Alva Tabor facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 16, 1925 |
| Died | August 2002 (aged 76) Fort Valley, Georgia |
| Playing career | |
| c. 1945 | Tuskegee |
| 1947–1948 | Nevada |
| Position(s) | Fullback |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1952–1953 | Texas Southern (backfield) |
| 1954–1955 | Wiley |
| 1957–1959 | Fort Valley State |
| 1962–1966 | Southern (assistant) |
| 1967 | New Orleans Saints (assistant) |
| 1969–1971 | Southern |
| 1972–1979 | Cleveland Browns (ST) |
| 1980 | Virginia State |
| 1981 | Toronto Argonauts (LB) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 41–40–4 |
Alva Tabor Jr. (born October 16, 1925 – died August 2002) was an important American football player and coach. He played as a fullback in college. Later, he became a head coach for several college teams. He also worked as an assistant coach for professional teams in the National Football League (NFL). Tabor made history as the first African-American full-time coach for the Cleveland Browns.
Contents
Playing Football
Alva Tabor Jr. was a talented football player. He played as a fullback. He played college football for the Tuskegee Golden Tigers around 1945. Later, from 1947 to 1948, he played for the Nevada Wolf Pack.
Coaching College Teams
After his playing days, Tabor began a long career in coaching. He started as a backfield coach for Texas Southern from 1952 to 1953.
Head Coach Roles
Tabor became a head football coach at several colleges:
- He coached the Wiley College Wildcats from 1954 to 1955.
- He then led the Fort Valley State Wildcats from 1957 to 1959.
- From 1969 to 1971, he was the head coach for the Southern Jaguars.
- His last college head coaching job was at Virginia State University in 1980.
Overall, his record as a college head coach was 41 wins, 40 losses, and 4 ties.
Coaching in the NFL
Alva Tabor Jr. also coached in the professional football league, the NFL.
New Orleans Saints
In 1967, Tabor joined the New Orleans Saints. He worked as a scout, helping to find new players. He was also an assistant coach for the team.
Cleveland Browns
A big moment in his career came in 1972. Tabor was hired by the Cleveland Browns as an assistant coach. He was in charge of special teams. This part of the game includes plays like kickoffs and punts. He stayed with the Browns until 1979.
He was the first African-American to be hired as a full-time coach for the Cleveland Browns. This was a very important step in breaking down barriers in professional sports.
Later Coaching Roles
After his time with the Cleveland Browns, Tabor continued coaching. In 1981, he worked as a linebackers coach for the Toronto Argonauts. This team plays in the Canadian Football League (CFL).
Alva Tabor Jr. passed away in August 2002 at the age of 76. He left behind a legacy as a dedicated player and a pioneering coach.
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wiley Wildcats (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (1954–1955) | |||||||||
| 1954 | Wiley | 5–5 | 2–4 | 5th | |||||
| 1955 | Wiley | 3–7 | 2–5 | T–5th | |||||
| Wiley: | 8–12 | 4–9 | |||||||
| Fort Valley State Wildcats (Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (1957–1959) | |||||||||
| 1957 | Fort Valley State | 6–3 | |||||||
| 1958 | Fort Valley State | 5–2–1 | |||||||
| 1959 | Fort Valley State | 5–3–1 | |||||||
| Fort Valley State: | 18–8–2 | ||||||||
| Southern Jaguars (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (1969–1971) | |||||||||
| 1969 | Southern | 6–2–1 | 5–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1970 | Southern | 5–5–1 | 2–3–1 | T–4th | |||||
| 1971 | Southern | 3–7 | 1–5 | T–6th | |||||
| Southern: | 14–14–2 | 8–9–2 | |||||||
| Virginia State Trojans (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1980) | |||||||||
| 1980 | Virginia State | 1–8 | 1–5 | 10th | |||||
| Virginia State: | 1–8 | 1–5 | |||||||
| Total: | 41–40–4 | ||||||||
