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Former FAMU Gridiron Great Tyrone McGriff Dead at 41December 11, 2000TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Former Florida A&M football star guard Tyrone McGriff, a College Football Hall of Famer and a three-time All-America honoree, passed away Saturday in Melbourne at the age of 41. A native of Gifford, Florida, McGriff suffered a heart attack on November 25 and lapsed into a coma. He remained in the coma until passing away last weekend. McGriff was the stalwart right guard of "The Mounties," the fabled offensive line of the Rudy Hubbard-coached teams of the late 1970s, that won two Black College National titles (1977, 1978) and the first ever NCAA Division l-AA national championship in 1978. He earned Black College All-America honors in 1977 and Kodak Division I-AA All-America notices in 1978 and 1979. He was also a three-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) selection (1976-77-78). After his collegiate career ended, McGriff was drafted in the 12th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers. As the last player picked, he was the first-ever winner of the Lowsman Award as the last player picked in the draft. His professional playing career covered both the National Football League with the Steelers (1980-82), where he earned NFL All-Rookie honors in 1980 and the United States Football League, with the Michigan Panthers (1983-84) and the Memphis Showboats (1985).In 1996, he was a member of the first group of small college {below Division 1-A) players ever enshrined into the College Football Hall of Fame. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, December 15 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church in Gifford.
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