Sports

Eddie Robinson reclaims NCAA's All-time D-I wins title

Grambling's late Eddie Robinson

 On July 19, the mayor of Grambling and the city's attorney sent a letter reaching out to the NCAA requesting that the national athletics governing body vacate some of Penn St. Coach Joe Paterno's Division- I football victories.

    Today the city’s request was answered.

    As a result of Penn State's role in the Sandusky scandal, the NCAA decided to remove 111 victories from Paterno starting from the 1998 season, reducing his 409 win total to 298-136-3, placing him 12^th on the NCAA’s all-time wins list.

    While Bobby Bowden becomes the major college football's winningest coach with a career record of 377-129-4, this morning Grambling State University late Eddie G. Robinson has succeeded Paterno reclaiming his position at the top of the leader board of NCAA’s D-I all-time wins list.

    Over an astonishing 55 –year career of coaching at Grambling, Eddie Robinson held a record of 408-165-15 from 1941-1997.

    “As the Grambling family has said all along, regardless of the action of the NCAA, Eddie G. Robinson will forever be remembered as the coach with more football victories than anyone else in Division-I,” said Grambling State University President Frank G. Pogue. “We are proud that Coach Eddie Robinson will remain the winningest Division-I football coach in the history of college football.”

    Today Grambling held an afternoon press conference where Grambling mayor Edward Jones, addressed his motives behind his request of stripping some of the Nittany Lions.

    “We didn’t want the NCAA to think about relinquishing some of the games, or the board of Penn St. to think about relinquishing some of the games if they didn’t know that they had Grambling’s support,” said Jones. “You can’t expect people to fight for you unless they know you are fighting for your self.”

    Jones added that this piece of history was vital in the Grambling community simply for historical purposes. He said the title of Eddie Robinson being the winningest coach gave tourist more of a reason to visit the Eddie Robinson museum, which is the most visited museum in Louisiana.

    Grambling State University wants to pay the respect to all the victims and is praying for the recovery of Pennsylvania University.

    Other Penn St. penalties include a $60 million fine, a four-year postseason ban, a loss of 10 scholarships per year for the next four years with a limit of 65 total scholarship players on the roster, as opposed to the typical 85, by the 2014 season.