WASHINGTON, DC --- On Friday, September 26, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, D.C., Howard University's homecoming came early.
There were hugs among former football players along with smiles of joy on the faces of former soccer players. It was all part and parcel of the Howard University Athletics 2014 Hall of Fame ceremony, sponsored by Bison Express.

The formal induction included 26 former student-athletes and coaches, five teams and four special individuals.

The ceremony began with the presentation of a check in the amount of $25,000 from an anonymous donor to Howard athletics; the presentation was made by Bison Express Board of Directors Chair Bruce Williams. This was the first of many surprises of the night, and just like that, the mood was set. Not only was the ceremony focused on celebrating new Hall of Fame inductees, but it also connected former Howard athletes to the current student-athletes at "The Mecca."

Howard University President Wayne A.I. Frederick took the stage in between inductee presentations to address the audience with a strong message.

"Our student-athletes are not here to play their sports as a hobby," Frederick said. "My expectation is that sports are to be played to win. Played to understand teamwork. They are played to understand competition. They are played to understand discipline and to build character...our intent is to be best in class. Not to be best in the MEAC, but to be best in the country."

It should be noted that President Frederick was the team manager for the last Howard men's soccer team to make it to the national championship.

One of the many inductees that paved the way for current student-athletes is David Oliver, an Olympic bronze medalist. Joining Oliver: Gregg Butler (football); Noel Carr (men's soccer); Ruperta Charles (track & field); David Charlton (track & field); John Chestnut (baseball); Dorian Dent (men's basketball); Rhadi Ferguson (wrestling, football and track & field); Andrea Gardner (women's basketball); Peter Hezekiah (men's soccer); Jesse Holt (men's tennis); Ngozi Monu (women's swimming); Edward Morrison, D.D.S. (football and basketball coach); Clarence Pendleton (swimming coach); James Ratiff (men's basketball); Eddie Richardson (football); Anton Skerritt (track & field); John Spencer (men's basketball); Linda Spencer (women's volleyball and basketball coach & player); Ted White (football); Bruce Williams (football); and Rodney Wright (men's basketball).

The four teams that were honored included: the 1961 men's soccer team that won the NAIA national championship; the 1971 men's soccer team that won the NCAA championship, but was later stripped of the title; the 1974 men's soccer teams that won the NCAA title; the 1987 football team that won the school's first ever MEAC title; and the 1993 football team that went undefeated at 11-0 and went on to capture the Black National championsihp.
  
What makes some of these former athletes so special is the adversity that the teams overcame in an era when African-Americans were fighting for civil rights.

Ian Bain, captain of the 1974 men's soccer team, noted how racial remarks were common on and off the field. Before the 1974 NCAA Championship game, there was a sign that read "Gorillas playing at Busch Stadium" on the scoreboard. Bain, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, explained how the discrimination against his team was not important. What really mattered were the experiences that they shared together.

"Those things did not impact us at all," Bain said. "To be honest, we all came from different countries, African and Caribbean, some African-American. We come from places where many of us have never even had a discussion on race."

He continued, "Everyone realizes that the real lessons are the ones in our journey of becoming friends, respecting each other. Those were the things and lessons of that particular season. Here we are 40 years later and this is part of our journey coming back from Nigeria, Trinidad, Jamaica, Guinea, Eritrea and all of us are here tonight."

Another prominent Bison who was honored was former tennis player Jesse Holt. Known as the "Godfather of Black Tennis," Holt made tennis so popular on Howard's campus that he taught two classes in the sport. While rising to Number 13 in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) rankings and Number 1 in the American Tennis Association (ATA) rankings, Holt competed at the U.S. Open Championships in 1980 and 1981.

The four individuals presented with the Buffalo Soldier award were Marjay Anderson, Ph.D., Hon. Larry Banks, the late Charles Franklin, M.D. and John Mercer, Esq. The aforementioned honorees were recognized for their steadfast and superlative support of Howard athletics through volunteering their time and expertise to contribute to the growth of Bison Express, which serves as a booster club for Howard University.

The 2014 Howard University Athletics Hall of Fame Ceremony commemorated past achievements while looking forward to the future by directing attention towards continually improving Bison athletics.