Hall of Fame Finalists

Earlier this week the Black College Football Hall of Fame announced the finalists for the Class of 2017. The 25 finalists were selected from a field of 175 nominees by a 13-member Selection Committee composed of prominent journalists, commentators, historians, former NFL General Managers, and football executives. The 25 finalists are made up of 20 players and five coaches. The committee will meet again in the coming weeks to whittle the 25 finalists down to the six-member (five players and one coach) Class of 2017. That class will be announced on October 26. They will be honored during the Black College Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on February 25, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here are the 25 Finalists:

PLAYER FINALISTS 

• Joe “747” Adams (QB, Tennessee State University, 1977-1980)
• Coy Bacon (DL, Jackson State University, 1964-1967)
• Emerson Boozer (RB, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 1962-1965)
• Harold Carmichael (WR, Southern University, 1967-1970)
• Raymond Chester (TE, Morgan State University, 1966-1969)
• Parnell “Paydirt” Dickinson (QB, Mississippi Valley State University, 1972-1975)
• Earl “Air” Harvey (QB, North Carolina Central University, 1985-1988)
• James Hunter (DB, Grambling State University, 1972-1975)
• Harold Jackson (WR, Jackson State University, 1965-1968)
• Gary “Big Hands” Johnson (DL, Grambling State University, 1971-1974)
• Henry Lawrence (OL, Florida A&M University, 1970-1973)
• Greg Lloyd (LB, Fort Valley State University, 1983-1986)
• Leo “Lincoln Locomotive” Lewis (RB, Lincoln University, 1951-1954)
• Frank Lewis (WR, Grambling State University, 1967-1970)
• Tyrone McGriff (OL, Florida A&M University, 1976-1979)
• Timothy Newsome (RB/KR, Winston Salem State University, 1976-1979)
• Robert Porcher (DL, Tennessee State and South Carolina State University, 1988-1991)
• Isiah Robertson (DB/LB, Southern University, 1967-1970)
• John Taylor, (WR, Delaware State University, 1982-1985)
• Everson Walls (DB, Grambling State University, 1977-1980)

COACH FINALISTS

• Bill Hayes (Head Football Coach, Winston Salem State 1976-1987, North Carolina A&T 1988-2003)
• Billy Joe (Head Football Coach, Cheyney University 1972-1978, Central State University 1981-1993, Florida A&M University 1994-2004, Miles College 2007-2010)
• Arnett “Ace” Mumford (Head Football Coach, Jarvis Christian 1924-1926, Bishop College 1927-1929, Texas College 1931-1935, Southern University 1936-1961)
• Doug Porter (Mississippi Valley State University 1961-1965, Howard University 1974-1978, Fort Valley State University 1979-1996)
• Joe Taylor (Howard University 1983, Virginia Union 1984-1991, Hampton University 1992-2007, Florida A&M University 2008-2012)

The Black College Hall of Fame was founded in 2009 through the efforts of former quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams. They sought to preserve the rich history and honor the great players and coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. There have been 64 inductees since the first induction ceremony in 2010.