PHILADELPHIA (BASN/BASN NEWSROOM)— We now continue our countdown of the very best of the HBCUs with All HBC -Universe teams No. 10 and No. 9:

TENTH TEAM

HEAD COACH – EDDIE P. HURT, MORGAN STATE

(Scout’s notes: Hurt was Morgan, coaching the football program to 14 CIAA championships; from 1931 – 38, the Bears went undefeated — a mind-boggling 54-0 and 173-54-18 overall while Hurt walked the sidelines! In addition, Hurt won championships in track and basketball, as well as coaching pro football Hall of Famers Len Ford and Roosevelt Brown)

OFFENSE

QB – CHARLIE “CHOO CHOO” BRACKINS, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M

(Scout’s notes: Although Green Bay had the good sense to draft Brackins in 1955 {16th round} the nonsense was in not giving him the opportunity to play the position he was born to play; a practice that continues to this very day. His career amounted to only seven games; but the two – time champion passer from the SWAC went 41-4 throughout his college career, and at 6-feet-2 was the right prototype, but the wrong color)

OFFENSIVE LINE:

OL – FRED HOBDY, GRAMBLING STATE

OL – FRED DEAN, TEXAS SOUTHERN

OL – DANNY MOORE, WINSTON – SALEM STATE

OL – SOLOMON FREELON, GRAMBLING STATE

OL – HERMAN ARVIE, GRAMBLING STATE

RECEIVERS:

TE – LARRY HARDY, JACKSON STATE

WR – DONALD DRIVER, ALCORN STATE

WR – ORONDE GADSDEN, WINSTON – SALEM STATE

(Scout’s notes: Driver and Green Bay history are entwined forever; he caught Brett Favre’s seven-yard pass which pushed Favre past Dan Marino for the all-time lead in NFL passing yardage {career}; was the first offensive Packer player to perform the infamous “Lambeau Leap” after a home team’s score, and holds the record for the longest play in Packers’ playoff history with a 90-yard TD pass from Favre; Gadsden became a capable starter for the Miami Dolphins after moving up from Arena League Football in 1999 {1998 Rookie of the Year for Portland}

BACKS:

RB – LARRY KINNEBREW, TENNESSEE STATE

RB – MACK LEE HILL, SOUTHERN

(Scout’s notes: In 1964, Hill, an undrafted free agent, averaged over 5 yards a carry for the Kansas City Chiefs, and was an AFL Rookie All-Star; the following season, Hill tragically died on the operating table after knee surgery; a sobering reminder of the effects of joint damage and how far modern surgery has come.

The Mack Lee Hill Award is presented annually to the team’s top rookie, and #36 will never be worn by another Kansas City player.)

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE:

DL – BEN MCGEE, JACKSON STATE

DL – JOE “TURKEY” JONES, TENNESSEE STATE

DL – BILLY NEWSOME, GRAMBLING STATE

DL – LEE WILLIAMS, BETHUNE – COOKMAN

(Scout’s notes: Williams was an unsung talent, amassing 82.5 sacks in his NFL/USFL career; a speed rusher with great balance who also played well against the run)

LINEBACKERS:

LB – DONTE’ CURRY, MORRIS BROWN

LB – JUSTIN DURANT, HAMPTON

LB – TRACY WHITE, HOWARD

SECONDARY:

CB – GOLDIE SELLERS, GRAMBLING STATE

CB – CHARLIE STUKES, MARYLAND – EASTERN SHORE

SS- MARK WASHINGTON, MORGAN STATE

FS- STEVE WILSON, HOWARD

(Scout’s notes: Sellers was golden for a Kansas City team that forced the NFL’s hand toward a merger in the 1969 Super Bowl; one of 12 HBCU alums on the Chiefs’ roster who spanked Minnesota 23 – 7 in SB IV; Wilson, after a solid nine years in the NFL, went back to his alma mater and became the Bisons’ football coach in the early 1990s)

SPECIALS

P – STONE JOHNSON, GRAMBLING STATE

K – ERIC PERRI, JACKSON STATE

PR- CLARENCE WEATHERS, DELAWARE STATE

KR – CHARLES “HOMEBOY” SMITH, GRAMBLING STATE

ST- ANTICO DALTON, HAMPTON

(Scout’s notes: Johnson, a track star who was signed by Kansas City in 1963 as a return specialist, broke his neck in a pre – season game against the Raiders; his No. 33 was retired by the Chiefs in remembrance of Johnson, who was an Olympic teammate of Bob Hayes)

