Douglas Taylor Porter
A funeral mass for Douglas Taylor Porter, who passed away on June 5, 2024, will be held on Saturday, June 15, at 11 a.m. at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church, 471 Main Street in Grambling.
Mourners may view the body at the church from 10 a.m. until the funeral service begins. A repast will follow the service at Roe Hall, adjacent to St. Benedict’s church.
Douglas Porter was born on August 15, 1928, in Fayetteville, Tennessee, the son of Waudell Phillip and Sophia Mae ( Taylor) Porter. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Xavier University in New Orleans, and a master’s from Indiana University in Bloomington.
A fixture in historically black college athletics, he forged an enduring coaching and collegiate sports legacy for more than 50 years. After a stint in the military, he returned to his native Memphis, and began coaching high school football at St. Augustine, and later at his alma mater Xavier.
In 1961, he accepted his first head coaching job at Mississippi Valley State. He then went on to Grambling State, where he served as Eddie Robinson’s offensive coordinator for nine seasons. From 1974-78, he was head coach at Howard University in Washington D. C. In 1979, he was named head coach at Fort Valley State in Georgia, where he also served as athletic director for 16 years.
He led his teams to six Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles and two NCAA playoff appearances. He was also chairman of the NCAA Division II Football Committee and president of the National Athletic Steering Committee.
He returned to Grambling in 1997, becoming an advisor to former GSU coaches Doug Williams, Melvin Spears and Rod Broadway. In 2008, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. When he died at age 95, he was the oldest living Hall of Famer.
“ Doug Porter was a remarkable person, crafting an impressive career in coaching and athletics administration among the HBCU ranks,” said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. “A great football mind, he was a top- flight recruiter who cared deeply about his players and put them in a position to succeed. We are deeply grateful for his contributions and saddened to learn of his passing. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the many players and fellow coaches whose lives he impacted.”
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dr. Wilma Jean Porter.
He is survived by his daughters, Daria Porter of Baltimore and Blanche Evette Porter of Minneapolis; his son, Douglas and daughter in-law Sheila of Dallas; and his four grandchildren, Daevon, Alexis, Gabrielle and Douglas, as well as extended family and friends.
A remembrance celebration will be held on Friday, June 14, 2024, from 6- 8 p. m., at the Black & Gold Room in the Favrot Student Union on the GSU campus. Former players, friends, and family will share their memories of this incredibly accomplished football coach, teacher, colleague, father and mentor.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Douglas Porter’s name to the American Heart Association ( https:// www. heart. org/), the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/), or Xavier University of Louisiana (https:// www.xula.edu/).
Online condolences may be sent to www.millersfuneralhomes.com.
