Seeds of greatness grow and are inspired and cultivated in multiple ways.
The 1991 Alabama State Football Hornets epitomize that statement. Extremely talented, hard working, yet life inspired.
The standard by which all SWAC and Black College National Champions should be measured, the '91 Hornets posted an 11-0-1 record in claiming both titles that season. The most dominant team in the history of Alabama State football, the team was the centerpiece of a program that went undefeated in 20 consecutive games, 19 of them victories.
The success was born with the talented recruiting class of 1988.
“We had about 25 freshman and we bonded together,” said linebacker Eddie Robinson, who went on to an 11-year NFL career. “We bought into the system. You had a situation where you had a lot of walk-ons like myself, guys from different places and we just agreed we were going to do what the coaches said.”
Quarterback Ricky Jones agreed.
“The one thing I would say that made that team special was we came in as true freshman,” Jones said. “About 15 guys started as true freshmen. So once we hit our senior year, there was no stopping us. We knew exactly what to do, we won 19 in a row dating back to our junior year. We just took off, and that goes back to us playing as freshmen.”
That talent was cultivated the old fashion way – hard work, instilled by legendary head coach Houston Markham, Jr., for whom the Alabama State football complex was named Wednesday. Posting the most wins in school history with 68, along with 39 losses and five ties, Markham knew no other way.
“Every job I've ever had was centered around hard work,” Markham said. “Everyone can block, tackle and catch the ball, but if you do it enough, it becomes second nature. Because you do not think at all once the ball is snapped. That comes from repetition.”
It was different during that time, as current limits on practice time did not exist.
“He worked us hard,” Robinson said. “The thing that made it special was the amount of hard work and repetitions we had. There was no 20-hour rule (current allowed practice time weekly by NCAA), so we got a lot a reps, practicing twice a day and believing in each other.”
During the 1990 season, Alabama State posted an 8-2-1 record and won its last seven games. Both losses that season came by one point.
“We beat Grambling and Jackson State that year, but lost to Southern and Texas Southern, games we felt like we should have won,” Robinson said. “In '90, we thought were good enough to win the SWAC Title and we didn't. A lot of the seniors realized in '91 this was our last chance to win it all and that made it more special.”
The inspiration came early in that junior year of 1990. Those losses that season came during a season-opening stretch when the Hornets began 1-2-1 and a meeting with Dr. Tommie Stewart, currently ASU's Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts, changed the perspective of the team.
“There was one moment where Dr. Stewart came and met with us,” Jones said. “She poured her heart out to us about some of her life real-life experiences with her father. And every player's eyes around the room were opened. We started reflecting on all the hard work we'd been going through and it had not been paying off. From that point on, we didn't lose again.”
After winning the final seven games of 1990, Alabama State opened the championship campaign with four straight wins before a tie against Texas Southern. After a victory over Samford to improve to 5-0-1, Alabama State posted a record 92-0 win over Prairie View in which they set an NCAA record by scoring 50 points in the second quarter.
The PV game was the start of an amazing season ending six-game stretch in which Alabama State scored no fewer than 36 points in a game, scored 50 or more points four times, and the average margin of victory was 48.5 points.
“When you look back on it, it was really special,” Robinson said. “Some of the scores and things we did offensively and put up the points and combine that with the defense, we were really a complete team.”
Jones was the centerpiece of that team, as he set then school records for passing yards and touchdown passes in a season and was electric with the ball in his hands.
“Ricky Jones was Michael Vick before Michael Vick,” Robinson said. “There were a lot good players on that team, and some of them played in the NFL including myself. But Ricky Jones was by far the most talented player on that team. Anyone would tell you when I see people and they talk about that '91 team, they say 'Ricky Jones was a bad man'”.
Now 20 seasons later, the Hornets are the last SWAC team to end the season undefeated and remain one of the most dominant teams in the history of Black College Football.
“I often think about it,” Markham said. “I have a big picture of that team in my office. I stay in contact with them. I see how we did. You could have done it with those players. All you had to do was point, and they took off.”
-HORNETS-
