Page 7 - Lighthouse of Hope Magazine

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After graduating from Wolfson
High School in 1969, Charles
Hunt attended Florida State as
a freshman focused on earning
a four-year degree in Elemen- Hunt honored before capacity
tary Education. Charles and his crowd at Florida State
teammates were the first Afri-
can-Americans to start a game When Florida State played host to Louisville the
for the Seminones in 1970. weekend of October 17th, the Seminoles paid
honor to the first African-Americans to play
varsity football in program history. Pioneer and
Although times were challeng- Hope Champion, Charlie Hunt was honored
ing during that era, Charles, a along with James “J.T.” Thomas, Eddie McMillan,
and Bobby Anderson The four would earn their
linebacker, enjoyed a impactful degrees from Florida State.
college football career, and was Though the quartet is historically linked togeth-
later drafted by the San Francis- er, they haven’t always kept in touch. On Satur-
co 49er’s. day, they returned to Tallahassee as teammates
for the first time since the 1972-73 school year.

The challenge to being a
forerunner Hunt continues to make history in
The entire idea of integration was other venues as well. Episcopal held
the challenging part about being a a dedication ceremony on Friday,
forerunner with his other teammates
during the 70’s . “We were coming on October 23 for the naming of the
the team when the country was not
ready to integrate although the law School’s new FieldTurf field at Mc-
called for it and having to deal with Cormick Sports Complex. The field,
the backlash that came alone with it
all as a young man.”, said Hunt during newly installed over the summer,
a recent interview.
was named Pajcic-Hunt Field for the
late Gary Pajcic, a longtime school
Recognition Long Overdue champion, and longtime Episcopal
for Hunt coach Charles Hunt.
It was great being recognized by the
Seminoles the weekend of October Pajcic and Hunt both played football
17th, according to Charles Hunt. “It
was a great honor but it was well for Florida State University. Hunt
overdue and should not have taken went on to play in the NFL and in
40 years”, says the long time member
of Hope Chapel Ministries. “The entire other professional leagues before
initiation was surprising due to it be-
ing initiated by a white former player Charlie Hunt gets a congratulatory hug settling back in Jacksonville
by the name of Barry Smith, rather from Episcopal Head of School Charlie
than the School or the Black Student Zimmer after the dedication ceremony
Association. for the renamed Pajcic-Hunt Field Oct. 23.
LOH Magazine / February 2016 7