Morgan State University Athletics

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Black College Football Hall of Fame has announced the induction of Morgan State's legendary coach Earl Banks and former offensive lineman Roosevelt Brown into its Class of 2011.

The inductees will be honored February 19, 2011 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia at the Priority Payment Systems 2nd Annual Enshrinement Ceremony from 6:00-9:30pm. ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden will serve as Master of Ceremonies for the Enshrinement Ceremony.

The newest members were selected from a list of 35 finalists who had been determined earlier by the Black College Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee comprised of journalists and former football executives from around the country. The committee includes Ernie Accorsi, Charles Bailey, Gil Brandt, Charles Garcia, Donald Hunt, Mike Hurd, Roscoe Nance, Ty Miller, Charlie Neal, and Lloyd Vance. Deacon Jones and Bill Nunn, who were inducted in to the Hall of Fame in 2010, also took part in selecting the final eleven to be in the 2011 class.

Banks was head coach at Morgan State from 1960-73 and completed his career with a .839 win-loss percentage. His 1965-68 teams won 31 straight, the seventh longest winning streak in college football history. He also had three unbeaten regular seasons, five CIAA conference championships and led the Bears to four bowl games. He was the CIAA Coach of the Year - 1962, 1965, and 1966.

As an assistant coach and head coach he sent forty-one of his players to the pros, including Willie Lanier, Leroy Kelly, John Fuqua, Raymond Chester, Roger Brown and Sherman Plunkett. He was also Morgan State's athletic director through 1987.

Though his primary contribution to society was on the field, Banks was also a philanthropist. ?He was chairman of a fund drive that raised $1 million for Lafayette Square Community Center. In addition, he was a board member for HUB (Help Unite Baltimore), League for Crippled Children, Heart Association, Diabetes Association, Prisoner's Aid, Boy Scouts and Salvation Army. He died October 27, 1993, at age 69.

Brown, a native of Charlottesville, Va., played football at Morgan State University where he was a two-time Black College All-American (1951-1952) and was drafted in the 27th round by the New York Giants in 1953 as a 20-year old.

“Rosey” was a classic pass blocker and, on running plays, he could make the blocks that opened gaping holes in the enemy ranks. And he could do something few tackles are called upon to do – pull and lead on wide ground plays such as a pitchout to the halfback.

During the height of Brown's career, the Giants were enjoying an unusual string of successes with six divisional crowns and one NFL title in an eight-year stretch. For eight straight years, he was a virtually unanimous All-NFL choice and was named to nine Pro Bowls. In the 1956 NFL Championship Game, he handled the vaunted Chicago Bears' defenses so well that he was awarded Lineman of the Game honors. In 1975, Brown became only the second player to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on the merits of his offensive line play alone. He died June 9, 2004, at the age of 71.

Black College Football Hall of Fame - Class of 2011

 · Roosevelt Brown (OL, Morgan State University, 1949-1952)

· Earl Banks (Head Coach, Morgan State University, 1960-1973)

· Lem Barney (DB, Jackson State University, 1963-1966)

· Mel Blount (DB, Southern University, 1966-1970)

· Willie Davis (DL, Grambling State University, 1952-1956)

· “Bullet” Bob Hayes (WR/RB/KR, Florida A&M University, 1960-1964)

· Joe Kendall (QB, Kentucky State, 1934-1936)

· Art Shell (OL, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, 1964-1967)

· Doug Williams (QB, Grambling State University, 1974-1977)

· Willie Jeffries (Head Coach, South Carolina State University, 1973-2001)

· Collie J. Nicholson (Sports Information Director, Grambling State University)

The Black College Football Hall of Fame was established in October of 2009 to honor the greatest football players and coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Previous inductees include greats such as Buck Buchanan, Willie Lanier, Walter Payton, Eddie G. Robinson, Jerry Rice, and Tank Younger. Eight players, two coaches and one contributor are inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame annually.

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