“Celebrating a Legend: SWAC Alumni Pay Tribute to Jackson State’s Hall of Fame Star”

Robert Brazile, a Jackson State University icon and Professional Football Hall of Fame linebacker, is set to be honored with the Roscoe Nance Lifetime Achievement Award at the SWAC Alumni Association’s Legends Awards and Roast on Saturday, May 17, 2025, in Flowood.

The gathering is scheduled to take place at the Sheraton Refuge Hotel and Conference Center, commencing at 7 pm.

The Mobile, Ala. native joined Jackson State University’s football squad in 1971 and ultimately left the field as a legend of the sport. Not significantly recruited from Vigor High School in Pritchard, Ala., Brazile and his high school companion, Rickey Young, visited Jackson State. Tigers head coach Robert “Bob” Hill enlisted both.

Initially signed as a tight end, Brazile was transitioned to linebacker during his freshman year, a role in which he excelled for the remainder of his football journey, both at college and the professional level. He embodied the ideal linebacker. He was tall (6-4, 241), powerful, quick (4.6, 40), and a formidable tackler. He earned the honor of Defensive MVP of the 1971 Alabama High School All-Star Football Game. Throughout his tenure at Jackson State, Brazile was a reel of highlights, particularly in his senior year of 1974.

He received All-Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) honors, topped the conference in total tackles (208) and interceptions (9), participated in the Senior Bowl, and was selected for the Sheridan Black College All-America Team. During his four years at JSU, the Tigers achieved a record of 30-10-1 and captured consecutive SWAC championships in 1972 and 1973.

Brazile concluded an unforgettable collegiate career by being chosen sixth overall in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft. His college roommate, Walter Payton (yes, that Walter Payton) was chosen fourth in the same draft by the Chicago Bears. They became the only teammates from a Mississippi college or HBCU team to be selected among the top 10 picks in the annals of the NFL Draft. Remember Brazile’s Vigor High colleague, Rickey Young? He played fullback for JSU and was taken in the seventh round of the 1975 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. He enjoyed a nine-season career in the NFL.

Three players from the 1974 Jackson State team, including Brazile, are now enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame. The other two are Payton and Jackie Slater. If Brazile’s collegiate tenure might be depicted as a human highlight reel, then the primary feature occurred during his NFL tenure, all with the Houston Oilers (1975 to 1984). Brazile never sat out a game and kicked off 147 consecutive games with the Oilers throughout his decade-long career.

His NFL accolades comprise being named Defensive Rookie of the Year (1975), a two-time first team All Pro (1978, 1979), a four-time second team All Pro (1976, 1977, 1980, 1981), a seven-time Pro Bowl member (1976-1982), NFL 1970s All Decade Team, and the Titans Oilers Ring of Honors.

During his rookie season with the Oilers, Brazile earned the moniker “Dr. Doom” from one of his teammates. The media quickly embraced the nickname, including Howard Cosell. The Association’s Legends Awards and Roast annually celebrates former student-athletes alongside former or current coaches, athletic administrators, or staff members who have positively influenced the historic conference.

Proceeds from the Legends Awards and Roast aid the SWAC Alumni Association’s Degree Completion Scholarship Fund, which provides financial assistance to student-athletes within the conference whose eligibility has ended and who are within 30 hours of graduating.