head coach emeritus Willie Jeffries and fomer Maryland State standout Emerson Boozer are inducted during festivities July 16-17 in South Bend, Ind.
Jeffries is the winningest coach in MEAC history in his 24 years in the conference, which included two stints at South Carolina State – his alma mater – and five years at Howard University. Jeffries, who earlier this year was named head coach emeritus at South Carolina State, also coached five years at Wichita State, where he became the first black coach of a Division IA program. He has the distinction of being the only person to coach against Eddie Robinson and Paul “Bear'' Bryant, who are both in the top five winningest coaches in college football history.
Boozer, 66, was a two-time All-American running back at Maryland State, now Maryland Eastern Shore, where he played from 1962-65. He rushed for 2,537 yards and 22 touchdowns during his career, and he averaged 6.78 yards per carry for the Hawks, who played in the CIAA at the time.
“I'm happy the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame has continued to recognize African American coaches and players from small schools,'' MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas says. “Emerson Boozer was an outstanding player. He was something else. Coach Jeff is a pioneer, particularly in the African American Community, because of his accomplishments. I'm happy to see his achievements finally recognized on the national level.''
Jeffries, a South Carolina State alumnus, had a179-139-6 record in 29 years. He led South Carolina State to five MEAC championships, two Black College National Championships and a 122-72-4 record in 19 years.
“It means a great deal personally, and I hope it means a great deal to the MEAC, South Carolina State and all the places I have worked at and to all the players I coached,'' he says. “I never thought in terms of the Hall of Fame. I was fortunate.''
Jeffries, innovator of the Freeze Option Offense, was arguably the last in a long line of black college football coaches, whose charisma made them larger than life, men such as Jake Gaither, Big John Merritt, Marino Casem and Eddie Robinson. Jeffries used that charisma to get the most out of his players, which at times was more than even they believed they were capable of giving.
The Bulldogs were 1-9 in 1972. Jeffries took over the next season and led them to a 7-3-1 record. They finished second in the conference, a half-game behind North Carolina Central and were invited to play Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic.
“We were pretty bad,'' South Carolina State coach Buddy Pough, an offensive lineman for the Bulldogs at the time, says. “We didn't have good running backs, and our quarterback couldn't throw it in the ocean. We had two guys who were outstanding, Donnie Shell and Harry Carson, but we all thought we were great because he told us so. He might be the best handler of men I've been around.''
The Bulldogs won their first MEAC championship in Jeffries' second season, which he says remains the highlight of his career.
“I wanted the MEAC championship for the school,'' Jeffries says. “I wanted us to establish some type of foundation in the MEAC. I didn't want us to be an also-ran in the MEAC. I wanted it for the players too. I wanted us to have something other than academics that we were real proud of.''
Thomas competed against Jeffries' teams when he played at Alcorn State. He also matched wits with Jeffries when Jeffries was at Howard and Thomas was coach at South Carolina State.
“They had a heck of disciplined team,'' Thomas says. “They were very disciplined and very talented. They didn't make mistakes; they won with defense and the kicking game. Those were characteristics of the teams he coached. He's been successful everywhere he has been. I'm happy he's being recognized as one of the top coaches anywhere.''
Maryland State was the proving ground for Boozer, who went on to a 10-year career in the NFL and AFL with the New York Jets, which included a victory in Super Bowl III. Boozer had the rare combination of speed and size, which made him an explosive runner.
“This is not something I expected,'' Boozer says of his selection to the Hall of Fame. It's certainly pleasing in the Hall. It was a long, long time ago (when he played). Someone dug out the old stats.''
Boozer, who lives in retirement in Huntington Station, N.Y., says the most memorable play of his college career was a run that he made in his first game for Maryland State. He got into the game in the second quarter and broke a long run. He spun to elude a tackler at the 10-yard line and backed into the end zone for a touchdown. He says he scored on an identical run in his first game as a rookie with the Jets.
