FAMU must do more by renaming football field site, track meet to celebrate its sports legends | Rory Sharrock

The legendary sports figures of Florida A&M University reads like a bestseller with stars that shine beyond the divide of historically Black colleges and PWIs.

"Bullet" Bob Hayes. Althea Gibson. Ken Riley. Andre Dawson.

Those names are more than an appetizer of the full-course meal of iconic Ratters. These folks are top-tier athletes in their respective sports.

There are references to the abovementioned and others across campus. However, more can and should be done to pay homage to the greats of FAMU lure.

Over the past year-and-a-half, FAMU said farewell to Riley (2020) and, most recently, Bobby Lang (2022).

More Ken Riley: How I caught a touchdown pass from FAMU legend Ken Riley | Rory Sharrock

Both men are members of the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame.

Lang is also enshrined in the USTFCCCA (U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Associaton) Hall of Fame.

Riley is in the Black College Football Hall of Fame and listed on the Cincinnatti Bengals Ring of Honor.

It's still one of the biggest head-scratchers of all time that he isn't in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But we'll save that argument for another day.

Yet with all this notoriety, there are still gaps regarding the lasting tributes for them by the university and athletics department.

Statues are beautiful. They're also very, very expensive.

The costs for such monuments can be paid for through grants or fundraisers.

However, in the harsh economic climate of the pandemic, the priorities for donations should go toward present-day student-athletes.

MORE FAMU COVERAGE

More FAMU Football: FAMU continues strong recruiting push luring elite high school, transfer prospects

More FAMU Football: Florida A&M releases its football schedule, hosts five games in 2022

More FAMU Football: Simmons, FAMU offensive assistants to partake with Team Robinson in HBCU Legacy Bowl

But there's something to be said about naming rights.

Sound brand awareness changes traditional words into transferrable terms beyond the product or service.

Whenever there's a cut, we ask for a Band-Aid, the product name, not an adhesive bandage, the product itself.

FAMU's hallowed football venue, Bragg Memorial Stadium, already has an established name.

The school can add to it by addressing the playing surface as Ken Riley Field.

This follows the structure of other famed locales like Duke's Camron Indoor Stadium and Coach K Court or Florida State's Bobby Bowden Field at Doak S. Campbell Stadium.

Riley went 23-7 as a starting QB at FAMU. He completed 100 of 108 passes (92.5%) for 1,408 yards and 14 touchdowns.

After his time in the NFL, he returned to his alma mater to serve as head coach (1986-93) and athletics director (1994-02). Under his leadership as the AD, the Rattlers won 35 MEAC championships in 11 sports.

Inside the Galimore-Powell Field House hallway, there's a photo collage of him with other notable FAMU players and coaches.

That's nice, but it's not visible to the public.

Call an audible by naming the field after him.

Switching lanes to track & field, the spot for practice and meets is Robert "Pete" Griffin Track.

Coach Griffin was instrumental in helping Hayes sprint to Olympic glory as a gold medalist.

More Bobby Lang: ‘A good man gone to glory’: Well-wishers pay their respect to FAMU coaching legend Bobby Lang at memorial service

More Bobby Lang: FAMU legendary coach Bobby Lang's influence on athletes was far reaching

As a predecessor to Lang, his name perfectly fits alone on the site.

The tribute to Lang must come in the form of identifying FAMU's lone home meet as the Bobby Lang FAMU Relays.

Back in the day, the FAMU Relays used to be one of the marquee collegiate track events in the country.

Plastering Lang's name on track schedules of participating teams and social media alerts keeps him in the conversation.

It can make a person Google Bobby Lang. The hits will pull up all his achievements followed by "FAMU."

More importantly, it celebrates the dominance of one of the sport's greatest coaches.

I don't know the background logistics of what the university powers need to do to officially call the football home Bragg Memorial Stadium and Ken Riley Field or the Bobby Lang FAMU Relays for the meet.

But if it's a simple vote of raised hands, stand on tables with both arms touching the ceiling.

Riley and Lang are no longer here to receive these flowers. However, their achievements can still be adorned with a bouquet.

I can't think of a better way of doing that than reading the name Ken Riley Field upon entering Bragg Memorial Stadium and wearing T-shirts with the graphic Bobby Lang FAMU Relays.

Now, that's a name drop.

Follow FAMU beat writer Rory Sharrock on Twitter @married2game1.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M must do more by renaming venue, event to celebrate its sports legends