Coach Willie Jeffries Scheduled for Nov. 6 On-Campus Salute at South Carolina State

DALLAS, Texas – South Carolina State and The National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced today that they will jointly honor Coach Willie Jeffries with an NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute Nov. 6 as the Bulldogs host Howard University in Orangeburg. Kickoff is 1:30 p.m.

“Coach Jeffries is truly admired by so many,” said South Carolina State director of athletics Charlene Johnson, “Not just for his achievements as head football coach at S.C. State but also for his humanitarian contributions to this community, this state and society. He has mentored many young men and used football and his great personal skills to bring about better community relations in Orangeburg, the Palmetto State and beyond. We are proud of the latest honor bestowed upon him.”

On July 17, the NFF inducted Coach Jeffries into the College Football Hall of Fame as a member of the 2010 divisional enshrinement class in South Bend, Ind. The first African-American to be hired as a head coach at a Division-I school (Wichita State), Willie Jeffries also coached at South Carolina State and Howard. He finished his career as the winningest coach in South Carolina State and MEAC history. He compiled an overall 179-132-6 record during his career, which started in 1973 and ended 2001.

"This is an honor for me, my former players, South Carolina State and all the schools I've coached." Jeffries told The State newspaper at the time of the announcement of his induction. "This is about the top one a coach can receive.”

Throughout the season, each College Football Hall of Fame inductee returns to his school for the special on-field event, where a commemorative plaque is presented to the university for permanent display. Beginning with the NFF’s inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1951, the NFF Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute has served as the first of numerous highlights in the hall of fame experience, giving each inductee one more chance to take the field.

“Coach Jeffries is a pioneer in every sense of the word. He opened doors for future generations, and he mentored countless young players who have gone on to be great leaders later in life,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “It is fitting that his contributions are forever preserved in the College Football Hall of Fame, and we look forward to celebrating with the Bulldog faithful in Orangeburg on Nov. 6.”

A three-time Black National Championship winner, Jeffries is credited with inventing the “Freeze Option” offense and is the only person in history to coach against College Football Hall of Famers Paul “Bear” Bryant and Eddie Robinson. Jeffries won the MEAC conference title seven times, six with SCSU and one with Howard. He has also coached College Football Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Donnie Shell.

Named coach of the year on eight different occasions, he was given the lifetime achievement award by the Black Coaches Association in 2002. An inductee of the MEAC Hall of Fame, SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame, Jeffries was awarded the Order of the Palmetto in 1998, South Carolina’s top civilian honor, and received the Order of the Silver Crescent in 2001, the state’s highest accolade for outstanding community service. Jeffries, earlier this year, was named head coach emeritus at South Carolina State and serves as a liaison between the university, its alumni and other constituents. He currently resides in Elloree, S.C.

Jeffries becomes the third individual inducted into the Hall of Fame from South Carolina State, along with his players Carson who was inducted in 2002 and Shell, a 1998 inductee. He joins Coach Doug Porter (2008) as the only inductees from Howard, and Coach Marcelino Huerta (2002) and Jim Bausch (1954) as the only inductees from Wichita State. For a complete list of players and coaches in the hall, please visit www.collegefootball.org/

Courtesy of The National Football Foundation

South Carolina State Legend Gets His Due

Coach Jeffries reflects on his journey through college football history before Hall of Fame induction.

Willie Jeffries, his wife, Mary, and two of his children have a road trip on tap this week to South Bend, Indiana. It’s not a pilgrimage to Notre Dame. No, Jeffries is going to take his appointed place in the College Football Hall of Fame. The 2010 Enshrinement Festival runs Saturday and Sunday.

“It is quite an honor for me,” said Jeffries, whose 29-year college coaching career netted a 179-132-6 record, including a 128-77-4 mark in 19 seasons during twostints at South Carolina State, his alma mater.

“Being inducted into the college football hall of fame is the apex of my profession. In all my years of coaching, I never thought about any halls of fame, especially this one. There is no greater honor for a coach.”

Jeffries is a beloved South Carolinian — a man whose influence reaches beyond the field. In addition to being a member of several athletic halls of fame (South Carolina State, South Carolina, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Wichita, Kansas, to name a few), he is the recipient of two of the highest civilian honors in the state — the Order of the Silver Crescent for outstanding community service, and the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian award.



