Forgotten Heroes: The Legacy of UMES Hawks Football | Dr. Joshua K. Wright, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History and Global Affairs, Trinity Washington University

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — One of my guilty pleasures is watching the TV One documentary cable series Unsung and Unsung Hollywood. If you have never watched either series, they tell the stories of African American singers and actors who experienced substantial success for a short period of time before their shining star abruptly faded away. If I could create a new series called Unsung Sports my pilot episode would focus on the Maryland State College football program, arguably the best sports program in American history. 

Don’t believe me, check the stats! The program saw 142 wins and just 38 losses between 1946 and 1970, seven undefeated seasons, multiple conference championships, four legendary coaches, 30 eventual professional players, five Super Bowl participants, collegiate and professional Hall of Famers, a rock star, a civil rights activist, and an aide to Bobby Kennedy. Maryland State College, now known as The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, has one of the greatest football programs most people have never heard of. The story of this tiny HBCU (historically black college and university) is a fascinating tale of race and collegiate sports.

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