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Can Broadway, recruits maintain GSU’s football tradition?

A person can’t help but think when placed in a situation such as this. Ever since the glory days of Eddie Robinson and the offensive dominance we witnessed from Bruce Eugene, there has been somewhat of a conundrum surrounding the Grambling State University football team. The men have had their ups and downs as a unit, from the 40-0 shellacking of Mississippi Valley State to the 28-14 episode at the University of Louisiana-Monroe. The Tigers seem to be building something to determine whether positive or negative one must get with the times.

The Past: No one in the Southwestern Athletic Conference scored more touchdowns than the Tigers last year (35). The same goes for first downs. GSU was in the top five in every offensive category. Even the defense led the conference in defensive points scored. It appears Rod Broadway has the men on the right track when it comes to getting points on the board.

The Present: So here’s the situation. Sitting at the Football Banquet on March 13 in the Favrot Student Union’s Black & Gold Room, enjoying the catering provided by Aramark while listening to guest speaker and former National Basketball Association great Willis Reed tell stories of guarding Wilt Chamberlain, a person can’t help but think: Is there a solid foundation being built here? Or will it be another Melvin Spears episode?

The Future: You have to win the Bayou Classic. If the men were to go 1-11 in its 12-game schedule next season, that one victory would have to be over Southern. This is just the general consensus of all who call themselves Gramblinites.

Optimism toward this future – and that victory – could lie in the fact that Broadway and his staff were able to pull 21 recruits in the early portion of the offseason, 11 of whom are from out of state (Alabama, Georgia, Texas and Virginia). Of the 21 players, eight of them were All-State honorees.

The conundrum is this: Can the team not only soak in this winning formula, but maintain the prestige, the respect within the football community? This is the task that lies before Broadway, the second-year head coach. Is it possible?

One can only think.