Black College sports has had some wonderful pioneers. Legendary football coaches like Eddie Robinson (Grambling State) coached for 56 years, amassing 408 wins, and sent over 200 players to the NFL, including Doug Williams. Jake Gaither (Florida A&M) achieved a legendary winning percentage of .844, claiming six Black College National Championships.
Willie Jeffries (South Carolina State) made national history by becoming the first Black head coach at a predominantly white Division I-A program (Wichita State) in 1979. Marino Caden (Alcorn State) often referred to as “The Godfather,” won seven SWAC championships and is a four-time Black college national champion.
On the hardwood legendary coaches like John B. McClendon (NCCU, Hampton, Tennessee State and Kentucky State), Clarence “Big House” Gaines (Winston Salem State), C. Vivian Stringer (Cheyney State) and Ed Davis Jr. (Bowie State, Delaware State and Morgan State) comes to mind. And through it all one man was there to witness all of it, the late great Charlie Neal, who passed away this week at the age of 80.
Neal Was Black College Sports John Madden
Neal, who spent 50 years covering HBCU sports is credited with being the architect of HBCU sports broadcasting and the lead play-by-play voice for HBCU Go, departed his life with family by his side.
In a statement to HBCU Legends, HBCU Go TV CEO Curtis Symonds had nothing but good things to say about Neal.
“Charlie was underrated for his impact on sports,” Curtis Symonds said. “I consider him the ‘John Madden’ of Black College Sports. Who’s been involved with Black college football for 50 years like Charlie? He was a historian. He was a proven product because he’s lived it, and he would give you history and give you anything that no one else could give you. No other announcer could give it to you like Charlie Neal. Our BET broadcast were so real is because he told the real story. He wasn’t fluffing the story. He told the real story of the game.”
With over four decades of service to Black college sports, Neal is credited with covering more Black college football and basketball games than anyone.
Neal Touched All The HBCU Conferences
With Neal’s aforementioned four-plus decades of service there likely wasn’t an HBCU campus in the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA or SIAC he didn’t touch, and no one else walking this earth can lay claim to that impressive feat.
Neal Chose Barney To Team Up With
Neal’s big break came as the executive producer for sports at BET where he worked from 1980-2004. Neal is the only announcer responsible for putting together the network’s football schedule. Joining him in the booth working for BET founder Bob Johnson was former Jackson State legendary cornerback and Pro Football Hall of Famer Len Barney.
The two formed a dynamic duo for 23 years, and during that time Neal was looked at as the Al Michaels and Howard Cosell of Black college sports.
In fact when the aforementioned Johnson sold BET to Viacom in 2001 he said, “BET and myself owe a lot to Charlie Neal.”
We all do. Rest in peace to a legend in the game.
