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VOICE
NOVEMBER 25, 1974
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FStJ Fullhaeh James Godwin Scores in Sequence Above.
FSU’S GODWIN NEARS 1000-YARD PLATEAU
by John B. Henderson
For a fellow who just
started to learn the game of
football about five years ago,
James Godwin could fool a lot
of football fans.
The modest 6-2, 210 pound
speedster from Fayetteville,
North Carolina, never played
the game until the eleventh
grade at Cape Fear High
School.
“We just started varsity
football at my high school
when I entered the eleventh
grade. It was a brand new
school and it consolidated a lot
of former schools in the
county,” explained Godwin.
Head coach at Fayet
teville State University, Ray
McDougla, says that Godwin
is a pro prospect and a shoo-in
for All-CIAA honors.
“Godwin has power on the
inside and the outside and he
blocks very well for his fellow
backs. I find that he is very
coachable; he possesses speed
(9.5 track sprinter) and is
very durable with lots of
stamina. He has not missed a
game this year because of
injuries,” McDougal said.
Godwin is completing his third
year of football at FSU and
frankly feels that he is still
“learning” the game.
“I feel that last year when
I gained 630 yards, I got more
confidence as the season
progressed. This year I’ve
already passed that rushing
mark and my goal is 100 yards
or more,” said the senior
Business Administration
major.
The 22 year-old football
and track star, (lettered in
both fields) is quite
philosophical about his future
although he is leading the
CIAA (Central Inter
collegiate Athletic
Association) conference in
rushing and total points
scored. He scored seven
touchdowns with 826 yards
and 54 points with two contests
remaining.
No doubt Godwin has been
the shining light in a
somewhat lact-luster season
for the Broncos this year.
“I’ll finish up my studies
in summer school and get my
degree,” he said, “you know it
really doesn’t bother me as
much as it does some people
when you don’t finish in four
years.”
“I know that I run track
(relay and broad jump) in the
spring and play football in the
fall so I try not to take too
many classes. (He was voted
the best all-around athlete last
year at FSU.) I try to be
dedicated to my scholastic
and athletic work as well. So a
few of my friends might finish
before I do, that doesn’t
matter to me just as long as I
get my degree, too,” he
smiled. “My goal this season
is to reach and surpass 1000
yards. I feel that I can do it
with the offensive line that we
have. They have really been
great opening up those holes
for me. They deserve a lot of
credit for my yardage this
year,” Godwin said,
students, ana staff and faculty
at Fayetteville State
University.
In fact, Godwin will say
“yes sir” with the most sin
cere expression to a twelve
year old. That’s the kind of
gentleman he is.
He knows where he is
going and FSU is happy to
have a part of his scholastic
and athletic growth.
Does he want to play pro
ball? “Naturally I want an
opportunity to play
professional football,” he
stated, “but remember I’ve
got other alternatives, too. I’d
like to go into some area of
management or pursue a
master’s degree in business
administration perhaps if
things don’t pan out.”
Indeed, nowadays things
are rather uncertain in big
league football. But one thing
for certain, there are few
runners in college with the
speed and ability which
Godwin possesses having
started “learing” the game
four years ago. “I try to break
tackles in the open field and
quickly establish a track
stride of running because this
is the only way to get speed.”
“Another thing that I
never think about what I’m
going to do exactly (per
formance-wise) before a
game. I try to relax my mind
and conserve my energy. In
other words, I use a quiet style
of getting psyched-up for a
game. I don’t like to be
questioned too much before a
contest. I just want to relax.”
“I think it’s best to show
what I can do on the field
instead of talking about it and
wearing myself out hollering
and talking before a game,”
he said.
Despite all of his
credentials, gentleman James
Godwin doesn’t rub himself
onto others. His manner of
personality off the field is that
of a gentle lamb instead of a
roaring lion. He is very
gracious, thoughtful, and well-
liked by his teammates, fellow
15 RRONCO SENIOR
GRIDDERS PLAYED
LAST HOME GAME
NOV. 2
Fifteen Fayetteville State
football seniors played their
last home game before a
homecoming throng Satur
day, November 2 against
Elizabeth City State
University.
Coach Ray McDougal will
lose approximately seven
starters from this aggregation
of seniors. Leading the list of
seniors playing their last
home contest are two All-
Conference and pro prospects.
They are running back James
Godwin and lineman
Sylvester Ritter.
Godwin, a 9.5 sprinter, is
the team’s leading individual
rusher while Ritter has been
an anchor and is the offensive
line at guard and tackle. The
pros are looking hard at
Godwin who resently leads the
CIAA in scoring and is second
in the league in rushing with
three games to go. The swift 6-
2, 210 pound back is first in
scoring with seven TDs and 42
points. He has amassed 686
yards and averages 98 yards a
contest with a 6.1 per carry
output.
The remaining seniors
playing their last home game
are split end, Charles Perry;
defensive back, David Neely;
lineman Milton Worthington;
quarterback Jerome Mc
Dowell; back Glen McKoy;
linebacker Arnold Johnson;
lineman Sam Bell; center
Morris Godwin; back Cor
nelius Young; punter Johh
Mitchell; placekicker and
tightend, Johnny Highsmith;
tightend James Glasson; and
lineman John Young.
After homecoming with
Elizabeth City, the Broncos
hit the road for the final two
games of the season at
Virginia Union, November 9,
and Johnson C. Smith
University, November 16.
fi
FIRST FSU ALL-AMERICAN ~ Fayetteville State Universii,
(N.C.) fullback James Godwin gets kissed by two lovely FSU
cheerleaders as he strolled on campus recently. Godwin, an All-
American in track and field and holder of several records in the
broad jump and short distance sprints, is presently leading the
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference in
rushing (921 yards) and points scored (54). He is a shoo-in for All-
CIAA honors for 1974 and All-America.
(FSU Photo by John Henderson)
RRONCO
GRIDDERS
CLOSE OUT ’74
SEASON AT
CHARLOTTE
The Fayetteville State
University football team
closed out its 1974 season at
Johnson C. Smith University.
Going into the game the
team had a 2-5 CIAA mark and
stood 4-6 overall. This will
mark the first time a Ray
McDougal coached team will
have fallen below .500 mark in
winning percentages.
Next year the Broncos
will have a good nucleus of
veterans returning and ex
perienced first year men.
The Broncos dropped four
games in a row this season
starting with the loss to
Winston-Salem State.
They dropped contests to
Livingstone College,
Elizabeth City State
University (Homecoming),
and Virginia Union Univer
sity.
Wait til next year!!