Grambling Coach Eddie Robinson Pens (long)

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Rangertrek

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I had the privilege of making five pens for the Eddie Robinson Museum at Grambling, Louisiana, which will open later this year. The pens are made from the pecan gym floor of the old women's gym building at GSU. The gymnasium is being remodeled into the museum building.

The pens include one Sedona, two Barons, and two Retro Jr's. The pens will go to Mrs. Eddie Robinson, Eddie Robinson Jr., the museum director, and two others with the State. The pictures include:

1. Coach Rob
2. The pecan gym floor provided (significant, read on)
3. The group of five pens on bases (part of gym floor, left as it was)
4. The group of five pens
5. The Sedona for Mrs. Robinson
6. Five pens in pecan gym floor

Coach Rob Bio

Coach Eddie Robinson is probably the most famous athletic figure to come from Baton Rouge. For 56 years, Coach Rob, as he is affectionately known, was the head coach at Grambling State University and during that time established himself as the college football coach with the most wins in history. Robinson retired with a record of 408 wins, 165 losses and 15 ties. He had 45 winning seasons, 17 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and nine black college football national championships.

He was born February 13, 1919. He was a graduate of McKinley High School (1937); he played quarterback for the legendary coach Reuben S. Turner at Leland College in Baker, LA, where he earned his Bachelors degree. He was hired to teach and coach at the Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute, now Grambling State University, in 1941. He went on to earn a Masters degree from the University of Iowa in 1954. He began his Grambling State career in 1941 and retired in 1997. He died April 3, 2007.

Among the "firsts" on his record is the first U.S. Collegiate Football Game (vs. Morgan State University) played in Japan, the Pioneer Bowl in Tokyo 1976. He had over 300 of his players to participate in professional football team training camps. Of this number, more than 200 have played on professional teams. The first black from a historically black university (Grambling) to be drafted and play in the National Football League was Paul "Tank" Younger with the Los Angeles Rams, 1949. Grambling was admitted to the SWAC in 1959. Since that time, Coach Rob won or shared conference championships sixteen times, the National Black College Championship three times and participated three times in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

The driving force behind him was his concern for the welfare of the young men and women he taught and coached. "I feel that coaches have a responsibility to provide a model and to guide their athletes on and off the playing field."

While at Grambling he also coached the girls' basketball team during WWII. He also coached boys' basketball, baseball, directed band and was in charge of the cheerleaders.
 

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  • ERM MsRob.jpg
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