European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and stripes Spotts tuesday August 30, 1994 by William c. Rhoden Prentice Gautt remembers his crazy caper As if it happened yesterday. On a hot saturday afternoon in july he and two High school friends boarded a bus in Oklahoma City and Rode 45 minutes to Norman. A a a a a a a v a we walked from the bus station in Norman to the University of Oklahoma a Gautt said. A we jumped the Fence to Owen Field ran up and Down on the Field two or three times and then went Back Home. Why a we do it just to be Able to say that we had been in the stadium. Not one of us Felt that we would be Able to play on that team we never dreamed that a Black would play at  the year was 1954. Two months earlier the United Stales supreme court ruled in Brown is. Board of education that separate educational facilities for Blacks and Whites in Public elementary and secondary schools were unequal and unconstitutional. At the time Gautt like 99 percent of Blacks attended a segregated High school and his horizons were fairly Well prescribed by segregation. If he intended to have a College football career Gautt would either leave the Region because predominantly White schools in the South were not recruiting Black players or attend a historically Black College. But a series of events took place that expanded Gautt a options and catapulted him into a historic role in his Home state. The summer after his senior year at Douglass High school Gautt received a last minute invitation to participate in the Oklahoma state North South nigh school Alt Star game a previously open Only to Whites. The North had suffered some key injuries to its running backs and the coach extended the invitation. Gautt accepted and wound up being named the games most valuable player. A after the game a scout from Oklahoma came by and said a Bud wants you to come to Oklahoma a Gautt said referring to Bud Wilkinson the sooner so legendary coach. There was no scholarship offer Gautt was a walk on. A group of Black doctors and pharmacists who knew his family and wanted Gautt to into rate the Oklahoma athletic program raised $4,000 a our years tuition and presented it to his family. At mid season of Gautt a first year Wilkinson quietly put Gault on full athletic scholarship and returned the $4,000. In his Sophomore year Gautt became the first Black to play in a varsity game for Oklahoma. Gautt enjoyed a Brilliant career at Oklahoma and played eight seasons in the National football league seven with the St. Louis cardinals. He was an assistant coach at Missouri and earned his  in educational psychology from Missouri in 1975. A a r today Gautt at 56, is the senior associate commis Piorier of the big eight conference. He is one of the aest ranking Blacks in College athletic adm Nistra i Tion. It is beyond the realm of thinking for most College football coaches to consider competing in big time football without Black players. This season 49 percent of the 9,063 division i a football players Are Black. The commentary numbers Are even higher when the starting offensive and defensive units Are examined. Schools like Alabama Arkansas Florida and Louisiana state which admitted their first Black players in the late 1960s and Early 70s regularly have anywhere from 7 to 10 Black starters per unit on the Field at one time. But 40 years after the supreme court ruling what do the numbers mean do they reflect social enlightenment or competitive expedience for Gautt the num a Gautt Bers have Many implications. The most obvious is that talented Black football players no longer have to climb Over stadium fences As they he did in 1954. A i talk to Young people Blacks who say we Haven to gone one Inch a Gautt said. A of course they done to know How far we be come. But there is some credence to what they say. Sure you can look at the teams at predominantly White institutions and say a we be  but then you look at coaching staffs a maybe you get one or two african americans on the staff a and you see very few head coaches. If we look at athletic administration there a still that Subtle discrimination prejudice and  a. V the disparity Between the Black presence on the Field and representation in administration was illustrated in a recent Survey by the National collegiate athletic association. The four year study by the no aah a minority Opportunity and interests committee released a few weeks ago showed a negligible increase in minority group athletic administrators. For example of 5,889 vacant administrative positions Between 1991 and 1994, Only 10 percent were filled by Blacks. Administrators typically include administrative assistants equipment managers Grad Uati assistants strength coaches trainers coaches academic advisers auxiliary services personnel faculty representatives compliance coordinators eligibility officers ticket managers sports information directors promotions marketing directors business managers and athletic directors. The number of associate and assistant athletics directors a key career paths to upper administration declined Between 1991 and 1994. Of 122 new athletic directors hired