Football 9/10/2026 10:00:00 AM MSU Athletics Communications

Bears in the Land of the Rising Sun

Crossing Borders, Making History

BEAR STORIES
The people, moments, and traditions behind Morgan State Football.

BALTIMORE, Md. (Sept. 10, 2026) — Before Morgan State football traveled to some of the nation's biggest stages, there was Tokyo.

Nearly 50 years ago, a group of Morgan State football players, coaches, and administrators boarded a plane in New York with the Morgan name on their backs and an opportunity to do something few college football teams had ever done.

They were headed to Japan.

The 1976 Morgan State Bears, coached by Henry "Hank" Lattimore, were coming off a championship-caliber season. They would ultimately capture a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship and then travel halfway around the world to face legendary Grambling State in the inaugural Pioneer Bowl in Tokyo.

This Saturday, members of that historic team will return to Hughes Stadium to be honored during Morgan State's home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg.

For the 1976 Bears, however, the journey to Tokyo began long before they walked onto a football field.

A 17-Hour Journey to the Other Side of the World

The trip itself was an adventure.

After departing from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, the Morgan delegation embarked on a grueling 17-hour flight to Tokyo's Haneda Airport, with a stop in Anchorage, Alaska.

For many of the players, it was their first opportunity to travel outside the United States.

After finally arriving in Tokyo, the team and school officials were transported to the Pacific Hotel, one of Tokyo's most prestigious hotels at the time.

For young college football players accustomed to the routine of buses, practices, classes, and game days, the experience had suddenly become something much bigger.

They weren't just football players. They were ambassadors for Morgan State University. They were representatives of an HBCU.

And they were part of an event that would introduce thousands of Japanese fans to American college football.

A Championship Season Takes the Bears to Tokyo results76

The historic trip came during a memorable season for Morgan.

Lattimore, in his first season as head coach, guided the Bears to a 6-4 overall record and a 5-1 mark in MEAC play, earning Morgan a share of the conference championship.
The Bears defeated several of their MEAC rivals during the season, establishing themselves as one of the conference's top teams.

Then came the invitation that would change the trajectory of the season.

Morgan would meet Grambling State in Tokyo.

Grambling was coached by the legendary Eddie Robinson, one of the most influential figures in college football history. The Tigers brought with them a national reputation built on decades of success.

Morgan brought something equally important.

Pride.

A Tokyo Showdown Filled With NFL Talent

starters

The Pioneer Bowl wasn't simply a meeting between two HBCU football programs.

It was a showcase of the extraordinary talent being developed at historically Black colleges and universities during the 1970s.

The two rosters featured players who would go on to make their mark in the National Football League.

Leading Grambling was Doug Williams, the Tigers' quarterback who would eventually make history as the first Black quarterback to lead a team to a Super Bowl championship.

Grambling defensive back Charles Johnson would later play three seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Cardinals.

Wide receiver Carlos Pennywell, another member of the Grambling roster, would be selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1978 NFL Draft.
Morgan had NFL talent of its own.

Defensive lineman Elvis Franks was one of the Bears' top defensive players and would go on to play seven seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, Oakland Raiders, and New York Jets.

In other words, the Pioneer Bowl was not short on professional football talent.

It was HBCU football at a high level—played thousands of miles from home.

And for the players on both teams, Tokyo provided an international stage on which to showcase that talent.

Morgan vs. Grambling — In Tokyo

On Sept. 24, 1976, Morgan State and Grambling State met at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo for the inaugural Pioneer Bowl.

It was more than a football game. It was a cultural exchange.

It was an opportunity for two historically Black colleges and universities to showcase their programs on an international stage.

And the Japanese fans embraced the moment.

Grambling eventually won the game, 42-16, but the final score could not diminish what the Bears had accomplished simply by being there.

Morgan's points came from three field goals (40, 30, and 14 yards) by junior Duane Danner and a 28-yard touchdown pass from George Williams to Mark Durden.

But one of the most lasting memories came after the final whistle.

Fifteen Minutes of Appreciation

When the game ended, the Japanese fans delivered a moment that those Bears would never forget.

They stood. And they applauded.

For 15 minutes, the Japanese crowd gave both teams—and both bands—a standing ovation.

The players had traveled thousands of miles to introduce their version of American football to a new audience.

In return, that audience made sure they knew the effort had been appreciated.

For the Bears, the ovation became one of the defining memories of the trip.

Seeing Japan

The Pioneer Bowl experience extended far beyond the stadium.

During their stay, the Morgan delegation was given the opportunity to experience some of Japan's most famous landmarks and cultural attractions.

The Bears visited Tokyo Tower, one of the city's most recognizable landmarks, as well as Meiji Shrine, an important Shinto shrine in central Tokyo.

They also visited the Japanese Trade Station, designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and toured the Ginza district, one of Tokyo's most famous commercial and entertainment areas.

The delegation also visited the American Embassy, giving the players an opportunity to experience another important connection between their home country and their temporary home on the other side of the world.

For a group of college students in 1976, these weren't simply sightseeing excursions.

They were once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

A Farewell to Remember
Before returning home, the Morgan and Grambling delegations were treated to a farewell celebration at the world-famous Chinzan-so Supper Club.

It was a fitting conclusion to a trip that had combined football, culture, history, and fellowship.

The players arrived in Japan as competitors.

They left with memories that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

More Than a Football Team
The story of the 1976 Morgan State Bears isn't simply about a team that went to Tokyo.

It's about what the trip represented.

At a time when international travel was far less common, and HBCU football was still fighting for the recognition it deserved, Morgan State was invited to take its football program to the other side of the world.

The Bears shared a championship. They played on an international stage. They represented their university and their community.

And they left an impression on people thousands of miles from Baltimore.

The players who made that journey were part of something that would become a permanent chapter in Morgan football history.

The Bears Come Home

Now, nearly five decades later, those Bears are coming home again.

On Saturday, members of the 1976 Morgan State football team will be recognized at Hughes Stadium during the Bears' home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg.

Today's Bears are continuing a tradition established by generations who came before them.

The 1976 team showed that Morgan State football could compete for championships—and could carry the Morgan name anywhere in the world.
Their journey was about more than football.

It was about representing Morgan. It was about representing HBCU excellence. And it was about creating memories that would last a lifetime.

This Saturday, the current Bears will have the opportunity to say something that perhaps cannot be said enough:

Thank you for showing us the way.

Welcome home, 1976 Bears.

The legacy continues.

FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official website of Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master's degree, doctorate, and certificate programs. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.

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