THE GREATER LANSING AREA SPORTS HALL
OF FAME
INDUCTION CEREMONY
Roy Kramer
July 25, 2019
By Chuck Krafft
Roy Kramer
was a tremendously successful Football Coach and Athletic Administrator that
has had great success on both the high school and college levels. He won state football titles as a high school
coach in Hudson, Dowagiac and East Lansing; he was named Coach of the Year in
1964.
He coached
at Central Michigan University from 1967-1977 and won the Division II National
Championship in 1974.
He achieved
a great deal of renown as an athletic administrator. He was Athletic Director at Vanderbilt
University from 1978-1990 and Southeastern Conference Commissioner from
1990-2002.
He has been
given fourteen awards either as an inductee to a Hall of Fame or a
Distinguished Service award. He is
further honored every year as the Southeastern Conference as the Athletes of
the year receive the “Roy Kramer” award.
Bob Every
introduced Mike Griffith, who came to the podium to introduce Mr. Kramer.
Mike
Griffith gave a wonderful introduction where he pointed out that Roy Kramer was
the person most responsible for finally getting the NCAA to designate a
National Football Championship. Mike let
us know that many successful, famous coaches including Phil Fulmer from
Tennessee, Vince Dooley and Steve Spurrier from Florida, respected and trusted
Mr. Kramer completely.
They cited his high level of honesty and sincerity as well as his experience both as a football coach and an administrator.
Roy Kramer
took the stage and gave a truly dynamic presentation! He said that he came to East Lansing during a Golden Age of
High School football in the area. He
mentioned that there were many good teams when he coached at East Lansing.
He said that
his Hall of Fame Induction belongs to the players he coached at East Lansing
and to the great game of football which teaches persistence, dedication and
teamwork. Football brings to him many
great memories of hard work and how it pays off.
He accepted
his induction honor not just for himself, but for the game of football and many
exciting Friday nights!
For those
who wish to read about the entire induction ceremony, here is a link.
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