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January 26, 1973, REFLECTOR, 6
( REF'LECTOR)
sports
-
FCA, AA Plus made life easier for Robert .Bell
-A~GdlJf)ELOCll
Reflector Sports Writer
Robert Bell and Frank Dowsing are graduating seniors and
have played their last football
game for Miss. State. When they
played their first game for State
they carved a niche in history
and became the first blacks to
participate on an MSU team.
When two such men as these
have finished with their college
football career, it is natural to
ask them "How was it? How did
it feel to be the first blacks to
walk onto a Miss. State football
field? Was there ever any
trouble?"
I'll have to admit that I was
a little surprised and pleased
with what I learned as I talked
with them about their experiences.
"Trouble? No, there was
never any trouble whatsoever,"
stated Robert Bell. He had
almost looked puzzled at the
question as if to say, ''Why
should there have been any
trouble?" He continued in explanation: "There were two
things which I guess made it
really easy. Both Frank and I
had played All-Star football the
year before we came here so we
knew all of the beginning
freshmen players. We had that
going for us and we had the
F.C.A."
I asked about the F.C.A., and
Robert started talking about the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
"It's a national organization on
high school, college and even
pro level. I guess you could say
it's athletes not afraid to stand
up for Christ. We have a great
program here and have even
received national recognition.
It's non-denominational, and it's
Rouert Bell
athletes joined together inChristian fellowship. When you
join, you are among friends."
As we talked, Robert expounded on his and Frank's
having been asked to come play
for State. "Let's face the facts.
We received the scholarships
because we were from big
teams and we got the recognition. I played for Meridian and
Frank played for Tupelo. There
were a lot of good blacks
playing on smaller teams who
just didn't get that recognition.
They are still there and I hope
the recruiters are beginning to
realize it."
Robert did admit to one
problem and it's _probably a
common problem at that. "Man,
the social life was the only thing
not really up to par. Of course,
there were only a handful of
blacks here and most were
upperclassmen. We didn't have
anything in common with them.
The Afro American Plus heloed
a lot. You know, when a black
came here he could be kind of
lost. No one to talk to or help
you with your problems of
getting around the campus. The
AA Plus steps right in and
helps.''
After thinking about the lack
of social life, Robert added
something with a laugh: ''But
then there wasn't much time for
social life. There was practice
and class, practice and class for
that first semester and second
semester there was class and
pre-spring workout and class
and spring workout, and class
and post-spring workout and it
was time for the Fall season
again.''
- We talked about football for
awhile and I asked Robert how
he had felt on the day of the first
varsity game. The fans were
wearing big lapel buttons .which
read, "Give'em Hell, Robert
Bell! ''; and it was the chant of
the day.
Remembering, Robert nodded his head and answered,
"Man, I was one proud dude.
You've got to feel proud when
the fans are behind you like that
and you just hope you can do it
right for them."
Continuing; I wanted to know
if in the beginning Robert had
ever felt he was being doubleteamed or har~ssed. He smiled
and said, "Never, but you've got
to remember I'm a defensive
guard. If they wanted to send
two people or ten after me, I'd
just be doing a better job.''
With smooth emphasis he
continued:
"There
was
absolutely never any of that.
There's always been a good
relation between black players
and white. We're all out there
working together. When you see
a man working us hard as you,
you must have respect for him."
Now that it's almost over and
graduation is drawing near, I
asked Robert what he wanted to_
do. "My degree is in Business
Administration. I'd like to find a
company-small, medium, or
large-but one I can grow with,
and enter as a management
trainee. Besides that,1 might
like to try graduate school for
awhile. It just depends on what
kind of offers I get, but right
now I'd like that trainee slot."
Whatever he decides to do
when he graduates, there is one
thing for sure. He's a man who
has earned the chant, "Give'em
Hell, Robert Bell."
Part Two Tuesday. Frank
Dowsing, Double Bowl Player,
Mr. MSU, Pre-Med Student,
Scholar.