by predominantly White colleges Between 1990 and 1994, 15 were Black. Currently 32 of 897 athletic directors in the no aah a three divisions Are Black. Of the 107 division i a schools a the big time football schools a i strive four have Black athletic directors. A when i first went to Kansas state we did no to have any Black coaches at All Quot said Ron Dickerson of Temple one of three Black head coaches in la. A when i graduated we had one. When. I went Back to coach at a state in 72, i replaced the one african american who was there. Now certain staffs have started hiring More than one. You can see the gradual increase i just wish it Wasny to so  this season Kansas state has one Black coach on a 10-member staff there Are those who contend that the Large numbers of Black players in the 80�?Ts and 90�?Ts will result in. A significant minority group presence in upper athletic administration during the next .25 years they Point to Dickerson who played at Kansas state and is now a head coach. Gene Smith who played at notre Dame is now the athletic director at Iowa state Mike Garrett a former Star at Southern Gal is now the athletic director there. But Dickerson is not so optimistic that players will be turned into administrators. In fact he also believes that if freshman eligibility standards continue to become More stringent the Pool of Black Talent will shrink drastically. A i think that there a a hidden contingent out there that wants to see that Large number of african american athletes dwindle a Dickerson said. A sixty five percent of the starting players Are african american 47 percent of every team is african american. I think that with the Tough academic requirements to get into school now you la see that number slowly decreasing now its 47 percent two years from now it will be 37 percent a not because the athletes Are not there but because they can to get into  . Newton the athletic director at Kentucky disagrees. �?o1 done to think that a in anybody a thought process a said Newton who As a basketball coach desegregated Transylvania College in the 50�?Ts and Alabama a basketball team in 1968. A i do think there is a serious thought of lets get a better grasp on the academic part of All  a Dickerson is not sure that True Progress will Ever be achieved. A i done to think it la Ever change a he said referring to the balance of Power. A people at the top will always have control and people at the Bottom will always be struggling. No matter How much you think youve accomplished there Are always those who will keep you  \. _ Prentice Gautt once thought that a Black would Riever play for Oklahoma. Now he wonders if Blacks will Ever achieve the Power in athletics commensurate with their numbers on the Field. A a on one hand i say a these things May not Ever happen a a he said. A but in the Back of my mind i have a feeling that they will. Its just a slow molasses kind of process. In a not sure ill be around to see the changes when they  the a Yorac tymm classifieds pointing renovation 1�l John s painting i renovation service Wor guaranteed pm Anys Rne 062055636. Hide Toerag us hmm a f pm Durt Are a Vota Filona Fri love til Yoon defense Tea Power detente counsel i qty  Dewert Nuj atm Ripp sul Pam cuke or Fly Long term Roper Whiee m cowrie Mart Job  no. Nuhim q my lawyer Buech nth of Nhy  26 a &xu2 f Wasl Mil 5 Tuu by or la i and easy Vantuno a Cneill Canos accept i a american attorneys 4 v i u v a t a a pm a i .1 t if v. A a a i j a 1 pfc. Wim my a 4 to in professional str acct tit m c i a a my flux for americans desiring professional a financial planning a Talt preparation advice a Ini i investments Carios c Tades Diese str. 20 34293 Darmstadt -06151-394 002 Mark states Mozart St. 2a 67355  0631-68646 Quot Quot american  Pep a 1.4 of Feihl Wpm  saw los i american attorneys at Law Paul Narnin. Pm ten most teary via by d 0.0, matter or  Law. International Law Tamchong 06783-2960 to reach 4 53770 health care problems e you Are a Oban  or int am Are us Aazaad to Roa Parent a my cd a pain. Or it cd our Amoa o Nam a Oder a Tana Osborn Qew Tuppi Amara. In  Maake Lante hmm a it or % Mairow 2a  Wraa Arm Jtj Aji Ruhme  to in a Casio so a Tim a pm a a a k-14a4ann a i.  professional som los tit confidential psychotherapy Bah visual marital ado scent ramada tit Bonn Hethe amp Ara _06205-18717. Confidential psychotherapy  and dual and marital Utar apy champs and other health plans accepted or Manama a. Moina Hede Beho and Frankfurt to. 062218cb 110 attorney at Law Mery Grai preach a Oach Nanajon ural ��0 Chian Para Onset Aciana Isk Tifal Fri Oral Moxy  Aca Tat omf.731 krifm<mrt2 at of cd St attic it Cial ataul stance it tie Nawar Ler it a ave to Vorce. Ctet no Ion Baumwirt. Ads Bun a  a a it Riti inn. I it a it Aln let Nuri Roheim. A a Ynar Jirva Jar a  i we 1 i f a ii a a a t0g inv Btl 1m .  Ual of. Ii eth i. X la % to cedi no w Wigt Vig quo pm is a tvs a. Of so d. J �?T1. A 4  v % i Wal pc ail in Germany 0130-844 100 in Belgium 0800 101 86 in the . 0 800 89 85 in Italy 1678-7 4415 in the Netherlands 06-022 57 67 in Spain 900 98 49 11 in the . 1 800 933 42 19 i two is  Teyf overseas