Grambling Legends

Eddie G. Robison

Robinson retired from his 56-season career at Grambling State as the winningest college football coach in history with 408 victories. He sent more than 200 players into the pros, four of which have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The championship subdivision recognizes its best coach each year with an award named after Robinson, a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. He led Grambling State to 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference titles.

Ralph Waldo Emmerson 'Prez' Jones

R.W.E. ‘Prez’ Jones founded the Grambling baseball team, then led the Tigers to the national NAIA baseball tournament. He took over as president  in 1936 when the school was a segregated teachers college. By the time he retired in 1977, he had added four colleges to elevate the school to university status. Jones composed the school's alma mater, and was the driving force behind  the Tiger Marching Band. He also hired Eddie Robinson to coach the football team in 1941.

Fredrick  C.
Hobdy

Hobdy is remembered for his contributions as a basketball genius. He remains the winningest college coach in Louisiana with 572 victories between 1957-86. His teams won seven Southwestern Athletic Conference titles and the National Athletic Intercollegiate Association championship in 1961, the last men's national title from this state. Though that's not the full measure of Hobdy's legacy. A three-sport letter winner at Grambling, Hodby later served as athletics director before passing in 1998.

Collie J
 Nicholson

Nicholson earned national recognition 13 times during his time at Grambling for his press guides. The Louisiana Sports Writers Association gave Nicholson its Distinguished Service Award in Sports Journalism in 1990. The College Sports Information Directors of America followed with its Trailblazer Award 12 years later, even as Nicholson was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.