The media, Raye of Light, The Right Thing To Do and Duffy’s College Football Underground Railroad
Visit my website homepage, TomShanahan.Report
June 21, 2021: MSU alumnus strives to honor historic legacy of university’s 1965-66 football teams – The State News
Book purchase links: Best College Football Books – Tom Shanahan Report
Order the children’s book from Barnes and Noble here and Amazon here. Order THE RIGHT THING TO DO here.
ARTICLES, PODCASTS, RADIO, TV
JULY 28, 2026
JULY 21, 2026
My segment on The Drive with jack discussing Part IV of my series on the 60th anniversary of the 1966 Game of the Century. * Tom Shanahan, Author/Historian
MAY 27, 2026
I was honored to be part of an all-star cast paying tribute to Michigan State trailblazer on The Drive with Jack.
My segment on the show; The Drive with Jack Ebling | Spotlight Media Studios
FEBRUARY 24, 2026
My appearance on The Drive with Jack featured the late Rev. Jess Jackson’s respect for Michigan State’s leadership of college football integration and for Jimmy Raye, the South’s first Black quarterback to win a national title. We also discuss the Jay Greene and the Greater Flint African American Sports Hall of Fame.
FEBRUARY 20, 2026
My appearance on a WLNS feature about Michigan State leadership during Black History Month. I’m on at the 13:20 mark and later in the film.
JANUARY 3, 2026
The Los Angeles Sentinel’s Amanda Spurlock wrote about THE RIGHT THING TO DO and our documentary project, GAME CHANGERS OF THE CENTURY.
“The Right Thing To Do” Explains Desegregation of College Football – Los Angeles Sentinel
DECEMBER 9, 2025
The Adam Gold Show, WRAL, North Carolina network. Army-Navy Game and my books on college football integration.
NOVEMEBER 20, 2025
The Drive with Jack invited me on to speak about Michigan State basketball and a story referring to Chris Matthews and college football integration.
The Drive with Jack Ebling | Spotlight Media Studios
Thanks to a loyal reader for the comment posted on the Spartanmag.com Underground Bunker fan forum page.
AUGUST 25, 2025
Jack Ebling invited me on The Drive with Jack after reading my story on Katin Houser re-starting his career at East Carolina. Houser says he loved his time at Michigan State, but the dismissal of Mel Tucker and hiring of Johnathan Smith led to transfer Spartans fans understood.
JULY 9, 2025
This appearance on The Drive with Jack is about Duke-Michigan State basketball on December 6 at the Breslin Center, but I slipped in a comment about the injustice of Bear Bryant receiving credit that belongs to Duffy Daugherty.
May 5, 2025
Thanks to Jack Ebling and The Drive With Jack for featuring Jimmy Raye following his induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and its significance beyond the Tar Heel state borders.
MAY 2, 2025
Thanks to ESPN’s Debbie Antonelli for bringing out the untold stories of Jimmy Raye’s playing career at Michigan State and as an pioneering Black coach in college and the NFL.
MAY 2, 2025
Thanks to The Adam Gold Show for having Jimmy Raye on to discuss his induction into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame on May 2 in Greensboro. Raye was a three-sport star during segregation in Fayetteville and went on to ground-breaking careers as the South’s first Black quarterback to win a national title at Michigan State and pioneering college and NFL coaching careers.
The Raye segment appears at the 27:50 mark of the above link and goes through 38:20.
FEBRUARY 17, 2025
Thanks to The Drive with Jack for having me to discuss the key role former Michigan State basketball coach Gus Ganakas played in helping Jud Heathcote’s 19-year run followed by Tom Izzo’s 30-year with an upcoming 27th straight NCAA trip.
FEBRUARY 5, 2025
THE RIGHT THING TO DO goes international to a United Kingdom. Thanks to the David Watson podcast for having me on to discuss college football integration in the 1960s.
JANUARY 23, 2025
Thanks to The Drive with Jack for having me on to discuss Michigan State basketball leading the Big Ten and the legacy of Duffy Daugherty leading college football integration. Michigan State’s singular story is told in my books, RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
DECEMBER 4, 2024
Cleveland.com’s Marc Bona listed THE RIGHT THING TO DO in his year-end roundup of 2024 books to read.
NOVEMBER 18, 2024
Thanks to Matt Crawford of “The Curious Man’s Podcast” for an opportunity to discuss THE RIGHT THING TO, The Tre Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 190s. Listen for the true story of progress throughout the 1960s that made college football integration a fait accompli by 1970. The he 1970 USC-Alabama myths crediting Bear Bryant were crafted 20 years after the game.