NINTH TEAM

HEAD COACH, ARCHIE COOLEY, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE

(Scout’s notes: Cooley, during his time as coach of the Delta Devils {1980-86} became the school’s leader in games won (42-27-3). Blessed with the scoring combination of QB Willie Totten to wide out Jerry Rice, Cooley created his “score-a-minute” offense; Cooley was “on point” with his boasting as MVSU averaged 59 points per game in 1985)

OFFENSE

QB – WILLIE “SATELLITE” TOTTEN, MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE

(Scout’s notes: As trigger man for Cooley’s offense, Totten throwing to wide receiver Jerry Rice put up pinball scores during their reign of terror in the SWAC. Unfortunately for Totten, the fact he had set over 50 Division I-AA passing records (including a single season high of 58 touchdown passes!) wasn’t enough for consideration by the NFL.

Totten came back home to coach his alma mater, and since 2002, has coached the Delta Devils. In recognition of their contributions on and off the field, home games for MVSU are played at Rice-Totten Field. You can’t go wrong with a winning combination!)

OFFENSIVE LINE:

OL- QASIM MITCHELL, N.CAROLINA A&T

OL- BENNIE ANDERSON, TENNESSEE STATE

OL- JAMIE BROWN, FLORIDA A&M

OL- JUNIUS COSTON, NORTH CAROLINA A&T

OL – CHAD SLAUGHTER, ALCORN STATE

RECEIVERS:

TE – RICH CASTER, JACKSON STATE

WR – FRANK LEWIS, GRAMBLING STATE

WR – WILLIE RICHARDSON, JACKSON STATE

(Scout’s notes: Caster was arguably the first real hybrid TE/WR in the NFL, as Joe Namath and later Richard Todd would often line him up as a wide out in multiple receiver packages, and Caster was a three-time Pro Bowl performer in a 12-year career; fellow Tiger Richardson a two-time Pro Bowler; Lewis a clever and very productive third receiver during the Steelers 1970s reign)

BACKS:

RB – RICKEY YOUNG, JACKSON STATE

RB – ROBERT HOLMES, SOUTHERN

(Scout’s notes: Young was a prototype West Coast back, with great hands out the backfield; led the league in receptions with 88 grabs in 1978; Holmes, nicknamed “Tank” was a compact, powerful and tenacious runner who became an integral component of Hank Stram’s “Offense of the 1970s” in Kansas City, which utilized small backs darting behind huge offensive linemen like Brad Budde and Jim Tyrer)

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE:

DL – ROY HILTON, JACKSON STATE

DL – RICHARD HARRIS, GRAMBLING STATE

DL – DWAINE BOARD, NORTH CAROLINA A&T

DL – ROBERT PORCHER, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE

(Just thinking about this year’s poor Detroit Lions makes me respect Porcher even more; he played his entire career in Detroit and was a great player on some bad teams; a three-time consensus All- League and Pro Bowl selection, Porcher scarfed up 95.5 sacks and always played like someone was trying to steal his money; Hilton was a classic 1960s era HBCU draft pick, selected in the 15th round (No. 210 overall) In 10 seasons, Hilton started for the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl III upset by the New York Jets, but got his ring in SB V)

LINEBACKERS:

LB – DAVE WASHINGTON, ALCORN STATE

LB – TIM COFIELD, ELIZABETH CITY STATE

LB – JACKIE MITCHELL, SOUTHERN

(Scout’s notes: After a brief career with Kansas City, Cofield hit his stride up north in the Canadian Football League; became an impact player for Toronto and Hamilton, where he tied the record for most individual sacks in one game (5); Mitchell has also become a CFL mainstay, playing most of his career for the Saskatchewan Roughriders)

SECONDARY:

CB – DANTE WESLEY, ARKANSAS – PINE BLUFF

CB – WILLIE WILLIAMS, GRAMBLING STATE

SS – JERRY WILSON, SOUTHERN

FS – NICK HARPER, FORT VALLEY STATE

(Scout’s notes: Williams led the NFL in INT’s in 1968 {10}; Harper thrived in Tony Dungy’s Cover Two alignments, and helped the Indianapolis Colts win SB XLI)

SPECIALS

P – TIM MANUEL, GRAMBLING STATE

K – GILAD LANDAU, GRAMBLING STATE

PR – TRUMAINE JOHNSON, GRAMBLING STATE

KR – ROBERT PENNYWELL, GRAMBLING STATE

ST – MACK ALSTON, MARYLAND – EASTERN SHORE

(Scout’s notes: Johnson was one of the true stars of the USFL — a two-time All-USFL selection with back to back 1,000-yard seasons and 171 receptions before moving on to the NFL)

Next time:We further elucidate on the virtues of HBCU teams No. 7 and No. 8!