Three Rattlers Among 25 Finalists for Black College Football Hall of Fame 2023 Class

11/15/2022 7:00:00 PM

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. | Florida A&M football has an extended list of legends to play the game, and three of them have been named finalists for the Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Henry Lawrence, Tyrone McGriff, and Rudy Hubbard.

Henry Lawrence

Henry Lawrence joined the Orange and Green in 1970 and punished defenders for four seasons. Following the '73 season, Lawrence was invited to the Senior Bowl and made a name for himself with how he blocked first-overall pick Ed "Too Tall" Jones. A couple of months later, Lawrence became the Rattlers' first and only first-round draft pick after John Madden and the Oakland Raiders drafted him 19th overall in the 1974 NFL Draft. Lawrence went on to play for 13 seasons for the Raiders and was part of three Super Bowl winning teams (Super Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV, Super Bowl XVIII).

Tyrone McGriff

Tyrone McGriff played for the Rattlers from 1976-79 under legendary Rudy Hubbard and was part of the 1978 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship team. McGriff earned All-American honors in 1977, 78, and 79. After graduating from Florida A&M, McGriff was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 12th round of the 1980 NFL Draft. McGriff spent three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, in which he was part of the 1980 Super Bowl winning team. After his three seasons with the Steelers, McGriff played three seasons in the USFL.

Rudy Hubbard

During his tenure at Florida A&M from 1974-85, Hubbard compiled an 83-48-3 overall record, the third most wins in school history behind fellow College Football Hall of Fame Coaches Jake Gaither (203) and Billy Joe (86). The Rattlers went 6-5, 9-2, and 6-3-2 in his first three seasons. Hubbard's most successful stretch occurred from 1977-79 as the Rattlers compiled a 30-5 record, including a perfect 11-0 mark in 1977. The team won back-to-back Black College Football National Championships and conference titles in 1977 and 1978.

In 1978, Hubbard guided Florida A&M to a 12-1 record and wrapped up the season, winning the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship as the Rattlers defeated UMass 35-28. Although a member of NCAA Division II's Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, FAMU successfully petitioned the NCAA for Division I-AA classification, which took effect right before the 1978 season began.

One year after winning the national title, Hubbard's Rattlers claimed another milestone when they defeated Miami (FL), 16-13. From 1974-78, Hubbard won five straight Orange Blossom Classics, which annually pitted Florida A&M against another HBCU.

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