Pro Football Hall of Famers Leroy Kelly and John Stallworth were among seven men selected for induction into the Black College Football Hall of Fame.
The other inductees are Robert Brazile, Michael Strahan, Willie "Satellite" Totten, Doug Wilkerson and Marino Casem. They were chosen from among 25 finalists.
That brings the number of inductees to 51 since the Hall's inception in 2010. The Hall was founded by former NFL quarterbacks James "Shack" Harris and Doug Williams, both of whom attended Grambling. Harris is a senior personnel executive for the Detroit Lions. Among those already enshrined are Grambling's Buck Buchanan, Mississippi Valley State's David "Deacon" Jones, Bethune-Cookman's Larry Little, Alcorn State's Steve McNair, Jackson State's Walter Payton, Mississippi Valley State's Jerry Rice and Grambling coach Eddie Robinson.
Brazile was a linebacker at Jackson State from 1971-74 and played 10 seasons in the NFL (1975-84) with the Houston Oilers. He was the 1975 NFL defensive rookie of the year, was a six-time All-Pro and was named to the 1970s NFL All-Decade Team.
Casem, nicknamed "The Godfather," coached at Alabama State (1963-1964), Alcorn State (1964-1985) and Southern (1987-88, 1992). He won seven SWAC Championships at Alcorn State and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Kelly was a running back at Morgan State (1960-63) who played 10 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1964-73). He led the NFL in rushing in 1967 and '68 and was a five-time All-Pro selection who was named to the 1960s NFL All-Decade Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1994.
Stallworth was a wide receiver at Alabama A&M (1970-73) who played 14 seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1974-87). He played on four Super Bowl champions and was selected to three Pro Bowls. He scored a touchdown in an NFL-record eight consecutive playoff games. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Strahan was a defensive end at Texas Southern (1989-92) who played 15 seasons with the New York Giants (1993-2007). He was the NFL defensive player of the year in 2001, when he set the NFL single-season record for sacks (22.5). He was named All-Pro six times and was selected to the 2000s NFL All-Decade Team.
Totten was a quarterback at Mississippi Valley State (1982-1985), where he teamed with Jerry Rice to set more than 50 Division I-AA passing records for coach Archie "The Gunslinger" Cooley. He threw for 4,557 yards and 58 touchdowns in 1984, when he led the Delta Devils to the playoffs. He threw for 12,711 yards in his career and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. He played one season each in the NFL and CFL and three seasons in Arena Football. Totten currently is quarterback coach at Division II Albany (Ga.) State. Mississippi Valley plays its home games at Rice-Totten Field.
Wilkerson was a guard at North Carolina Central (1966-69), then played 15 seasons in the NFL. He was a first-round pick of Houston in the 1970 draft, then was traded to San Diego, where he played from 1971-84. He was a three-time Pro Bowler.
The seven will be officially inducted in March in Atlanta.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
