On Saturday, Feb. 13, the 91st anniversary of Robinson's birth, the old gym at Grambling State became an 18,000-square-foot museum honoring Robinson's life and his 55 years as Grambling's coach. The following article by O.K. Davis is reprinted with permission of The Ruston Daily Leader.

GRAMBLING, La. - Happy birthday, "Coach Rob." A giant, long-awaited "gift" arrived for the late and beloved leader of Grambling State University's football team on Saturday.

The museum that so many people had worked - and prayed - tirelessly over for nearly a decade came to fruition with a ribbon-cutting ceremony staged on a chilly morning that quickly warmed up with the memories of the late Tigers' head football coach.

A day after snow had blanketed the area Friday, the sun began to emerge and the skies cleared, almost as if on cue from the famous coach himself.

On his birthday, no less, the date chosen for this once-in-a lifetime event that longtime friend and former GSU head baseball coach Wilbert Ellis called "A great day in America to honor the No. 1 American, Eddie G. Robinson.

"It is finally here, it is finally here. Thank God."

Following a keynote speech from recently named Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly and tributes from various dignitaries, friends and former coworkers of Robinson, the ribbon-cutting was held at the entrance to the museum.

Then the doors opened to the building that houses a wide variety of memorabilia and keepsakes that reaffirm the impact that Robinson had on the sport and his fellow man for nearly 60 years as the Tigers'leader.

The first thing that greets visitors is a life-size bronze statue of the man who won 408 games, sent more than 200 of his players on to professional league and was inducted into the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame, Sugar Bowl Hall of Fame, NAIA Hall of Fame and Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

"To see that statue of Coach Rob as you walk in," former GSU and NFL quarterback Doug Williams, "it is almost as if he's ready to give you another lesson in life. "You see that statue of him and you know what it means to be an American and appreciate what he meant to so many people."

Two days of dedication ceremonies that began with a gala banquet attended by approximately 1,500 at the GSU Assembly Center Friday night was a mix of fond memories, knee-slapping anecdotes and poignant reminders of the value that Robinson placed on being as successful off of the playing field as on it.

"Throughout my career in the NFL," said Pro Football Hall of Famer and ex-Grambling and NFL star Willie Brown, "there has hardly been a day gone by when some player didn't come up to me and said he wished he had played for Coach Rob."

Brown and Williams were among an estimated 100 former Tigers who marched as a group for the start of Saturday's ceremonies. Among
others: Everson "Cubby" Walls, Robert Woods, J.D. Holmes, Ezil Bibbs, Albert "Snow" Lewis, Delles Howell, Andrew "Poncho" Glover and Henry Dyer.

Others, such as ex-Tigers James "Shack" Harris and Charlie Joiner and former Southwestern Athletic Conference coaching legends Marino "The Godfather" Casem and W.C. Gorden, couldn't make it into north Louisiana because of weather conditions.

"I know as much as 'Shack' loved and admired Coach Rob, it's been tough for him not to be here," Williams said. "But he, like many others who couldn't be here, have Coach Rob and this special moment in their hearts."

Both Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers' head coach who delivered the main address at Friday's banquet, and Kelly were touched by being at such a momentous occasion and meeting many individuals personally impacted by Robinson.

"I never met Coach Robinson and I never played for him, but by being here this weekend, I can walk away a better person," Tomlin said. "By being here, I am around people that he personally touched, so I'm actually receiving a bit of the love and meaning that he had in their lives.

"I wanted to be here to honor the man who paved the road I walk on every day."

Said Kelly: "I never had a chance to personally meet Coach Robinson, but I consider being here for this very special occasion the next best thing. Just being here, you can feel how he touched so many lives."

He noted a special link between Notre Dame and Grambling.

"So often, you've heard about how Grambling has been referred to as the 'black Notre Dame'," he said. "Well, I am here today to tell you how honored Notre Dame is to be included in the same company with Grambling. Both great institutions embrace similar ideals in how to play the game with respect and dignity and treat others in the same manner."

Among those paying tributes to Robinson during Saturday morning's ceremony were longtime friends W.A. "Dub" Jones and James Davison of Ruston.

"Eddie was ahead of his time," said Jones, a former star at Ruston High, LSU/Tulane and the Cleveland Browns. "It just so happens that I was part of that time and I'm happy for the friendship I had with him."
Davison called Robinson "A wonderful friend."

"He made a great difference in all of our lives, not only here in our area, but also the state and the country. He had a way of molding different people together."
That was clearly evident on Friday and Saturday when thousands came to the Grambling campus for a special "Happy birthday" greeting to "Coach Rob."