Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones, known as “Prez” to his many adoring players and students, was another iconic figure in Grambling history. The grandson of a slave and the son of the first dean at HBCU Southern University, Jones began at Louisiana Normal in 1926 as a Chemistry and Physics professor.   Having been a former player in the Negro Leagues, the powers that be chose Jones to launch the school baseball team. Good idea. Jones would go on to coach the Tigers for 51 years compiling a record of 816-218 including 6 Midwest Athletic titles and 5 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles. Another title that Jones was responsible for was the Grambling Tigers Alma Mater which he composed when he started the College Marching band! Last but not least, in addition to his coaching duties, Jones served more than honorably as the University President from 1936 to 1977. Now let’s get to some of the greatest players at Grambling who also went on to successful careers in the pros. The flannel shown on Emerson Jones can be seen below.

Paul "Tank" Younger

Paul “Tank” Younger, College Football Hall of Fame: When you brutalize and roll over defenders with ease, you’re given the moniker ‘’Tank.” That’s exactly what Paul Younger did at Grambling from 1945-48 as a running back and return specialist. He became the first player from an HBCU to play pro football when he signed as a free agent with the LA Rams in 1949. He was also the first African American to play in an NFL All-Star game and first African American assistant general manager in 1975.

James "Shack" Harris

Doug Williams

Doug Williams, Super Bowl XXII MVP: Named Black College Player of the year twice under Robinson, Williams led the Tigers to 3 SWAC Championships from 1974-1977 and is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. In the pros, Williams became the first African American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl leading the Redskins to a rout of Denver and winning the MVP award after hurling 4 touchdown passes in the 2nd quarter alone. Williams would follow in his coaching mentors’ footsteps as he took over the Head Coaching job at Grambling in 1998, succeeding Coach Robinson at the helm. Williams is currently the Senior VP of player personnel for the Washington Redskins.

Willis Reed

Willis Reed, NBA Hall of Fame: When evoking Willis Reed, most folks envision the larger than life 6’ 9” Captain of the New York Knicks limping on to the court in warm ups before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Championship against the Lakers, eliciting an eruption from the Madison Garden Crowd who did not think he’d be suiting up for the deciding game. He scored the Knicks first 2 buckets on 2 shots for his only points of the game which was enough to spark the team to their first NBA Championship. What most folks don’t know is that Reed was a dominant college player at Grambling with a strong outside shot to go along with his inside physical game. He led the Tigers to one National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Championship and 3 SWAC titles averaging 26.6 points and 21.3 rebounds per game. Reed is a member of both the College and NBA Halls of Fame and was also elected as one of the 50 greatest players in NBA History.

Tommie Agee

Tommie Agee, World Series Champion: Tommie Agee played for only one season at Grambling State, but it was a year to remember as the freshman led the Tigers to their second consecutive Southwestern Conference Championship as he knocked in 38 runs while batting a hefty .389. Tommie would win Rookie of the Year honors with the Chicago White Sox in 1966. He is best remembered for his performance at the plate (.357) and his outstanding play in the field robbing Orioles players on 2 key plays with acrobatic catches as a member of the 1969 World Champion Miracle Mets.

Ralph Garr