Herman I. Boone 2004 Honoree

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In "Remember the Titans," a remarkable movie released in 2000, renowned actor Denzel Washington portrayed Herman Boone. It is because of Boone's leadership that the world will always remember the Titans of Alexandria. A native of Rocky Mount, North Carolina, Boone received his bachelor's and master's degrees from North Carolina College in Durham. He decided to become a teacher and coach so that he might motivate youngsters. In 1958, he accepted his first teaching and coaching position at a high school in Blackstone, Virginia, where he coached football, basketball and baseball. His football team was outstanding, with 26 wins, six losses and three district championships. In 1961, Boone fulfilled his desire to return to North Carolina to continue his career.

He accepted a coaching position at a predominately black high school in North Carolina. His 1966 football team was recognized by Scholastic Coach's Magazine as "the number one football team in America." Collectively, Boone's football teams amassed an astonishing record of 99 wins and eight losses during his tenure.

In 1969, when faced with integrating the schools, the local school board informed Boone that the town was not ready for a black head coach to lead a racially integrated team.

Boone then accepted an assistant football coaching position at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia. In 1971, Alexandria officials decided to integrate its school system and appointed Boone as its first consolidated head football coach over a white coach with several years' seniority and citywide support.

Remarkably, Boone was able to pull together and solidify a diverse staff and an unfocused group of young men into the most powerful football team in Virginia. The team was ranked second in the nation by national polls. The willingness of the teammates to talk to each other, along with their determination to win, brought together a city torn apart by prejudice and hatred. In December 1971, U.S. President Richard M. Nixon was quoted as saying, "The team saved the City of Alexandria."

Now retired, Boone imparts wisdom to students: "I believe that football is a metaphor for life, and life will never be easy. But remember that the word 'success' comes in front of hard 'work' only in a dictionary."

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