HBCU Legend Doug Williams makes latest cut for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Doug Williams has been named a semifinalist for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class in the Contributor category. Williams was one of 25 candidates to make the initial ballot alongside his former coach and fellow HBCU football legend Eddie G. Robinson. Williams made the cut for the semifinalists alongside K.S. “Bud” Adams, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff, and John Wooten.

Out of all of the players who played under Eddie G. Robinson at Grambling, Williams stands out as one of the most significant. Williams played for Robinson at Grambling from 1974-1977. In his time at quarterback, the team won three SWAC Championships and went 36-7. His stellar play under Robinson earned him significant Heisman trophy buzz, finishing fourth in 1977.

He went on to be drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 17th pick in the 1978 NFL Draft. He eventually went on to join the Washington Redskins, in which he made history as the first black quarterback to win Super Bowl MVP in 1988.

Williams made history again 10 years later when he became coach Eddie G. Robinson’s successor as coach of Grambling. In 2000, he achieved his first SWAC title as head coach, boasting a remarkable 10-2 overall record. The subsequent year, he guided the Tigers to clinch the Black College Football National Title, concluding the season with an impressive 10-1 record. Continuing his winning streak, he secured a three-peat of SWAC championships in 2002, leading the G-Men to an 11-2 record.

He now serves as the Washington Commanders Senior Advisor to the General Manager and co-founded the Black College Football Hall of Fame with James “Shack” Harris in 2019. The Hall of Fame honors the greatest players, coaches, and contributors in HBCU football history.

The Contributor Blue-Ribbon Committee will meet virtually on November 12th to select the sole finalist for the Contributor category, which will be presented to the full Selection Committee for potential election alongside the new class of enshrinees.