Two more for Canton
21 black college players now enshrined
Former South Carolina State and New York Giants defensive standout Harry Carson and former Fort Valley State star and Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Rayfield Wright were among a class of six players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday in Canton, Ohio.
Carson, of Florence. S.C., 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 MEAC's defensive player of the year before being drafted by the Giants in the fourth round of the 1976 draft.
"As I enter the Hall of Fame, I take so many people with me: my teammates, my family, my close friends, my coaches. I take my ancestors. I take my children. But most importantly, I take the fans who have encouraged me game after game after game and over the last 18 years after I left the game of football," said Carson.
Wright, a native of Griffin, Ga., attended Fort Valley State on a basketball scholarship and 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 allowed him to settle in as an offensive tackle. 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.
In a stirring speech, Wright said, "To every young athlete within the sound of my voice, it takes courage to dream your dream. Don't let them sit in the locker room. Take a leap of faith. Listen to your parents and respect your elders. Learn from your successes and your losses. Be satisfied you gave the game everything that you had and remember this: Don't be afraid to travel the road less traveled, because Larry Rayfield Wright did, and you can, too."
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.
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