White School Accused of Barring Black Broadcaster

Former NFL player Glen Collins was banned from broadcasting a game at an all-white academy because the former Mississippi State standout is black, a Jackson broadcaster claims.

Lee Adams said he and Collins had been scheduled to broadcast the Aug. 25 Jackson Academy-East Holmes Academy game on WJXN-AM from East Holmes. He said Collins was told he should not go.

Collins, who played with the Cincinnati Bengals and Green Bay Packers, could not be reached today for comment.

Adams, who is white, said he did the game alone after being told by Jackson Academy Athletic Director Bobby West that Collins could not help broadcast the game.

Adams said he and Collins had worked together to broadcast public high school games and had been scheduled to broadcast all Jackson Academy games. However, he said Collins had a scheduling conflict the night of the academy games and would have been able to work only the game at East Holmes Academy.

“Bobby West called me a couple of days before the game and told me that Glen was not welcome up there (at East Holmes) because he was black,” Adams said. “I told Glen. He thought I was kidding. He couldn’t believe it.”

East Holmes Headmaster Frank Drake denied Adams’ claim.

“That was not the case,” Drake said. “I have never told anybody nor turned down anybody.”

Adams said he “never thought when I was getting Glen Collins about what color he was. He’s a former NFL player who is qualified and knows a lot about football. He’s the best person for the job. I thought we were past all that other stuff. I guess we aren’t.”

West would not comment about the East Holmes situation, except to say, “I passed along the information given to me.”

“We are not a racist school,” the Jackson Academy’s West said. “We welcome black students at any grade level. We are above racism. I don’t know about the other schools, but I’m not going to say anything negative about another MPSA (Mississippi Private School Assn.) school. I don’t want to be any part of a negative article.”

Adams said he had talked with Jackson Academy officials and “we would be welcome to do their (home) games,” he said.