( REF'LECTOR)
sports
-
FCA, AA Plus made life easier for Robert .Bell
-A~GdlJf)ELOCll
Reflector Sports Writer
Robert Bell and Frank Dowsing are graduating seniors and
have played their last football
game for Miss. State. When they
played their first game for State
they carved a niche in history
and became the first blacks to
participate on an MSU team.
When two such men as these
have finished with their college
football career, it is natural to
ask them "How was it? How did
it feel to be the first blacks to
walk onto a Miss. State football
field? Was there ever any
trouble?"
I'll have to admit that I was
a little surprised and pleased
with what I learned as I talked
with them about their experiences.
"Trouble? No, there was
never any trouble whatsoever,"
stated Robert Bell. He had
almost looked puzzled at the
question as if to say, ''Why
should there have been any
trouble?" He continued in explanation: "There were two
things which I guess made it
really easy. Both Frank and I
had played All-Star football the
year before we came here so we
knew all of the beginning
freshmen players. We had that
going for us and we had the
F.C.A."
I asked about the F.C.A., and
Robert started talking about the
Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
"It's a national organization on
high school, college and even
pro level. I guess you could say
it's athletes not afraid to stand
up for Christ. We have a great
program here and have even
received national recognition.
It's non-denominational, and it's
Rouert Bell
athletes joined together inChristian fellowship. When you
join, you are among friends."
As we talked, Robert expounded on his and Frank's
having been asked to come play
for State. "Let's face the facts.
We received the scholarships
because we were from big
teams and we got the recognition. I played for Meridian and
Frank played for Tupelo. There
were a lot of good blacks
playing on smaller teams who
just didn't get that recognition.
They are still there and I hope
the recruiters are beginning to
realize it."
Robert did admit to one
problem and it's _probably a
common problem at that. "Man,
the social life was the only thing
not really up to par. Of course,
there were only a handful of
blacks here and most were
upperclassmen. We didn't have
anything in common with them.
The Afro American Plus heloed
a lot. You know, when a black
came here he could be kind of
lost. No one to talk to or help
you with your problems of
getting around the campus. The
AA Plus steps right in and
helps.''
After thinking about the lack
of social life, Robert added
something with a laugh: ''But
then there wasn't much time for
social life. There was practice
and class, practice and class for
that first semester and second
semester there was class and
pre-spring workout and class
and spring workout, and class
and post-spring workout and it
was time for the Fall season
again.''
- We talked about football for
awhile and I asked Robert how
he had felt on the day of the first
varsity game. The fans were
wearing big lapel buttons .which
read, "Give'em Hell, Robert
Bell! ''; and it was the chant of
the day.
Remembering, Robert nodded his head and answered,
"Man, I was one proud dude.
You've got to feel proud when
the fans are behind you like that
and you just hope you can do it
right for them."
Continuing; I wanted to know
if in the beginning Robert had
ever felt he was being doubleteamed or har~ssed. He smiled
and said, "Never, but you've got
to remember I'm a defensive
guard. If they wanted to send
two people or ten after me, I'd
just be doing a better job.''
With smooth emphasis he
continued:
"There
was
absolutely never any of that.
There's always been a good
relation between black players
and white. We're all out there
working together. When you see
a man working us hard as you,
you must have respect for him."
Now that it's almost over and
graduation is drawing near, I
asked Robert what he wanted to_
do. "My degree is in Business
Administration. I'd like to find a
company-small, medium, or
large-but one I can grow with,
and enter as a management
trainee. Besides that,1 might
like to try graduate school for
awhile. It just depends on what
kind of offers I get, but right
now I'd like that trainee slot."
Whatever he decides to do
when he graduates, there is one
thing for sure. He's a man who
has earned the chant, "Give'em
Hell, Robert Bell."
Part Two Tuesday. Frank
Dowsing, Double Bowl Player,
Mr. MSU, Pre-Med Student,
Scholar.