Tom Shanahan Interview – Thecuriousmanspodcast – Apple Podcasts
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OCTOBER 21, 2024
Thanks to Rex Naylor at PennSports.Live for having me on his program, “Author’s Showcase.”
Sports Authors Showcase: The Right Thing to Do by Tom Shanahan | PennSports.LIVE
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OCTOBER 9, 2024
Thanks to KKVI-AM and Valder Bebee in Dallas for having me on as a guest for “Sports Authors Showcase.”
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OCTOBER 7, 2024
Thanks to Shemiah Read for having me on his Apple podcast, “I am Refocused Radio.”
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SEPTEMBER 28, 2024
Thanks to the New York Post Sports Channel and host Dexter Henry for having me on to discuss the true pioneers of college football integration.
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SEPTEMBER 27, 2024
Thanks to Warren Larence at WKNY in Kingston, New York, for having me on a guest.
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SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Thanks to the Adam Gold Show of WRAL for having as guests College Football Hall of Famer Clinton Jones and myself to discuss Michigan State as the first fully integrated team to play in the South in a game against North Carolina on September 26, 1964, in Chapel Hill. Jones scored on a 42-yard touchdown run in his varsity to debut. He was the first Black player to score at Kenan.
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SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Thanks to Jania Clowers at The State News, Michigan State’s student newspaper, for a story marking the 60th anniversary of the Michigan State as the first fully integrated team to play in the South.
Celebrating 60 years of the 1964 MSU-UNC game that revolutionized college football – The State News
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SEPTEMBER 26, 2024
Thanks to Trevor Madder of KMA Radio in Shenandoah, Iowa, for having me to discuss my book, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.”
Tom Shanahan Interview on KMA (youtube.com)
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SEPTEMBER 12, 2024
I enjoyed a return appearance in the State News, my alma mater’s college paper. I still carry the State News ID card from my time as the State News sports editor, 1977-78 — otherwise known as Earvin “Magic” Johnson’s freshman year.
SEPTEMBER 12, 2024
Thanks to The Drive with Jack for having me on to discuss the story of Duffy Daugherty leading college football integration, and the Spartans’ 1965 and 1966 national title teams entering the MSU Hall of Fame on September 13 at the Breslin Center.
The Drive with Jack Ebling | Spotlight Media Studios
SEPTEMBER 11, 2024
Thanks to Couch and The Rube for having me on to tell the untold story of Duffy Daugherty, his MIchigan State assistant coaches as head coaches following his blueprint and his Michigan State players for changing the face of college football. The 1965 and 1966 national championship teams that broke ground off the field will be enshrined int he MSU Hall of Fame on September 13. Click below:
SEPTEMBER 9, 2024
Thanks to Bob Langstaff of WMAV Radio in Amherst, Virginia. With the station’s proximity to Roanoke, Virginia, I made sure to tell the story of Bear Bryant having nothing to do sending Charlie Thornhill from segregated Roanoke to Michigan State.
Click for radio interview: 09-09-2024_Tom_Shanahan.mp3 – Nextcloud (wirelesscord.com)
My story debunking Bear Bryant/Charlie Thornhill/Joe Namath myth: Bear Bryant never sent Duffy Daugherty a player. So, why do so many smart people believe the myth? – Tom Shanahan Report
AUGUST 30, 2024
Thanks to Matt Ray of KWAY radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for having me on his show to discuss The Right Thing To Do. Chapter 15 highlights Iowa State naming its stadium for Jack Trice, a Black pioneer who tragically died from internal injuries suffered in a 1923 game. The Right Thing To Do- Interview by KWAY Radio (soundcloud.com)
AUGUST 13, 2024
Jimmy Raye was a guest on The Drive with Jack Ebling | Spotlight Media Studios to discuss MSU Athletics Hall of Fame enshrining the 1965 and 1966 teams that won titles and broke ground in the Civil Rights. The dinner is September 13 and the game is September 14 against Prairie View A&M.
AUGUST 9, 2024
Thanks to The Drive with Jack Ebling | Spotlight Media Studio for having me on his show. With the Michigan State Hall of Fame set to enshrine the 1965 and 1966 national championship on September 13, we discussed the leading role Michigan State and Duffy Daugherty played in college integration and what separate the Spartans from other schools.