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2010 COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME ENSHRINEE BIO

WILLIE JEFFRIES - Howard University, Wichita State University, South Carolina State University Head Coach Emeritus - 179-132-6.


The first African-American to be hired as a head coach at a Division-I school (Wichita State), Willie Jeffries finished his career as the winningest coach in South Carolina State and MEAC history.

A three-time Black National Championship winner, Jeffries is credited with inventing the "Freeze Option" offense and is the only person in history to coach against College Football Hall of Famers Paul "Bear" Bryant and Eddie Robinson. Jeffries won the MEAC conference title seven times, six with SCSU and one with Howard. He has also coached College Football Hall of Famers Harry Carson and Donnie Shell.

Named coach of the year on eight different occasions, he was given the lifetime achievement award by the Black Coaches Association in 2002. An inductee of both the MEAC Hall of Fame and SCSU Athletic Hall of Fame, Jeffries was awarded the Order of the Silver Crescent in 2001, South Carolina's highest honor for Outstanding Community Service.

Jeffries was recently named head coach emeritus at South Carolina State and will serve as a liaison between the university, its alumni and other constituents. He currently resides in Elloree, S.C.

LINK: http://www.collegefootball.org/

UMES' Boozer named to College Football's Hall of Fame

PRINCESS ANNE, MD -- Emerson Boozer, who has garnered various honors for his abilities on the gridiron, can now add another accolade to his resume -- College Football Hall of Famer.

The former NFL running back and University of Maryland Eastern Shore graduate will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind., the weekend of July 16-17. Boozer will be the third UMES football representative inducted, following legendary coach Vernon "Skip" McCain in 2006 and Roger Brown last year.

"I was at home and my wife was on the computer and she says, 'Come here for a minute and read this,' " Boozer said. "Then I read about being accepted in the College Football Hall of Fame and being enshrined in July. I had to read it a couple of times to make sure that I had read what I had read."

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EMERSON BOOZER, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Halfback (1962-65)

A four-year letterman and storied halfback under legendary coach Vernon "Skip" McCain at Maryland Eastern Shore (formerly Maryland State College), Emerson Boozer ran over opposing defenses to secure a spot in the 2010 College Football Hall of Fame Class.

A two-time First Team All-America by the Pittsburgh Courier, Boozer amassed 2,537 yards and 22 touchdowns during his career. He averaged a remarkable 6.78 yards per carry and was named a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) All- Conference pick in 1964 and '65. He was also inducted into the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hall of Fame in 1982.

The New York Jets selected Boozer in the sixth round of the draft, and he played with the franchise for 10 seasons. He was named the 1966 Pittsburgh Courier AFL Rookie of the Year and was twice named a Pro Bowl selection. He also helped the Jets defeat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.

After his time in the pros, Boozer worked with CBS as an NFL analyst. He has been inducted into the State of Georgia and Suffolk Sports halls of fame. Now retired, he lives in Huntington Station, N.Y.

LINK: http://www.collegefootball.org/

SCSU's Jeffries earns 'top' honor

South Carolina State University Bulldogs Coach Emeritus Willie Jeffries will be inducted into College Football Hall of Fame. Coach Jeffries had a career record of 179-132-6 and was the first black coach of a Division I school, Wichita State in 1979. The induction ceremony is July 16-17 in South Bend, Indiana at the College Football Hall of Fame.

Willie Jeffries spent a lifetime knocking down doors in the world of college football. Tuesday, the doors of the College Football Hall of Fame opened for him.
The former S.C. State football coach was named one of six new members of the 2010 Division Hall of Fame by the National Football Foundation. The Division Hall honors players and coaches from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Divisions II, III and NAIA. Jeffries, who had two stints at S.C. State during a coaching career in which he won 179 games at four schools from 1973 to 2001, was thrilled by the news.

"This is an honor for me, my former players, South Carolina State and all the schools I've coached," he said. "This is about the top one a coach can receive." Jeffries won the most games in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference history, captured three historically black college national titles and was the first African-American head coach at an FBS school when Wichita State hired him in 1979. Jeffries, the only person to coach against both Bear Bryant and Eddie Robinson, recognized at the time that he was a pioneer.

"Once I got there (to Wichita), after about a week or two, I said, 'Oh, my goodness, I am a trailblazer.' There was a lot of weight on my shoulders," he said. "But I found out as I went across Kansas that people are people, and they will treat you well according to how you present yourself."

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