1974 Bulldogs still hold special place for Jeffries

Willie Jeffries has enjoyed many proud moments in his four-plus decades associated with South Carolina State football.

Mention the 1974 Bulldog team and it's more than proud to say they provided one of the most memorable moments of his entire coaching career.

It was a group led by a future Pro Football Hall of Fame selection in linebacker and co-captain Harry Carson, two All-Americans (Carson and wide receiver Darius McCarthy) and four NFL draft selections (Carson, McCarthy, running back Rickie Anderson and defensive back Robert Sims). The team also produced a future local high school football coach (Orangeburg-Wilkinson's Tommy Brown) and Jeffries' eventual successor as S.C. State head coach in offensive lineman Oliver "Buddy" Pough.

The biggest reason this edition of the Bulldogs holds a special place in school lore is their role as "the first." In the second year under Jeffries, S.C. State won the school's first-ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football championship.

A 16-7 victory over Delaware State to clinch the title capped a turnaround from a 1-9 season two years prior to Jeffries' arrival to finishing 8-4. It also erased the disappointment of just missing out on the championship a year earlier which would have given S.C. State a conference-record 15 football regular-season titles instead of the 14 which are now commemorated outside the press box at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium on Willie Jeffries Field.

For their roles as legacy starters with S.C. State, players from that 1974 championship team are seeking even more recognition for their teammates. Over the past three months, former offensive guard and co-captain Alvin Fraizer and All-MEAC linebacker Razzie Smith have worked together in an attempt to reunite as many former teammates as possible.

A part of their objective is drawing up interest in purchasing championship rings and pendants. The other goal, according to Frazier, is to bring the teammates and their head coach together once more for special recognition during one of the home games.

For the past few months, emails have been dispersed in an attempt to contact the former teammates. Frazier had originally set a date of April 30, but now has extended it to June with the hope of reaching even more players.

The team and coaching roster is available and any players listed or their family members can contact Frazier at: afrazier3@cfl.rr.com^[1].

1974 S.C. State football team

Willie Jeffries-Head Coach

*James Carson-Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach

*William Davis-Recruiting Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach

*Robert Johnson-Receivers Coach

*Willie Simon-Offensive Coordinator/RB Coach

*Samuel Goodwin-Linebackers Coach

*James Johnson-Defensive Secondary Coach

*Jimmy Rogers-Head Athletic Trainer

*Van Herrin-Athletic Trainer

*TEAM CAPTAINS-ALVIN FRAZIER & HARRY CARSON

**Skip Ruff, Columbia, SC

8-James Robinson, Charleston, SC

10-Elias Oneal, Darlington, SC

11-Tommy Brown, Columbia, SC

12-Arbie Lagoon, Greenwood, SC

13-Jeff Butler, Pende, SC

13-Ralph Major

14-Micheal Stewart, Winter Park, Fl.

15-Vernon Forsett, Bartow, Fl

16-Walter Oliver, Palatka, FL

17-Stanley Clinkscales, Greenville, SC

18-Thomas Prather, Athens, GA

19-Gay Walker, Ft.



Lauderdale, FL

20-Leonard Duncan, Lancaster, SC

21-Sugar Ray Grier, Orlando, FL

22-Darius McCarthy, Orlando, FL

23-Donnie Layton, Spartanburg, SC

24-Jimmy Stroud, Lockhart, SC

25-Anthony Evans, Columbia, SC

26-Roger Wiley, Cincinnati, OH

27-Carl Johnson, Rivera Beach, FL

28-Donald Haigler, Charleston, SC

29-Paul Ravenell, Charleston, SC

30-Warren Patton, Gary, Ind.

31-Ibery Limehouse, Summerville, SC

32-James Walker, Columbia, SC

33-Reginald Floyd, Bartow, FL.

34-Stafford Brown Hemingway, SC

35-Emmett Jones, Gary, Ind.

36-Edward Smith, Gary, Ind.

36-Robert Coleman, Florida

37-Keith Franklin, Gary, Ind.

38-Larry Mattison, Walhalla, SC

39-Ricky Anderson, Kingsland, GA

40-Bruce Williams, Orangeburg, SC

41-Leroy Mason, Columbia, SC

42-Johnnie Hargrove, Goose Creek, SC

43-Bruce Jackson, Columbia, SC

44-Carl Wallace, Melbourne, FL

45-Steve Cheeks, Spartanburg, SC

46-Neely Dunn, Cocoa, Fl

47-Carey Meadows, Greenboro, NC

48-Charles Burgess, Walterboro, SC

50-Leo Waller, Orangeburg, SC

51-Johnnie Mason, Columbia, SC

52-Willie Little, Santee, SC

53-Luther Dixon, Brooklyn, NC

54-James Black, Gary, Ind.

55-Benny Gray, Pittsburg, PA

56-Charles Haynes, Orangeburg, SC

57-Marvin Gilmore, Columbia, SC

58-Milton Glover, Anderson, SC

59-Charles Goodwin, Vance, SC

60-James Hannon, Bronx, NY

61-Thomas Holiday, Camden, SC

62-Erone Edmonds, North, SC

63-Horace Hall, Atlanta, GA

64-William Thompson, Columbia, SC

65-Johnnie Davis, Florence, SC

66-Bobby Moore, Aiken, SC

67-John Butts, Palatka, FL

68-Alvin Frazier, Orlando, FL

69-Stafford B. Brown, Orangeburg, SC

70-Rudolph Bryant, New Ellington, SC

71-Larry James, Lyman, SC

72-Charles Wright, Bartow, SC

73-James Quarles, Columbia, SC

74-Craig Jackson, Rivera Bch, FL

75-Harry Carson, Florence, SC

76-Benjamin Wright, Eutawville, SC

77-Oliver Pough, Orangeburg, SC

78-Charles Simpkins, Batesburg, SC

79-Robert Sims, Lockhart, SC

80-Eugene Grant, Columbia, SC

81-James McCoy, Jacksonville, NC

82-Gerry Williams, Cocoa, FL

84-Arthur Tanner, Cocoa, FL

85-Norman Barkeley, Deland, FL

86-Anthony Clay, Gary, Ind.

87-Albert Wardell, Bartow, FL

88-Sherman Linning, Summerville, SC

89-Joe Luster, Norfolk, VA.

90-Joe Warren, Hastin, FL

91-Razzie Smith III, Orlando, FL

92-Larry Cunningham, Chapin, SC

93-Micheal Washington, Charleston, SC

**-Jerome Johnson, Harrisburg, PA

References

1. ^{^} afrazier3@cfl.rr.com (www.thetandd.com)