JULY 17, 2024
Thanks to Robbie and Rexrode on Nashville, Tennessee, radio station 102.5 The Game for having me on to discuss Tennessee’s major role to college football integration in the late 1960s. My appearance begins at the 19:54 mark.
I highlight Tennessee routing Alabama 41-14 at Legion Field on Oct. 18, 1969. Tennessee’s Lester McClain appeared on my podcast, The End Game podcast. Click here and scroll down to Episode 21. The Tennesse story is told in Chapter 22 of my book, THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.
JULY 15, 2024
The Colorado magazine Yellow Scene published an article on THE RIGHT THING TO DO. Chapter 6 documents how Colorado’s 1961 football team backed down Jim Crow in Miami by threatening to boycott the 1962 Orange Bowl. Colorado was coached by Sonny Grandelius, a Duffy Daugherty Disciple. The magazine story also touches on the documentary that is in development.
JULY 8, 2024
Thanks to The Black and Gold Project host James Michael Brodie for featuring Dr. Phil Hart, an executive producer of a four-part documentary in development based on my book, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” Hart was one of the first Black basketball players at CU in the early 1960s. He earned his Masters and PH.D from Michigan State. Chapter 6 in THE RIGHT THING TO DO is about the 1961 Colorado football team, coached by Duffy Daugherty Disciple Sonny Grandileus, taking a stand against segregation. The Buffaloes threatened to boycott the 1962 Orange Bowl over the city if Miami’s Jim Crow policies. Miami backed down.
Are you familiar with this story? Of course not. The 1960s sports media avoided race. The story is told in Chapter 6 of THE RIGHT THING TO DO, a book that is 400 pages of untold Black milestones that result ed in college football integration a fait accompli by 1970.
Interested investors seeking more information can contact me at shanny4055@aol.com to speak with the financial officers.
MAY 22, 2024
Thanks to WRAL’s Adam Gold for having me on his syndicated ESPN radio show to discuss the death of Wake Forest legend Bob Grant. Bob never received his due as one of its true pioneers of the 1960s. Grant was recruited during segregation out of Georgetown High in Jacksonville, NC, in 1964. The ACC’s Wake Forest was the first school from a major southern conference to recruit Black players out of high school with Grant one of three freshmen. In 1966, Grant was the ACC’s first Black football player to earn all-conference honors. In 1968, Bob was the first Black player drafted in the NFL from a major southern conference. Grant is in Wake Forest’s Hall of Fame and was honored by the NCAA in 2021 with its Inspirational Award.
APRIL 29, 2024
My appearance with Gregory Abdur-Rasheed’s Denver-based radio podcast that streams internationally. We discussed my book, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” Chapter 6 is on the 1961 Colorado football team that threatened to boycott the 1962 Orange Bowl in defense of their five Black teammates over Jim Crow in Miami. The Orange Bowl backed down to the Buffaloes could stay together, eat together and travel together.
April 19, 2024
My appearance on East Carolina football’s flagship state 94.3 FM to discuss THE RIGHT THING TO DO and more specifically the book’s Foreword written by Ruffin McNeill, the former ECU head coach and player. McNeill was inspired by the coaching career of Jimmy Raye of Fayetteville, NC, to enter the coaching profession.
March 28, 2024
Lansing’s Channel 6 TV station and reporter Tyler Dreisenga covered my book signing on March 28 at Schuler Books with a story that aired that night. THE RIGHT THING TO DO, RAYE OF LIGHT and my children’s book, BUBBA’S DAD, DUFFY AND COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S UNDERGROUND RAILROAD were available.
March 27, 2024, evening podcast on Youtube
Justin Spiro hosted me on The Spiro Avenue Show in the evening for 1 hour, 17 minutes. The lengthy allowed more time to dig deeper in Michigan State’s leading role in college football integration.
March 27, 2024, afternoon radio show
My appearance on The Drive with Jack in the afternoon discussing Michigan State’s need to tell its own story prior to a book signing on March 28 at Schuler’s Book Store in Okemos.
March 14, 2024
City Pulse, a Lansing alternative newspaper, posted a story by Bill Castanier about my books RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO and Michigan State’s failure to understand its own history. Duffy Daugherty’s ground-breaking 1960s teams led college football integration..
March 1, 2024
My hometown newspaper, the Big Rapids Pioneer, wrote a follow-up story on my visit to two schools and a book signing on February 23 at Artworks in downtown Big Rapids.
