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ri. - Get Both Editions PAGE NINETEENSPARTA NIC .FL6GPS/ W/LL/AA1 0. BETHELLTHE GREATEST OF EVENINGLast Saturday night yours truly attended one of the finest affairs ever put on by black people in Tampa. The Florida AM University Westcoast Rattlers Quarterback Club presented its first annual Sports Awards Banquet and it was some kind of banquet. The whole thing got its start when a few Florida AM graduates became concerned about the condition of The Florida AM football program. Ail of us know that the Rattler football situation is not what it used to be. I think all of us who keep up with football know why The Rattler football program has been on the decline for the last few years. Real good blue chip football players coming out of high school go to the colleges and universities that offer them the most. Florida AM like most other predominantly black schools can not compete financially with the larger colleges and universities when it comes to recruiting football players. The few Florida AM graduates that call themselves The Westcoast Rattlers Quarterback Club are doing all they can to aid Florida AM’s football program. The kind of affair The Westcoast Rattlers Quarterback Club put on last Saturday night has not been equaled by blacks in the history of Tampa. I will not dare to try and Estimate how many people attended the affair but I do know that there was serveral hundred present. Just about any black person that is anybody was there and at $10 per plate. They said itcouldn’t be done but I was there I can say I never had a moreenjoyable evening. The whole thing was beautifully planned and ran as smooth as silk.THE PERSONNELMr. Sumner Wilson was great as toastmaster and he kept every one in a humorous mood throughout the whole evening. Mr. Wilson has what we call charisma and humility. He sort of grows on you with his funny undertaker stories. The guest speaker was monstrous Earle Edwards. We all know that Earle played high school ball at Blake High School then went cm to Wichita University. He then played in the Canadian Leagues and now is a star lineman for The San Francisco Forty Niners. I have known Earlesince his high school days and I always knew he was a great football player but I never dreamed that he could handle himself so well as a public speaker. Earle was better than good and he was right down to earth. What he said you could feel. Being successful in a given profession seems to bring out the best of everything In a man. Nothing is more inspirational to an athlete than to be honored by his hometown folks. The Outstanding High School Award went to J. C. Bozeman of Tampa Catholic. The award was presented by Coach Billy Reed of Hillsborough High School. The Out. standing College Award went to Joseph Burnett of Florida AM. The award was presented by Kelly Williams, assistant principal at Plant City High School. Awards to professional football players in the area went to Leon McQuay of The Toronto Argonauts whose home is In Tampa; Earle Edwards of The San Francisco Forty Niners whose home is in Tampa; Glen Edwards of The Pittsburgh Steelers whose home is in St. Petersburg; Carlton Oates of The Oakland Raiders whose home is in Tampa; Lloyd Mumphord of The Miami Dolphins whose home is in Tampa; Rudy Sims of Ottawa whose home is in Tampa; Joe Sweet of The Los Angeles Rams whose home is in Lakeland and Melvin Rogers of The San Diego Chargers whose home is in Tampa. To honor these fine young men who have made it In professional football was a wonderful gesture on the part of 'Die Westcoast Quarterback Club and no group of young men were ever more deserving.MY FINEST HOURI think one of the finest moments of my life was I was called to receive the awards for Lloyd Mumphord and Carlton Oats who were not present. I have never had a more thrilling and ex-hillarating feeling in my life than when I accepted the awards for these two young men who had been practically like sons to me. I don’t think it would be fair to mention this great affair without mentioning the names of the men who made it possible. The members of the Westocast Rattlers Quarterback Club are as follows; Forrest McKennie (president), Clifford Baker, Dave Best, Abe Brown, James Campbell, Jerome Canty, Ollie Chatman, Willis J. Clemons, Robert Cromwell, Sal Gaiter, D, L. Goodrum, Sant Horton, Oscar Johnson, Bernard King, Randolph Kinsey, Willie Larkins, Monroe Mack, Ray Matthews, Arthur Mayes, Alfred Nelson, Howard Pierce, Herbert Simmons, Henry Stroud, Wilton Sweeting, James N. Taylor, Robert Thomas, Silas Wells, Bemie Epstein, Charels Ford and Clarence White. I am not a graduate of Florida AM but if and when I can get together the $100 fee needed for joining I am going to become a member of The Westcoast Rattler Quarterback CliA).We are all looking forward to next year’s Westcoast Rattler* Quarterback Club’s Banquet.QUICK QUIPSMr. and Mrs. Jimmy Smith were a beautiful couple at The West Coast Rattlers Quarterback Club. Jimmy is the basketball coach at Plant City High School. We should all be proud of Jimmy for he made it the hard way. Jimmy’s wife Alice has. been a real wife to him and she stick through thick and thin.So some dude named Stan Smith pole vaults over 18 ft. Indoors. I have always said records are made to be broken. I can remember when all the world was agog when Cornelius Warner-dam vaulted 15 ft. They’ll do 20 ft. next.Speculation now Is what will happen when George Foreman and Muhammad Ali meet. It is bound to happen and I will have to go with Ali until proven different.For some reason I can’t go along with The Chamberlain Chiefs representing the area in The State basketball tournament. I’ll go along with The Plant Panthers.I would like to apologize to Coach Jim Williams and party who went to a local night club after the banquet to hear me sing. 1 was late getting there and just missed them. I did sing and wish they had been there.Hot Pants and Mini Skirts I am getting oldAlong with age come the cold.If you’ll agree to keep me warmI’ll be your Shelter In a Storm.Buy From Florida Sentinel Advertisers
Newspaper Details
Tampa Florida Sentinel Bulletin
Tampa, Florida, US
Tue, Feb 06, 1973
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Joseph F.
USA 04 Nov 2023
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