In order to appreciate your present, you have to acknowledge the past.
Despite the critics and skeptics, there have been a number of athletes who have come out of HBCUs. We’ve shown you that many of them made it to the NFL, but there are others excelling in a number of sports. As it stands Howard University is the only HBCU with a swimming team. HBCU students are also standout athletes in track.
When you talk about the history of track and field at HBCUs, you must mention the name of Coach Ed Temple. Coach Temple spent his 44-year career coaching at Tennessee State University. Before the Title IX era and financial aid existed to support his program, he managed to produce Olympian athletes.
Coach Temple is responsible for training the first repeat winner in the 100-meter race back to back, Wyomia Tyus. He is responsible for coaching the incomparable Wilma Rudolph.
Temple coached the TSU Tigerbelles to 34 national championships. He trained 40 women, 23 of whom won Olympic medals, 13 of which were gold. He served as the head coach the U.S. Olympics Women’s Track and Field team in 1960 and 1964. Out of the 40 women, he trained 39 went on to get a bachelor’s degree, 28 earned a masters degree and eight earned a PhD.
Even though those accomplishments are enough to prove his long lasting legacy, there is more…
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