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Former Grambling State football greats Eddie G. Robinson and Doug Williams could be headed to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2025. Per a report by ESPN, the HBCU legends are among 25 candidates named in the contributor category for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.
The candidates' names were released on Wednesday following a blue-ribbon committee's decision to narrow down the original list of 47 individuals. The candidates selection pool will be eventually reduced to nine and then one single finalist will be named. The finalist selected will be considered alongside one coaching candidate and three senior candidates by the full selection committee for the Hall of Fame early next year.
Both Robinson and Williams are both important figures in the history of HBCU athletics. Eddie G. Robinson served as head coach of the Grambling State Tigers for 56 years, joining the program in 1941 and eventually retiring in 1997. In his tenure his teams won nine Black College National Championships and 17 SWAC Championships. He finished his career winning 408 games, making him one of the most winningest coaches in college football history. He also helped over 200 players, including Doug Williams, transition to professional football in the NFL and other leagues.
Out of all of the players that played under Robinson at Grambling, Williams stands out as one of the most significant. Williams played for Robinson at Grambling from 1974-1977. In his time at quarterback, the team won three SWAC Championships and went 36-7. His stellar play under Robinson earned him significant Heisman trophy buzz, finishing fourth in 1977.
He went on to be drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 17th pick in the 1978 NFL Draft. He eventually went on to join the Washington Redskins, in which he made history as the first black quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP in 1988.
Williams made history again 10 years later when he became coach Eddie G. Robinson's successor as coach of Grambling. In 2000, he achieved his first SWAC title as head coach, boasting a remarkable 10-2 overall record. The subsequent year, he guided the Tigers to clinch the Black College Football National Title, concluding the season with an impressive 10-1 record. Continuing his winning streak, he secured a three-peat of SWAC championships in 2002, leading the G-Men to an 11-2 record.
He now serves as the Washington Commanders Senior Advisor to the General Manager and co-founded the Black College Football Hall of Fame with James “Shack” Harris in 2019. The Hall of Fame honors the greatest players, coaches, and contributors in HBCU football history.
Williams and Robinson are among a diverse group of candidates that includes Patriots owner Robert Kraft, former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell, longtime ESPN personality Chris Berman, and John Wooten, a distinguished scout and executive who later chaired the Fritz Pollard Alliance, advocating for increased hiring of minority head coaches in the NFL.
