A BIG SHOW : Grambling to Play Alcorn at Coliseum, and Robinson Promises Entertainment

Some grim-faced coaches, who regard football games as military-like missions, should listen to Eddie Robinson.

The legendary Robinson, who brings his Grambling, La., team to the Coliseum today to play Alcorn State of Lorman, Miss., in a 2 p.m. game, believes in the adage: “There is no business like show business.”

Robinson said, “A lot of coaches, or players, may not believe it, but we’re entertainers and you’ve got to give the people a show.”

The show began with a parade Saturday at 9 a.m., starting at the Coliseum with the Grambling and Alcorn bands marching down King Blvd. to the west side of the Crenshaw Baldwin Hill Plaza.

The players from the Division 1-AA Southwestern Athletic Conference will do their own parading today in the Los Angeles Football Classic.

Robinson will be trying to improve on his all-time college coaching record of 349 victories over 47 seasons.

Most of his talented players return from an 8-3 team in 1988.

“If you say you have good people and expect a lot out of them, sometimes people think you’re bragging,” Robinson said. “Then, if you say you don’t have anything, they say you’re lying.

“But we have good talent. We just have to put them in the right position.”

Robinson recognized that Jake Reed, a back-up wingback last season, wasn’t getting enough playing time behind Fred Jones, who caught 36 passes for 364 yards.

“Whenever we sent Jake into a game and before Fred Jones could get to the bench, Jake had run 80 yards, or caught a 50-yard pass. So in the spring, we knew we had to get them into the game at the same time.”

So Reed is now primarily a running back, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound sophomore who has the speed and size of Eric Dickerson, according to Robinson.

Grambling also has an experienced quarterback in Clemente Gordon, an all-conference selection who threw for 1,975 yards and 18 touchdowns last season.

Moreover, Grambling has an offensive line that averages more than 300 pounds. Tackle Raymond (World) Smith tilts that average to the high side. He stands 6-6 and reportedly weighs 420 pounds.

There’s more bulk on defense, mainly end Terrence Sanders, a transfer from Houston, who is 6-9 and 290.

Alcorn, coached by Theo Danzy, was 6-4 in 1988. However, the Braves held their last four opponents to a total of only 24 points.

Danzy returns seven of 11 defensive starters from last season’s team. Alcorn was at a disadvantage when it opened the season last year against Grambling and lost, 27-13. Danzy’s top two quarterbacks were declared academically ineligible.

Gerry Butler became the starting quarterback in the sixth game. He’s an option type quarterback, who now shares the position with Fred (Air) McNair, who is more proficient as a passer.

Proceeds from today’s game will go toward funding scholarships for students who wish to attend black colleges.