Steve Hanlon [email protected], (219) 933-4198
Erik Campbell is busy this week. The 1984 Roosevelt grad and football star is back at the University of Michigan as the recruiting coordinator for Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan will play Florida on Friday in the Citrus Bowl. Outside of his immediate family, Campbell can only think of one person who inspired him to become a college football coach. That would be former Roosevelt coach Claude Taliaferro, who died on Christmas Eve at the age of 84.
"Coach was a great man; a very caring, kind man," Campbell said by phone on Wednesday at the Michigan practice. "He was a father figure to a lot of the players. He took care of them. The big reason I was able to go to Michigan and play was he would pick me up and drive me to Ann Arbor for a game. He guided me here.
"I don't think I ever would've been a college coach if not for him."
A memorial service for Taliaferro will take place at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Timothy Community Church in Gary. His 85th birthday would've been Monday.
Taliaferro was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He graduated from Roosevelt in 1950. He played at Illinois from 1950 through 1952 and was a part of the Illini's 1952 Rose Bowl team which beat Standford. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1952 through 1956.
He then went to Tennessee State and played for an undefeated team, which won the black college championship at the Orange bowl.
He returned to Gary and coached the Panthers football team from 1971 through 1992. In 1983, 'Velt became the first Gary school to qualify for the state football playoffs, playing a classic game at Hobart's Brickie Bowl.
"Claude was very hard-working, loyal, compassionate and physically strong," said his wife, Barbara. "He had an iron will. His determination was unbelievable, on the football field and in life. He was a good friend."
He sent 20 athletes to Division I schools and 12 to D-II programs. He had three players make it to the NFL, Brian Gant (Tampa Bay), Lawrence Johnson (Cleveland) and Tony Smith (Kansas City).
Taliaferro is survived by his wife and two children, Gina and Michael (Kelly); grandchildren Anthony and Jordyn; brothers George (Viola) and Rozell "Pete"; and many nieces, nephews, and friends
"He was very firm; a disciplined individual," said friend Benny Dorsey, who took over the Panthers baseball program in 1973. "He treated everyone fairly. He worked every young man to be the best they could be, but he also had a great sense of humor.
Unless, of course, a player missed a practice.
"If you didn't practice, you didn't play," said Arnold Price, who took over 'Velt's football program after Taliaferro. "He was old-school, tough, but the young men he coached loved him. They knew he was looking out for them.
"He was like a father to many of those kids."
Campbell concurred.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without him," he said. "Much of what I have I owe to coach."
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the St. Timothy Community Church Scholarship Fund, noting Claude's name on the memo line of the check. -:
Erik Campbell is busy this week. The 1984 Roosevelt grad and football star is back at the University of Michigan as the recruiting coordinator for Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan will play Florida on Friday in the Citrus Bowl. Outside of his immediate family, Campbell can only think of one person who inspired him to become a college football coach. That would be former Roosevelt coach Claude Taliaferro, who died on Christmas Eve at the age of 84.
"Coach was a great man; a very caring, kind man," Campbell said by phone on Wednesday at the Michigan practice. "He was a father figure to a lot of the players. He took care of them. The big reason I was able to go to Michigan and play was he would pick me up and drive me to Ann Arbor for a game. He guided me here.
"I don't think I ever would've been a college coach if not for him."
A memorial service for Taliaferro will take place at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Timothy Community Church in Gary. His 85th birthday would've been Monday.
Taliaferro was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He graduated from Roosevelt in 1950. He played at Illinois from 1950 through 1952 and was a part of the Illini's 1952 Rose Bowl team which beat Standford. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1952 through 1956.
He then went to Tennessee State and played for an undefeated team, which won the black college championship at the Orange bowl.
He returned to Gary and coached the Panthers football team from 1971 through 1992. In 1983, 'Velt became the first Gary school to qualify for the state football playoffs, playing a classic game at Hobart's Brickie Bowl.
"Claude was very hard-working, loyal, compassionate and physically strong," said his wife, Barbara. "He had an iron will. His determination was unbelievable, on the football field and in life. He was a good friend."
He sent 20 athletes to Division I schools and 12 to D-II programs. He had three players make it to the NFL, Brian Gant (Tampa Bay), Lawrence Johnson (Cleveland) and Tony Smith (Kansas City).
Taliaferro is survived by his wife and two children, Gina and Michael (Kelly); grandchildren Anthony and Jordyn; brothers George (Viola) and Rozell "Pete"; and many nieces, nephews, and friends
"He was very firm; a disciplined individual," said friend Benny Dorsey, who took over the Panthers baseball program in 1973. "He treated everyone fairly. He worked every young man to be the best they could be, but he also had a great sense of humor.
Unless, of course, a player missed a practice.
"If you didn't practice, you didn't play," said Arnold Price, who took over 'Velt's football program after Taliaferro. "He was old-school, tough, but the young men he coached loved him. They knew he was looking out for them.
"He was like a father to many of those kids."
Campbell concurred.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without him," he said. "Much of what I have I owe to coach."