February 29, 2024
My appearance on The Drive with Jack to discuss THE RIGHT THING TO DO and the MSU Club of West Michigan’s Winter Tailgate fundraiser.
February 20, 2024
The Big Rapids Pioneer in Michigan, featured my books, my trip home, the schools I’ll be visiting and a book signing downtown at ArtWorks.
February 13, 2024
The Vanderbilt Sport and Society Initiative endorsed The Right Thing To Do as a book to read during Black History Month.
December 28, 2023
My appearance on The Drive with Jack to discuss the national media romanticizing Alabama’s return to the Rose Bowl. The media ignores the true story of college football integration.
December 7, 2023
My appearance on The Drive with Jack to discuss the release of my books and Michigan State’s leading role in college football integration.
June 28, 2023
My appearance on The Drive with Jack to discuss Sherman Lewis receiving the NFL Awards of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
March 6, 2023
My appearance on the Adam Gold Show to discuss speaking at the Raleigh Sports Club.
February 7, 2023
The NFL Network aired an NFL 360 documentary on Jimmy Raye on February 7:
June 2022 through November 2022
Growing Green: A Football Family. The 19-part series aired weekly on The Drive with Jack starting in the summer of 2022 and through the football season.
November 23, 2022
Stay tuned for “NFL 360” documentary on Jimmy Raye. I participated in interviews at his alma mater, E.E. Smith High in Fayetteville, N.C.
July 1, 2022
My guest appearance on The Adam Gold Show discussing Marlin Briscoe, Jimmy Raye and Black quarterbacks
Feb. 10, 2022
My guest spot on The Drive with Jack on Raye of Light during Black History Month.
Jan. 3, 2022
My guest spot on PennSports.Live discussing “Raye of Light.”
Dec. 28, 2021
Best-selling author John Feinstein praised Raye of Light as “outstanding book” on Michigan State’s leading role in college football in his book, “Raise a Fist, Take a Seat.”
Oct. 29, 2021
Jimmy Raye appeared on “The Drive with Jack” on the eve of the the Michigan-Michigan State game Oct. 30 at Spartan Stadium.
Oct. 1, 2021
My guest spot on “The Drive with Jack” discussing whether Bear Bryant ducked Biggie Munn’s offer to play Duffy’s Spartans.
Sept. 10, 2021
My guest spot on “The Drive with Jack” discussing Duffy Daugherty’s legacy and how it has been over shadowed by myths and fiction surrounding the 1970 USC-Alabama.
Sept. 8, 2021
The Trojan Wire story by Matt Zemak on how the 1970 USC-Alabama myth sprinkled with fiction has disrespected Michigan State and coach Duffy Daughert’y’s legacy.
June 21, 2021
The State News Story on Arts and Letters Connect and Arts and Letters Projects interns Lauren Freeland and Finn Lambouris helping tell the story through Twitter graphics and videos of Duffy Daugherty’s pioneering 1960s teams.
June 9, 2021
The Spartan Beat Discussing Michigan State’s history leading college football integration.
NOV. 9, 2020
The Roanoke Times on Charlie Thornhill, Raye of Light and Through the Banks of the Red Cedar.
NOV. 9, 2020
SPORTS EXCHANGE Discussing Through the Banks of the Red Cedar
OCT. 12, 2020
— “Duffy Daugherty was the Harriett Tubman of college football.” Jerry LeVias
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OCT. 5, 2020
— Click here to hear Eric Marshall and myself on The Drive with Jack
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JULY 6, 2020
— The Athletic features “Raye of Light” in its College Football Reading Room
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MAY 26, 2020
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FEB. 13, 2020
— Raye of Light, Spectrum Chevrolet Sports Night in North Carolina, Feb. 13, 2020
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Nov. 6, 2019
— “Every player should read Raye of Light.” David Squires, The Undefeated
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Summer, 2019
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APRIL 15, 2015
— Click here for Jimmy Raye’s appearance on PBS UNC-TV’S Black Forum
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FEBRUARY 17, 2015
— USA Today feature by Jarrett Bell on Jimmy Raye
I hope to update transferring media stories from my old website to this site soon. Thanks for your patience and visiting my website. Spread the word.
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FEBRUARY 16, 2015
— The Sherman Report, Raye of Light
— The Chicago Tribune, story by Ed Sherman, Raye of Light
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SEPTEMBER 25, 2014
— YouTube video: Historical Society of Greater Lansing with Jimmy Raye and Tom Shanahan
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SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
The Detroit Free Press on Raye of Light
