HBCU giant passes at age 94

The college football world, indeed the entire nation, lost a giant last week. Doug Porter was that rare individual who devoted his entire life and career to HBCUs, but accomplished so much and positively affected so many people he wasn’t overshadowed or overlooked. Porter, who was 94, excelled in multiple athletic phases. He was an outstanding player, head coach, athletic director and later overall small college administrator. He did all this while never abandoning the HBCU universe in search of bigger fame and larger riches. He certainly could have done that given his connections and stature, but he preferred working with young men and having an impact on the futures of Black athletes, particularly those who weren’t going to be professionals. Porter was born and grew up in Memphis. He played quarterback at Xavier of Louisiana and then did a military stint before he decided to enter the coaching world in the early ‘60s. At that time college sports was largely segregated and totally that way in the South. So Porter started at Mississippi Valley State, spending four seasons there and compiling a 21-19 record. But it was his next job that cemented Doug Porter’s career and also helped him...