PHOTO: Jimmy Raye on stage at the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.

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— Click here for video: ESPN’s Debbie Antonelli interviews Jimmy Raye on stage before the North Carolina Hall of Fame dinner audience.

— Video: Michigan State defensive end David Santiago of Raleigh, N.C., congratulates Jimmy Raye.

— Radio interview: Adam Gold of WRAL in Raleigh, NC, hosted Jimmy Raye on his show the day of the NC Sports Hall of Fame ceremony. Gold is one of the few media members in the nation not duped by Bear Bryant 1970 USC-Alabama game myths. The Raye segment begins at the 27:50 mark to the above link.

— Learn about our documentary at the fundraising stage, GAME CHANGERS OF THE CENTURY, and the Investment Deck.

— Radio interview: Jack Ebling of The Drive with Jack in Lansing, Michigan, hosted Jimmy Raye to dicuss his NC Hall of Fame induction.

Visit my homepage TomShanahan.Report

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By TOM SHANAHAN

We live in a time when the federal government’s administration whitewashes our progressive post-World War II Civil Rights history. People of color and women have been erased from history books.

Even the great Jackie Robinson’s trailblazing biography – from U.S. Army officer during segregation to breaking Major League Baseball’s color line with the Brooklyn Dodgers, in 1947 — was removed from the Department of Defense’s website. The DOD later admitted the mistake and returned Robinson’s biography. We do have to ask, though, if we’re honest, did the official giving the command to hit the delete button believe it was a mistake before he or she was overruled?

Our contentious times magnifies the radiant significance of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame enshrining Jimmy Raye in its Class of 2025. He was among 11 inductees at the dinner/ceremony on May 2 Greensboro.

Raye’s career as a pioneering Black quarterback and Black college and NFL coach stands on its merits. But in these divisive times, his case was ripe to have ballots influenced against him by the backlash directed at diversity, equity and inclusion.

Success based on merits wasn’t possible for Raye until he boarded Michigan State coach Duffy Daugherty’s Underground Railroad, 1964. Raye left behind his days as a second-class citizen in segregated Fayetteville, N.C.

Raye crossed the Mason Dixon Line and spent the next 50-plus years establishing pioneering milestones.

— He was the South’s first Black quarterback to win a national title. He was a sophomore backup who played frequently on the 1965 team and a starter on the 1966 title roster. In the poll era, the 1965 Spartans (10-1) shared the title with Alabama and the 1966 Spartans (9-0-1) with Notre Dame. Michigan State and Notre Dame finished with identical records and played to a 10-10 tie in the Game of the Century before a record TV audience of 33 million.

— Daugherty hired Raye in 1972 as one of the early Black college assistant coaches. By 1977, Raye moved on to the NFL as an assistant with the San Francisco 49ers. At the time, he was one of only 10 Black assistants in a 28-team league.

— In 1983, Raye was only the second Black coordinator in NFL history. Los Angeles Rams head coach John Robinson hired him as the team’s offensive coordinator. Rams running back Eric Dickerson ran for 1,808 yards his rookie year in 1983 and followed in 1984 with an NFL record of 2,105.

— In 2016, when Tony Dungy was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he cited Raye as one of his trailblazing mentors. Throughout Raye’s career, he supported young Black coaches. Pep Hamilton of Charlotte, N.C. credits Raye for his rise from Howard University assistant to a long career in college and the NFL. Two other examples of with college and NFL coaching careers were Charlie Baggett and Tyrone Willingham. Ruffin McNeill, who was East Carolina’s first Black head coach, said he grew up in Lumberton, N.C., inspired by Raye’s career to become a coach.

— In 2022, Raye was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame established the NFL Awards of Excellence. Raye was honored in the inaugural class with Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Fouts serving as the master of ceremonies.

In all, Raye coached four seasons in college and 37 in the NFL. With his success as the Rams’ offensive coordinator, his name was often mentioned as a candidate to become the NFL’s first Black head coach. That barrier was broken by Art Shell, with the Los Angeles Raiders. He had been a player and assistant for owner Al Davis.

In Raye’s prime years as a head coach candidate – from age 39 in 1985 after his Rams’ success to the mid-to-late 1990s while still in his 50s – the NFL wasn’t hiring Black head coaches. The opportunity never came for him, which is the game’s loss.

In backlash climate against DEI, the lack of “head coach” on Raye’s resume held the potential to spoil his election to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. But it didn’t. He was celebrated on May 2 in Greensboro.

ESPN’s Debbie Antonelli, who interviewed all the inductees on stage before the dinner audience, asked Raye about his pioneering days. Afterward, when the event broke up, many in the audience gravitated to Raye to learn more about his story largely untold in his home state (outside of his hometown, Fayetteville).

Tom Burleson, the Hall of Famer from NC State’s 1974 basketball national title team, was who spoke at length with Raye. Although African American David Thompson was the star of NC State’s 1974 national title team, NC State’s football and basketball programs were still in the early stages of desegregation in the early late 1960s and early 1970s. Burleson enrolled as a freshman in the 1970-71 school year and Thompson in 1971-72.

in addition to Raye, four other African Americans inducted were examples of diversity progress. They were NFL legend Greg Ellis (North Carolina, Wendell), Olympic swimming gold medalist Cullen Jones (NC State), NFL legend Chester McGlockton (Whiteville) and WNBA and college basketball legend Wendy Palmer (Person)

The Hall judged enshrining the on their merits.

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Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter and frequent contributor to Spartanmag.com in addition to posting on his website. His new book on Michigan State leading college football integration is, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” His first book was “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.”

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055

Below are links to click on to purchase my books focused.

My books tell the true story of college football integration in the 1960s and address the myths and fiction that allowed a false narrative surrounding the 1970 USC-Alabama game to usurp the credit from the true pioneers. As I said when I spoke at the National Sports Media Association book festival, no two books provide an accurate portrayal more than RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I’ll put my facts up against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.

Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation awarded first place by the Football Writers Association of America. I tell untold stories on Michigan State’s leading role and the true pioneers of college football integration. Click here to read the summary as a first-place story.

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Click here to purchase The Right Thing To Do

THE RIGHT THING TO DO

The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s

Foreword by Ruffin McNeill

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Click here to purchase Raye of Light.

RAYE OF LIGHT

Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the 1ntegration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans

Foreword by Tony Dungy