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the St. Timothy Community Church Scholarship Fund, noting Claude's name on the memo line of the check. -:
Steve Hanlon [email protected], (219) 933-4198
Erik Campbell is busy this week. The 1984 Roosevelt grad and football star is back at the University of Michigan as the recruiting coordinator for Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan will play Florida on Friday in the Citrus Bowl. Outside of his immediate family, Campbell can only think of one person who inspired him to become a college football coach. That would be former Roosevelt coach Claude Taliaferro, who died on Christmas Eve at the age of 84.
"Coach was a great man; a very caring, kind man," Campbell said by phone on Wednesday at the Michigan practice. "He was a father figure to a lot of the players. He took care of them. The big reason I was able to go to Michigan and play was he would pick me up and drive me to Ann Arbor for a game. He guided me here.
"I don't think I ever would've been a college coach if not for him."
A memorial service for Taliaferro will take place at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Timothy Community Church in Gary. His 85th birthday would've been Monday.
Taliaferro was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He graduated from Roosevelt in 1950. He played at Illinois from 1950 through 1952 and was a part of the Illini's 1952 Rose Bowl team which beat Standford. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1952 through 1956.
He then went to Tennessee State and played for an undefeated team, which won the black college championship at the Orange bowl.
He returned to Gary and coached the Panthers football team from 1971 through 1992. In 1983, 'Velt became the first Gary school to qualify for the state football playoffs, playing a classic game at Hobart's Brickie Bowl.
"Claude was very hard-working, loyal, compassionate and physically strong," said his wife, Barbara. "He had an iron will. His determination was unbelievable, on the football field and in life. He was a good friend."
He sent 20 athletes to Division I schools and 12 to D-II programs. He had three players make it to the NFL, Brian Gant (Tampa Bay), Lawrence Johnson (Cleveland) and Tony Smith (Kansas City).
Taliaferro is survived by his wife and two children, Gina and Michael (Kelly); grandchildren Anthony and Jordyn; brothers George (Viola) and Rozell "Pete"; and many nieces, nephews, and friends
"He was very firm; a disciplined individual," said friend Benny Dorsey, who took over the Panthers baseball program in 1973. "He treated everyone fairly. He worked every young man to be the best they could be, but he also had a great sense of humor.
Unless, of course, a player missed a practice.
"If you didn't practice, you didn't play," said Arnold Price, who took over 'Velt's football program after Taliaferro. "He was old-school, tough, but the young men he coached loved him. They knew he was looking out for them.
"He was like a father to many of those kids."
Campbell concurred.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without him," he said. "Much of what I have I owe to coach."
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the St. Timothy Community Church Scholarship Fund, noting Claude's name on the memo line of the check. -:
Erik Campbell is busy this week. The 1984 Roosevelt grad and football star is back at the University of Michigan as the recruiting coordinator for Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.
Michigan will play Florida on Friday in the Citrus Bowl. Outside of his immediate family, Campbell can only think of one person who inspired him to become a college football coach. That would be former Roosevelt coach Claude Taliaferro, who died on Christmas Eve at the age of 84.
"Coach was a great man; a very caring, kind man," Campbell said by phone on Wednesday at the Michigan practice. "He was a father figure to a lot of the players. He took care of them. The big reason I was able to go to Michigan and play was he would pick me up and drive me to Ann Arbor for a game. He guided me here.
"I don't think I ever would've been a college coach if not for him."
A memorial service for Taliaferro will take place at 11 a.m. Monday at St. Timothy Community Church in Gary. His 85th birthday would've been Monday.
Taliaferro was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He graduated from Roosevelt in 1950. He played at Illinois from 1950 through 1952 and was a part of the Illini's 1952 Rose Bowl team which beat Standford. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served from 1952 through 1956.
He then went to Tennessee State and played for an undefeated team, which won the black college championship at the Orange bowl.
He returned to Gary and coached the Panthers football team from 1971 through 1992. In 1983, 'Velt became the first Gary school to qualify for the state football playoffs, playing a classic game at Hobart's Brickie Bowl.
"Claude was very hard-working, loyal, compassionate and physically strong," said his wife, Barbara. "He had an iron will. His determination was unbelievable, on the football field and in life. He was a good friend."
He sent 20 athletes to Division I schools and 12 to D-II programs. He had three players make it to the NFL, Brian Gant (Tampa Bay), Lawrence Johnson (Cleveland) and Tony Smith (Kansas City).
Taliaferro is survived by his wife and two children, Gina and Michael (Kelly); grandchildren Anthony and Jordyn; brothers George (Viola) and Rozell "Pete"; and many nieces, nephews, and friends
"He was very firm; a disciplined individual," said friend Benny Dorsey, who took over the Panthers baseball program in 1973. "He treated everyone fairly. He worked every young man to be the best they could be, but he also had a great sense of humor.
Unless, of course, a player missed a practice.
"If you didn't practice, you didn't play," said Arnold Price, who took over 'Velt's football program after Taliaferro. "He was old-school, tough, but the young men he coached loved him. They knew he was looking out for them.
"He was like a father to many of those kids."
Campbell concurred.
"I wouldn't be where I am today without him," he said. "Much of what I have I owe to coach."
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the St. Timothy Community Church Scholarship Fund, noting Claude's name on the memo line of the check. -:
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
