Posted on 04/04/2007 9:07:17 AM PDT by kellynla
Eddie Robinson, the record-setting coach who turned Grambling State University into a nationally recognized power, ushered more than 200 players into the National Football League and largely realized his vision of transforming the Louisiana school into the Notre Dame of historically black colleges, has died. He was 88. Robinson, for decades the most recognizable black football coach in the country, died Tuesday at Lincoln General Hospital in Ruston, La., the Associated Press reported. He had Alzheimer's disease.
Starting in 1941 at age 22, Robinson coached at Grambling for 57 years and had a career mark of 408-165-15 when he was forced to retire in 1997.
His 408 wins stood as the most by a football coach at any collegiate level until November 2003, when John Gagliardi surpassed Robinson by notching his 409th victory for St. John's, a Division III school in Minnesota.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
He was one of a kind. RIP Coach.
RIP Coach Robinson.
College Football Ping.
Mega prayers. What a legend.
I heard Doug Williams on the ESPN Mike & Mike show this morning give a great tribute to an amazing man.
Godspeed Coach. We’ll miss you.
Damn shame. Fine man, fine coach. If you or I could touch as many lives as positively we could rest on our laurels. The squad of great coaches in Heaven just got bigger.
Coach Robinson always said he wasn’t preparing players for the NFL, he was preparing men for Life.
Why was he “forced” to retire? Seems like the administration was un-grateful..............
His teams did not perform as well in his last few years and Grambling was faced with a very difficult decision.
“Why was he “forced” to retire?”
1995...5 6 0 .455
1996...3 8 0 .273
1997...3 8 0 .300
my high school years were 1970-1974 and I remember watching a saturday game ‘ tween Grambling and Southern,both African American schools. Besides the game, watching the bands get down at halftime was amazing (the ole Booker T Washington high step stuff)...........anyway...... it came a severe rain storm killing the lights for 12 minutes. When power returned it was hillarious. The 10.20.30 yard markers on the sidelines were two black numbered mudflap looking things and the lines were like baseball chalk. Well the sideline markers were ripped off and gone,all of em and the chalk lines were washed away......that 2nd half took a month to play cause every play was challenged as a first down.
It was flat out hillarious to watch
He was a champion in every sense of the word, raised back before blacks were told America hated them and owed them something. He took life’s hardships and used them to make himself better instead of turning them into an excuse then taught thousands of young people the lessons he’d learned.
RIP, Coach Robinson.
If only there were more Eddie Robinsons and fewer Jesse Jacksons.
Oh there are many “Eddie Robinson” types out there,
they just don’t get the publicity that the “Jesse Jackson” types do.
“Coach Robinson always said he wasn’t preparing players for the NFL, he was preparing men for Life.”
Indeed. My father went to Grambling just so he could play for Coach ‘Rob’.
RIP.
A Sad Day,,,been sick for a long time,,,I think his heart finally gave out,,,he was taken to the ER yesterday,,,
the shreveport times.com has some stories.
Eddie Robinson was the man.
‘Nuff said.
Alzheimer's.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.