"... I couldn’t help but think of how many people had helped me along the way. One of those people I wanted to personally thank for opening doors was Jimmy Raye. This book tells how some of those doors got pushed open. I’m sure you will enjoy reading about the journey!" - Tony DungyArchived
Duke spared infection spike with late return
By TOM SHANAHAN Four months ago, at the start of the COVID-19 shut down, Duke coach David Cutcliffe cautioned his brethren to think about uniformity. He was concerned about schools and coaches seeking a competitive edge. “That’s when people start trying to take care of...
NC State job feels like McNeill returning home
By TOM SHANAHAN Ruffin McNeill’s 36-year college coaching career includes stops at 10 programs – with return stints at two, Appalachian State and East Carolina – yet taking his first job at N.C. State somehow feels like a homecoming. McNeill, one of the most respected and liked...
Alabama and USC fiction eclipsed trailblazers
Part VIParts I, II, III, IV and V links at the bottom.* * * “Although no one in the documentary says it, there seems to be a feeling that Southern Cal’s rout of Alabama was the shock that the University and a majority of the fans needed to support integration of the football...
LeVias speaks from experience seeing noose
By TOM SHANAHAN Jerry LeVias knows how it feels to see nooses directed at him. The College Football Hall of Famer and six-year NFL veteran spoke from experience on Bubba Wallace’s NASCAR crew finding a noose at his Talladega Speedway garage In 1966, a cluster of Texas football...
Steele and his place among 1960s trailblazers
No singular figure or moment represents the integration of college football, but Jerry LeVias stands out for encompassing so much history in a tumultuous fight for equal opportunity – at least on the playing field. His story also is unique for crossing paths with influential...
James Owens and his overshadowed history
No singular figure or moment represents the integration of college football, but Jerry LeVias stands out for encompassing so much history in a tumultuous fight for equal opportunity – at least on the playing field. His story also is unique for crossing paths with influential...
My podcast appearance on Get Off My Pylon
Thanks to Matt Zemek for having me as a guest on his podcast. Click here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/37500398We discussed Raye of Light, college football integration in the South, Army, Navy and Air Force football, the legacy of Don Coryell at San Diego State before moving on...
LeVias and McClain integrated SEC end zones
No singular figure or moment represents the integration of college football, but Jerry LeVias stands out for encompassing so much history in a tumultuous fight for equal opportunity – at least on the playing field. His story also is unique for crossing paths with influential...
Underground Railroad and brush with LeVias
No singular figure or moment represents the integration of college football, but Jerry LeVias stands out for encompassing so much history in a tumultuous fight for equal opportunity – at least on the playing field. His story also is unique for crossing paths with influential...
How MLK helped LeVias and Fry change SWC
No singular figure or moment represents the integration of college football, but Jerry LeVias stands out for encompassing so much history in a tumultuous fight for equal opportunity – at least on the playing field. His story also is unique for crossing paths with influential...