Inside Hotlanta and The SIAC
January 21, 2005

by Hal Lamar
Onnidan Online Columnist

Longtime Lemoyne-Owen hoop coach to retire

It was interesting that before the January 17 cage contest between Lemoyne-Owen and Morehouse College, former Morehouse head hoop head hoop coach Arthur McAfee and this writer were talking about the Magicians head basketball coach Jerry Johnson.

McAfee mentioned that his first opponent as a college coach in 1961 at Lane College was against LeMoyne and Johnson. " He had been coaching several years before that," said McAfee.


Oscar Daniels Photo
L-R: Former Morehouse All-American Harold Ellis, Coach Jerry Johnson of Lemoyne-Owen, Morehouse head coach Grady Brewer and former Morehouse head coach and athletic director Arthur McAfee



To be exact, Johnson started at LeMoyne 47 years ago in 1958 . He has worked at the college since and graduated some fine student-athletes including the current Mayor of Memphis Tennessee, the honorable Willie Herenton.

At halftime of the game. Coach Johnson was presented a plaque from Morehouse head coach Grady Brewer. Johnson had announced earlier in the year that the 2004-2005 cage season would be his last. The man has won over 800 games, second only to Clarence " Big House" Gaines. I am sure that at the end of this season, the city of Memphis will do something big for one of college basketball's coaching "deans" and a man who was an ambassador for that city.

Former Morris Brown gridder turned Atlanta Bodybuilder now flexing for god in Louisiana hometown

It was not that many years ago that Shreveport Louisiana native Robert " Superman" Blount was all the talk of Atlanta and the competitive world of bodybuilding. Blount came to Atlanta in the middle 70s after being recruited by Atlanta's Morris Brown College to play football. His love of conditioning paired him with another great muscleman, professional wrestler Tony Atlanta. Soon, he was getting more attention than he had ever enjoyed in his life. He was welcomed on major radio and TV programs and constantly written by fitness publications like Iron Man and Muscle and Fitness Magazine. He was basking in the glamour and adulation that accompanies being a "muscleman."

Former Morris Brown gridder turned bodybuilder, Robert "Superman" Blount (standing) poses with good friend and 8 time Mr. Olympian Lee Haney. ( photo courtesy Blount archives)

But while returning home to visit relatives in the late 1990s,. Blount was smitten with the Holy Spirit. " The Lord spoke to me and told me that I wasn't going back to Atlanta," he told INSIDE in a recent phone interview from Shreveport. " He told me in a dream that he had plans for me in my own hometown."

But Blount had become addicted to the fast life that Atlanta offered and fought hard to get back to the bright lights and away from the contrasting slow pace of Shreveport. But the creator who Blount admitting "knowing but not knowing" was not taking no for an answer. " No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get away from here," he said. But then God slowed me down long enough to educate me about why he gave me this tremendous body. He reminded me that the body is the temple of the Lord. What he wanted me to do was use what I knew about bodybuilding and nutrition to minister unto the people and turn from my wicked ways. I was in love with myself. I was caught up in vanity, seeing how good I could look and how much sex and fun I could have. That's over now."

Blount now also sees the connection between fitness and the Bible. He notes, for example, that Christ and his disciples walked or ran everywhere they went. "They had to row boats to get across seas," he said. "Man, they have to be healthy."

Now an ordained minister of the gospel, Blount has started his own health ministry called Fit for Life Inc. He has also partnered with his longtime friend, Atlanta bodybuilder and eight time Mr. Olympia Lee Haney who is scheduled to visit Shreveport soon to assist with major health projects Blount has started in concert with the President's Council on Fitness. He is also working closely with political leadership in Louisiana to create a Fit for Life Day and other activities to increase awareness to the dangers of childhood obesity. He is also sponsoring bodybuilding shows and soon hopes to take them on tour throughout Louisiana. " This state is near the bottom in terms of health," he said. This is why I feel the Lord put me here. I feel like the prophets of the Bible who had to go through something before God could use them. I had to go through that rough road myself. Now I'm ready to render service unto the Creator. God can use anybody."

To get in touch with Robert Blount, contact him at bfitforlife@aol.com or by calling 318-347-2208.

Promoters Call First HBCU Football Classic in New Orleans a Success

The crowd was described as "scattered" by one of the two promoters of the first HBCU All Star Classic held Monday, January 17 in New Orleans Louisiana's municipal facility, Tad Gromley Stadium. But Mike Jones told INSIDE that from an exposure perspective, the game was an unqualified success.

"We wanted the players to be seen by NFL and CFL scouts. We had 31 of the 32 NFL teams represented. The New Orleans Saints sent three scouts to the game. We do need to work on better promotion and getting more black college alumni involved."

The game patterned itself after the older East-West All Star game and divided the black colleges accordingly. In the first game, The East dominated with a strong second half and beat the west 20-10. Jones said their current plans are to return to the Crescent City. The game is currently non-sanctioned through the NCAA and Jones said he doesn't feel such sanctioning may be necessary.

The MVPs for game were Coty Martin from South Carolina State (offense) and Bruce Banks from Bowie State (defense).

INSIDE apologizes to Joe Taylor and the Hampton Pirates for incorrectly publishing that Albany State University was the number one team on the SBN poll. It is indeed Hampton and is well deserved. My apologies for the error. ASU Head coach Mike White was named the network's coach of the year.

Got an item or comment?
Contact Hal at hallamar2@hotmail.com