“He had great ability,'' says Sandy Gilliam, who coached Boozer for three seasons at Maryland State. “His ability to cut, run the ball and receive the ball… He was par excellence in all of them. He was just simply outstanding.''
Boozer played offense and defense at Maryland State, and he says being the primary ball carrier for the Hawks prepared him for the NFL.
With the Jets, who picked him in the sixth round of the 1966 draft he was teamed in the backfield with fullback Matt Snell behind quarterback Joe Namath. He had scored 10 touchdowns by midseason of his second year with the Jets and appeared set to challenge the league's single record. However, he suffered a devastating knee injury that robbed him of some of his straight ahead speed. Undaunted, he worked on his blocking and pass receiving and became an even more integral part of the Jets' offense.
Boozer, who grew up in Augusta, Ga., where he attended Lucy Laney High, probably wouldn't have gone to Maryland State had it not been for one of his assistant coaches who was alumnus of Maryland State and his mentor. Boozer's choice was the University of New Mexico. His head coach was an alumnus of Johnson C. Smith and wanted him to play for the Golden Bulls.
“I liked New Mexico,'' Boozer says. “I liked the climate. The campus was big, but not too big. I liked the program. I liked being out West. It had all the things I liked, all the earmarks of a place I would like to have.''
Fearful that Boozer would get away from Maryland State, his high school assistant coach, who was enrolled in grad school at Temple that summer, took Boozer with him to Philadelphia to make sure no other school snatched him up. On the way to Philadelphia, they visited the Maryland State campus, and that was the beginning of Hall of Fame career.
“Small school was what I needed,'' Boozer says. “I have no regrets whatsoever.''
Fans will have a variety of opportunities to meet and mingle with the enshrinees during this spectacular event. The jam-packed weekend will include a celebrity golf tournament, a fan festival, a grand parade, a youth football clinic, a fireworks spectacular with the celebration culminating with the Enshrinement Dinner & Show on Saturday evening.
"We are very pleased to have the opportunity to enshrine another exceptional class of college
football legends," said NFF President & CEO Steven J. Hatchell.
"Each year our hard-working honors courts do an outstanding job ensuring the game's greatest players and coaches find their place on college football's mountain top. We look forward to celebrating in South Bend with this amazing class and their loyal fans from around the country."
"The College Football Hall of Fame is honored to host so many notable contributors to the game in South Bend, celebrating this tremendous accolade," said College Football Hall of Fame Executive Director Lisa Klunder. "Enshrinement in the College Football Hall of Fame is a rare distinction shared by only the most accomplished players, and our festival boasts a myriad of events to highlight this extraordinary achievement."
Tickets for all events are on sale now. Space is limited for certain events. For events, pricing, times or to order tickets visit www.enshrinementfestival.org or call 574-235-5714.
For information concerning media credentials, satellite coordinates or scheduling interviews contact Kristen Pflipsen, director of public relations, at Kristen.Pflipsen@collegefootball.org or 574-235-5717.
2010 ENSHRINEMENT FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
FRIDAY, JULY 16
ENSHRINEMENT CELEBRITY GOLF SCRAMBLE
Blackthorn Golf Club, South Bend, Ind.
ENSHRINEMENT DOWNTOWN BLOCK PARTY & FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR
Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza, Downtown South Bend
SATURDAY, JULY 17
COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME GRAND PARADE
Downtown South Bend
ENSHRINEMENT FANFEST
Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza, Downtown South Bend
HALL OF FAMER PEP RALLY
Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza, Downtown South Bend
AUTOGRAPH SESSION WITH THE 2010 ENSHRINEMENT CLASS
College Football Hall of Fame Press Box
ENSHRINEMENT YOUTH FOOTBALL CLINIC
Hall of Fame Gridiron Plaza, Downtown South Bend
ENSHRINEMENT DINNER AND SHOW
Century Center Convention Center, Downtown South Bend
