Let’s Remember Our HBCU Grads: Earl Monroe
“Jesus of the Playground”
Vernon Earl Monroe (born on November 21, 1944, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing and play-making. His nicknames included both "Earl the Pearl" and his Philadelphia nickname, "Black Jesus".
From early age, Monroe was a playground legend. His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him "Thomas Edison" because of the many moves he invented.
Monroe rose to prominence at the Division II level playing basketball at Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Under the coaching of Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 points his freshman year, 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and 41.5 points his senior year. In 1967, he earned NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors and led the Rams to the NCAA College Division Championship.
Earl is a member of the Groove Phi Groove, SFI.
In 1967, the two-time All-American was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards) in the first round of the NBA draft (2nd overall pick). He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in a season in which he averaged 24.3 points per game, and scored 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 1971, Monroe was traded to the New York Knicks and formed a celebrity backcourt with equally flamboyant Walt Frazier. The duo meshed together to form one of the most deadly guard combinations of all time, featuring two Hall of Famers and NBA 50th Anniversary Team members. With Monroe, the Knicks won the 1973 NBA championship.
“You know, my favorite player of all time was Earl Monroe. He was the truth, son! The way he used to come down, spin move, dish… I’m not talking about when he was with Bullets. The Knicks, they put shackles on him. I’m talking about in North Philadelphia. They called him Jesus. Then the white media got a hold of him and they started calling him Black Jesus. But that’s the real reason you got your name, son. Not Jesus in the Bible, Jesus of the Playgrounds…”
UNIVERSITY HUSTLE MAGAZINE
"The Best in College. Expect it and Respect it."
www.UNIVERSITYHUSTLEONLINE.com
www.MySpace.com/ UNIVERSITYHUSTLE
www.UNIVERSITYHUSTLE.blogspot.com
XXLBlockTalk.com/UniversityHustle
No comments:
Post a Comment