Tuesday, July 10, 2012

For love of the game: Ellis leaves legacy on and off the field

(L) Legendary GSU Baseball Coach Wilbert Ellis and (R) Coach James Cooper
(Photo Courtesy: GSU Athletics)

GRAMBLING, Louisiana - Coach James Cooper has kept his predecessor — and often-times father figure — close to the program in which he has played such a large role for more than half a century.

But it's Ellis' off-field contributions to young athletes' lives he and Cooper remember most and feel are as responsible as any on-field victories for his induction this year to the Grambling Legends Sports Hall of Fame.

"A lot of people know I've kept him close, but a lot of people may not know just how close I've kept him," Cooper said. "Coming from a single-parent home, when I came to Grambling, I was kind of rough around the edges and I did not always make the greatest decisions, but he helped me transition into being a grown man, and he did that not just for me, but for many other guys.

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