Boozer, Brown, Jeffries head College Football Hall of Fame’s divisional class

Boozer, Brown head division class for college hall

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Willie Jeffries, the first black coach of a Division I school, and former Super Bowl standouts Troy Brown and Emerson Boozer head the divisional class selected Tuesday for the College Football Hall of Fame.

Jeffries was hired by Wichita State in 1979. Wichita State won only one game in his first season, but improved to 8-3 by his third year. He coached at Howard from 1984-88 and at South Carolina State from 1973-78 and 1989-2001. He had a career record of 179-132-6.

Jeffries’ teams won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference seven times, six with South Carolina State and once with Howard.

Everyone selected Tuesday played or coached at a level below Division I. The other coach chosen was Ted Kessinger, who led Bethany (Kan.) from 1976-2003, posting a 219-57-1 record in NAIA play. He never had a losing season. In 28 seasons, Kessinger won at least a share of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title 16 times and led his teams to 13 national championship playoff appearances.

Brown, who was on three Super Bowl champions with the New England Patriots, was a member of Marshall’s 1992 Division I-AA championship team. He scored 28 career touchdowns, including four on special teams. He is the fifth Marshall player or coach to be selected to the hall.

Boozer, who helped the New York Jets beat the 18-point favorite Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, was a four-year letterman at Maryland Eastern Shore from 1962-65. He averaged 6.78 yards per carry and was named a Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association All-Conference pick in 1964 and 1965.

Other players being honored were Brian Kelley, a linebacker at California Lutheran from 1969-72, and Mil Morin, a tight end at Massachusetts from 1963-65.

They will be inducted into the hall on July 16-17, along with major school players such as Notre Dame’s Tim Brown, Miami’s Gino Torretta, Ohio State’s Chris Spielman and coaches Dick MacPherson and John Robinson.