Hopkins set for another Hall
Ex-Grambling State star to be honored in Jackson Parish
, buddy@rustonleader.com
07-24-2009
“Surprised” was the reaction of Bob Hopkins when he learned of his induction into the inaugural Grambling State University Legends Hall of Fame last weekend.“It’s hard to believe I was chosen to be included among such a distinguished group of athletes, coaches and others who have contributed to Grambling State athletics,” he said during ceremonies held at the Monroe Civic Center. “I wasn’t sure how to react when they notified and told me I was going in with all of these other great people.”
Well, one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the college game shouldn’t be surprised at another Hall of Fame honor that he will receive this weekend.
The man best known as “Lil’ Abner” during his playing days was the first individual notified when a Jackson Parish Hall of Fame was organized last year.
Hopkins was a no-brainer for inclusion in the shrine that is dedicated to individuals who have contributed to the athletic legacy of Jackson Parish.
He will be one of five individuals to be inducted Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Family Fellowship Center of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro.
Other honorees will include high school basketball/track coach Jo Ann Jackson Buckner, LSU football All-American and 10-year National Football League veteran John Garlington, championship basketball coach and former Northwestern State University President Arnold Kilpatrick and Stanford University football All-American Edgar Walker.
“It’s a tremendous honor any time you can be recognized by your school or the area where you came from,” Hopkins said. “I was fortunate in being able to have great teammates and coaches who helped me along the way and played an important role in having success.”
Now retired and living in Mercer Island, Wash., Hopkins grew up in Jackson Parish and was a three-sport star at Jackson High in Jonesboro.
It didn’t matter what sport he chose while a prepster. Whichever one it was, he was highly successful.
As a first baseman in baseball, he batted .498 for his entire career and had a single-game best of four home runs. He almost had a fifth homer in the same game, save for a few inches.
In football, Hopkins was a two-way standout, as he excelled as an offensive end and defensive tackle. Because he graduated early, he barely missed being a member of Jackson High’s state title-winning team in Class A.
But it was in basketball where he left his greatest mark, starting with a 30.0 scoring average as a freshman in high school and extending to several national NCAA and NAIA records while at Grambling State University.
Hopkins wasn’t a one-year wonder in high school. He followed up his super freshman campaign with a 33.0 scoring mark as a sophomore, elevated it to 35.0 as a junior and then capped it off with a 36.0 average as a senior to aid his team to a 30-2 record and berth in the state championship game.
He registered 10 consecutive games of 50 or more points during his senior season at a time when there was no 3-point line.
At Grambling State, Hopkins became nationally known for his scoring and rebounding expertise.
He scored a previous national record 3,759 points in 128 games that stretched from 1952 until 1956 and he closed out his career under the late Fred Hobdy with a 29.1 scoring average.
For nearly 50 seasons, the 6-10 Hopkins held the national record for most career points until it was broken by Travis Grant of Kentucky State in 2003.
His total is still a state college record, ahead of former LSU All-American Pete Maravich, who finished with 3,661.
Hopkins also previously held national standards for most field goals (1,292), most free throws made (953) and most rebounds (2,191) in a career.
Following his GSU career, Hopkins was chosen by the Syracuse Nationals in the NBA draft and clocked in for a four-year career that results in averages of 8.2 for points and 17.5 minutes of playing time per game.
He was slowed by injuries through much of his stay in the pro ranks. Prior to playing for the Nationals, he had an 11-game stint with the Harlem Globetrotters.
The only Jackson Parish native included in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Hopkins had a long career as a college coach.
His stops included Grambling State, San Francisco State, Akron, Xavier, Southern, Sam Houston State and Prairie View A&M as well as having served as an assistant under the legendary Bill Russell with the Seattle Supersonics.
A nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Hopkins was honored with induction into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1963.
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