UNDER THE BANNER
What's Going On In and Around Black College Sports
CARSON, WRIGHT MAKE HOF: Former South Carolina State and New York Giants defensive
standout Harry Carson
and former Fort Valley State standout and Dallas
Cowboys offensive lineman Rayfield Wright were among a class
of six players voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in
results announced on Super Bowl XL Sunday. Carson, a Florence.
S.C. native in his 13th season of HOF eligibility, became the
third former S.C. State player to be named to the Hall, joining
the late Marion Motley and David "Deacon" Jones.
Carson, one of the best middle linebackers in the NFL during his 13-year career, was named to the
Pro Bowl nine times and was a two-time all-NFL selection
and capped off his career as the leader and captain of the
Giants' team that won the Super Bowl in 1987. At SC State, he
was twice named the conference's defensive player of the
year before being drafted by the Giants in the fourth round of
the 1976 draft. Carson caused quite a stir last year when he
asked the Hall of Fame to remove his name from consideration
after failing several times as a finalist. Carson even stated
he would not attend the induction ceremonies if he was
selected. Carson was travelling in Hawaii when word came of
his selection and said he would attend. "Obviously I will
show up," said Carson Sunday. "The whole process sort of
made me sour. But for me not to show up would be
disrespecting all those people who really went to bat for me, who
really thought I should be there." Wright, a native of Griffin,
Ga., attended Fort Valley State on a basketball scholarship
and but eventually found his way onto the Wildcats' football
team where he starred as a tight end. He earned
all-SIAC honors in both football and basketball. After being drafted by
the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 1967 draft, he was
used as a tight end, defensive tackle and offensive lineman
before an injury to veteran Ralph Neeley allowed him to settle in
as an offensive tackle. It was a position he would not give
up. He went on to make six straight Pro Bowl appearances
during his 13-year career, all with the Cowboys, was
selected all-NFL four times and was named to the league's
All-Decade Team of the 1970s. Wright, known as "Big
Cat," played in five Super Bowls with the Cowboys winning
titles in Super Bowls XI and XII. He was nominated for the
Hall by the Veterans' Committee. Wright and Carson become
the 20th and 21st players with black college roots to make
the Hall of Fame. Wright is the first from Fort Valley State.
The pair will be enshrined in August at ceremonies in
Canton, Ohio.
© 2006 Azeez Communications, Inc.