 |
FAMU President Elmira Mangum, Ph.D. and Rattlers Athletic Director Kellen Winslow.
|
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Florida A&M University (FAMU) has named College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow as the university’s new athletic director. FAMU President Elmira Mangum, Ph.D., made the announcement today. Winslow will begin work in his new role starting May 15.
“Kellen Winslow brings a track record of success, positive energy and a wealth of experience to FAMU,” said Mangum. “We’ve had several conversations about taking our athletics program to the next level, and I look forward to working closely with him to develop outstanding student athletes and a championship-caliber environment,” added Mangum, who stated that further strengthening athletics is among her top priorities since recently becoming the 11th president of FAMU.
Winslow attended the University of Missouri on a football scholarship in 1975. In 1978, he was named Big Eight Player of the Year for his academic and athletic achievements and earned consensus All-American honors. He was the 13th player selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. Winslow enjoyed a prolific nine-year career with the Chargers, earning All-Pro honors five times and setting both team and league records that stand to this day.
Winslow previously served as the executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an affinity group comprised of minority members of the National Football League front office, coaching and scouting personnel. Most recently, he was director of planning and new business development at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
“This is a tremendous opportunity and I look forward to working with Dr. Mangum, university leadership and the student-athletes themselves to build upon and honor FAMU’s great tradition, both on the field and in the classroom,” said Winslow.
Additionally, Mangum announced the creation of the President’s Alumni Advisory Board on Athletics (PAABA). This group of hand-selected alumni will serve as a liaison between the president and the athletic director to provide strategic counsel and guidance on various matters pertaining to the general function and development of all FAMU Athletic Department programs. The board will be chaired by Lt. Col. Gregory L. Clark, who also serves as the FAMU National Alumni Association’s first vice-president and is a former student athlete from the three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion Rattler baseball team.
“The President’s Alumni Advisory Committee on Athletics is comprised of former student-athletes and business leaders who will serve as an advisement arm to ensure that FAMU’s athletics program receives the attention and resources necessary to nurture an enriching environment for success,” said Clark.
Mangum said she is confident that this leadership combination will start the process of moving the program to championship-caliber status.
“We are building a dream team of staff, coaches, students and alumni that will one day become the model of academic and athletic collaboration,” said Mangum.
About Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow is said to be the player who defined the tight end position for the rest of professional football to follow. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1995; member of the NFL All-Time Team, celebrating 75 years of NFL history; All-Pro, Consensus Collegiate All-American and member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2002.
Winslow was born November 5, 1957 in East St. Louis, Ill.. He began playing football during his senior year at East St. Louis Senior High School.
Winslow attended the University of Missouri on a football scholarship in 1975. In 1978, he was named Big Eight Player of the Year for his academic and athletic achievements and earned consensus All-American honors. He was the 13th player selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. Winslow enjoyed a prolific nine-year career with the Chargers, earning All-Pro honors five times and setting both team and league records that stand to this day.
Winslow previously served as the executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an affinity group comprised of minority members of the National Football League front office, coaching and scouting personnel. Most recently, he was director of planning and new business development at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.
A firm believer in that academics and athletics go hand-in-hand, Winslow graduated from the University of Missouri receiving a bachelor of educational science in counseling psychology. He returned to school after his football career and earned his juris doctorate from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1993.
Winslow continues to parallel his athletic accomplishments with a successful career in the media. He currently serves as an analyst for Fox Sports Net College Football Saturday Studio Show. In past years, Winslow has provided color commentary for NFL broadcasts on CBS Radio, ESPN college football and for University of Missouri football.
Winslow has appeared on ABC’s Nightline, ESPN, Fox Sports and Politically Incorrect among others. He is often called upon to discuss social, political, economic, diversity and racial issues relating to sports.
Ab
out the FAMU Athletics Advisory Committee
Gregory L. Clark
Lt. Col. Gregory L. Clark has been a financial advisor for more than 17 years and founded AUREUS Financial Management in February 2008. Clark was featured in the January 2000 edition of Ebony Magazine, in which Ebony highlighted the top careers for African Americans in the new millennium. He was also featured in the September 13, 2004 issue of Newsweek Magazine. Clark earned a bachelor of science in Business Economics from FAMU while a member of the three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Champion Rattler Baseball Team.
Albert Chester, Sr.
Albert Chester, Sr. served as the quarterback for the FAMU football team from 1975-1978, earning Most Valuable Player honors three times while accounting for more than 3,600 total yards offensively and 43 touchdowns. As a junior, he led the Rattlers to the nation’s only unbeaten record in any division in 1977, as the team finished 11-0-0. In 1978, the Rattlers won the first ever 1-AA national title with a 35-28 win over the University of Massachusetts. Chester currently serves as an investigator with the United States Navy.
Jemal Gibson
Jemal Gibson graduated with honors from the FAMU School of Business and Industry (SBI) in 1993. After graduation, he served as an infantry officer in the United States Army. Gibson graduated in the top 10 percent of his Infantry Officer Basic Course and also completed the elite U.S. Army Ranger and Airborne Schools. He has spent the last 19 years in the pharmaceutical industry with companies like Pfizer, Parke-Davis and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals where he has managed billions of dollars in sales and received numerous accolades and awards.
Ray Matthews, Sr.
Ray Matthews, Sr. is a member of the Visit Tampa Bay Sports Commission, where he is involved in bringing various high profile events to the area. Among the events are the Super Bowl, NCAA Men and Women Regional Basketball Tournaments. An alumnus of FAMU, Matthews has served as a member of the FAMU Booster Club- Fang Level and as president of the West Coast Rattlers Booster Club.
Sonia Jackson Myles
Sonia Jackson Myles is president and founder of the Sister Accord Foundation. She began her professional corporate career as a buyer in Dearborn, Mich., with Ford Motor Company. Previously, Myles served as director of Global Packaging Purchases at Procter & Gamble, where she managed a $6 billion budget. In 2008, Myles was named one of Essence Magazine’s “25 Women of Power” and was selected as a Bloomberg History Maker. In 2011, Myles was named one of Black Enterprise Magazine’s “Top Executives in Marketing and Advertising.” In 2012, she was named one of Florida A&M University’s “125 Outstanding Alumni” in celebration of the University’s 125th anniversary.
Nelson E. Townsend
Nelson E. Townsend is a retired administrator with more than 30 years of experience, who served two terms as athletic director of Florida A&M University. In addition to his service to FAMU, Townsend also served as athletic director at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and the University of Buffalo for 12 years. While at the University of Buffalo, he successfully moved the program from NCAA Division III to Division I in three and a half years. Townsend has been a leader in sports and education administration at the state, national and international levels.
Natalie White
Natalie White is an alumna of FAMU, where she started on the women’s basketball team. Affectionately known as the “Pocketbook” for her record breaking number of steals as a player from 1991-1995. White was inducted into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Hall of Fame in 2010. The three-time All-MEAC honoree guided the Rattlerettes to two regular season conference titles and the 1995 MEAC Championship. White led the NCAA in steals for three of her four seasons and continues to hold the NCAA Division I record with 624 career steals. White currently serves as the director of Ticket Sales and Service for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.
COURTESY FLORIDA A&M UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS
MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama State, which hosts its annual Black-and-Gold game Saturday, is coming off its second-straight 7-4 season under coach Reggie Barlow.
