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Willie Lanier
Willie Edward Lanier (born August 21, 1945), is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the AFL All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from 1970 through 1975.
A Super Bowl champion, Lanier won the NFL Man of the Year in 1972. He was selected to both the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Lanier was born on August 21, 1945, in Clover, Halifax County, Virginia, the son of Robert Lanier, who was the biggest influence in his son's life. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He attended high school in Richmond, at the Maggie L. Walker High School, named after the first black female bank president in America. He was a star football player in high school, graduating in 1963. In his senior year, Walker defeated archrival Armstrong in their annual Thanksgiving Day game 27–13, before 23,000 fans, to give Walker a 10–0 record.
Walker was Richmond's largest African American high school, and also produced tennis star Arthur Ashe and NBA player Bob Dandridge. During the years Lanier played football at Walker, black and white high schools did not compete against each other, with black schools playing each other in the Virginia Interscholastic Association, and white schools playing in the Virginia High School League; the two only merging in 1970.
According to a DNA analysis, he descended, mainly, from Jola people of Guinea-Bissau.
Lanier was offered a full scholarship to Virginia State University, but instead chose to attend Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) because (1) he wanted to escape segregation and (2) he saw more employment opportunity in business administration in the north. Lanier believed he would receive a quality education and support. He would go on to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration from Morgan State in 1967.
Morgan State's football team was headed by future College Hall of Fame coach Earl Banks (1992), who emphasized academics and graduation to his players. The Bears played in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Banks had not recruited Lanier. Rather, Lanier was a walk-on who made the team in 1963. Lanier was originally an offensive guard, blocking for future Hall of Fame running back Leroy Kelly, and a nose tackle. Banks later moved Lanier to middle linebacker. In the 1965 season, he averaged 12 unassisted tackles a game and scored touchdowns on a fumble recovery and interception.
In 1965, the Bears defeated Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic, which was the unofficial championship game for historically black colleges and universities. In 1966, Morgan State, led by Lanier as its most storied member, was invited to play in the Tangerine Bowl (now the Citrus Bowl) against the West Chester Rams of Pennsylvania. The Bears were on a 17-game winning streak going into the Tangerine Bowl, and merited inclusion on their quality of play. But this was a major social event, being the first time that a team from an historically black college was invited to play in the game in central Florida; and Orlando, where the game was played, had never hosted an integrated high school or college football game. The game's hosts made sure the two teams were treated equally, and mingled with each other at events before the game.
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Willie Lanier
Willie Edward Lanier (born August 21, 1945), is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) from 1967 through 1977. He won postseason honors for eight consecutive years, making the AFL All-Star team in 1968 and 1969 before being selected to the Pro Bowl from 1970 through 1975.
A Super Bowl champion, Lanier won the NFL Man of the Year in 1972. He was selected to both the NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
Lanier was born on August 21, 1945, in Clover, Halifax County, Virginia, the son of Robert Lanier, who was the biggest influence in his son's life. He grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He attended high school in Richmond, at the Maggie L. Walker High School, named after the first black female bank president in America. He was a star football player in high school, graduating in 1963. In his senior year, Walker defeated archrival Armstrong in their annual Thanksgiving Day game 27–13, before 23,000 fans, to give Walker a 10–0 record.
Walker was Richmond's largest African American high school, and also produced tennis star Arthur Ashe and NBA player Bob Dandridge. During the years Lanier played football at Walker, black and white high schools did not compete against each other, with black schools playing each other in the Virginia Interscholastic Association, and white schools playing in the Virginia High School League; the two only merging in 1970.
According to a DNA analysis, he descended, mainly, from Jola people of Guinea-Bissau.
Lanier was offered a full scholarship to Virginia State University, but instead chose to attend Morgan State College (now Morgan State University) because (1) he wanted to escape segregation and (2) he saw more employment opportunity in business administration in the north. Lanier believed he would receive a quality education and support. He would go on to earn a bachelor's degree in business administration from Morgan State in 1967.
Morgan State's football team was headed by future College Hall of Fame coach Earl Banks (1992), who emphasized academics and graduation to his players. The Bears played in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Banks had not recruited Lanier. Rather, Lanier was a walk-on who made the team in 1963. Lanier was originally an offensive guard, blocking for future Hall of Fame running back Leroy Kelly, and a nose tackle. Banks later moved Lanier to middle linebacker. In the 1965 season, he averaged 12 unassisted tackles a game and scored touchdowns on a fumble recovery and interception.
In 1965, the Bears defeated Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic, which was the unofficial championship game for historically black colleges and universities. In 1966, Morgan State, led by Lanier as its most storied member, was invited to play in the Tangerine Bowl (now the Citrus Bowl) against the West Chester Rams of Pennsylvania. The Bears were on a 17-game winning streak going into the Tangerine Bowl, and merited inclusion on their quality of play. But this was a major social event, being the first time that a team from an historically black college was invited to play in the game in central Florida; and Orlando, where the game was played, had never hosted an integrated high school or college football game. The game's hosts made sure the two teams were treated equally, and mingled with each other at events before the game.