Payton, Rice lead first Black College Hall class

ATLANTA (AP) - Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Deacon Jones and former Grambling coach Eddie Robinson were among the first set of honorees inducted into the Black College hall of Fame on Saturday.

The Atlanta-based Black College Hall was established last year by former Pro Bowl quaterback James Harris and Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams. The first class included eight players, two coaches and one contributor.

Williams said Saturday's event was the culmination of a lot of work.

"Just like you practice for weeks before the season, we've been preparing for this night for a long time, and it's game-time now," Williams said, "We're inducting some people who everyone knows, but some who have contributed just as much, but are just not as well known yet."