This is a story about a Super Bowl champion and Pro Football Hall of Famer coaching at a Historically Black College/University.

No. No. No! Not the current "remix version" being played out on "Prime Time" social media and network TV, but the "original version" from back in the day. You know, the one that started the genre. But before this story moves forward, let's make a couple of things clear – Nothing but love for the latest Hall of Famer doing his thing in the SWAC, and major respect for everything he has done, is doing and will do for HBCU football. Darn right he's welcome at the cookout. Darn right we're dropping off some Bethune Grill wings when he's town, and everyone knows that's high praise in these parts. 

So, this story is going to start in 1983 – 38 years ago. George and Weezy Jefferson had moved into their deluxe apartment in the sky. Mr. T had just started pitying fools. The Jacksons were on a concert tour and tickets were only $30. The Raiders, in whatever city they were based in at the time, were on their way to a Super Bowl championship.

In Miami, Larry Little was settling into retirement after his stellar career with the Miami Dolphins. Little literally led Miami to a pair of Super Bowl titles by clearing holes for running back greats Jim Kiick, Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris while protecting Bob Griese and Earl Morrall. It was the golden age of pro football in Miami.

Three years after calling it a playing career, Little was Athletic Director at Miami Edison HS and had a couple of business investments going. Then his friend, the late "Tank" Johnson, the legendary Athletic Director at then Bethune-Cookman College, called and discussed the football head coaching job. Tank's inspiration for this "original version" actually came from being a direct beneficiary and product of an experiment which occurred in 1961, when Dr. Richard V. Moore, then President of Bethune-Cookman College, rolled the dice and lured newly retired All-Pro Pittsburgh Steeler receiver Jack "Cy" McClairen back to his alma mater to become head football coach. And who was McClairen's first hire? "Tank."

"Cy McClairen played for the Steelers and came back to Bethune and coached me," said Little. The former All-Pro enjoyed a great coaching B-CC career which included the recruitment of Little, a tenacious lineman from Booker T. Washington HS.  When "Tank" was elevated to athletic director, he knew two things. Little's tenacity, leadership and football knowledge were top notch, and the call to return to his alma mater was almost impossible to refuse.

Little had no previous head coaching experience. So, what? He saw his college head coach do the same thing.    

"I figured this might be something I enjoy," Little said. "I wasn't making the money, but I was giving back to my alma mater, who made me than man I was."

And would continue to make him a better man.

"I went in thinking everyone was going to be as good as me," said Little, an all-conference player during his playing days." I had to deal with me…they were not a Larry Little but they were good football players. And even though I had been on teams, really working with 75-80 guys with 75-80 different personalities was an experience.

"I was blessed," Little added. "I inherited a group of great guys who showed me respect and I showed them respect. I didn't go around touting about what I did before I got to Bethune."

Which leads to the other H – hype. Little "didn't have a nickname" when he came to Bethune-Cookman and was relatively soft spoken except for telling Pittsburgh Steeler defensive star Mean Joe Green to shut up in playoff games. No internet back then. Newspaper coverage was decent only on big game weekends.

The greatest dose of national hype came when ABC's Wide World of Sports came in for a feature story. Howard Cosell, he of Monday Night Football fame, had struck up a relationship with Little and sent a crew to Daytona Beach for a nice feature piece he hosted on the classic sports program.They went all over campus, even filming 1984 Mid-Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year and eventual NFL veteran John Bostic in a classroom.  (Cosell would come to Daytona Beach to "roast" Little at a later date.) 

Could Little see himself doing today's way of promotions? Bands? Limousines?

"Me? No way," Little said, smiling.

Little finished 4-4-1 in his inaugural 1983 season. The next year, quarterback Bernard Hawk and Bostic led B-CC to the MEAC championship. The 1985 team downed Florida A&M 31-27 in the relaunch of the Florida Classic and in 1988—what may have been one of his favorite teams -- an overachieving Wildcat squad won the MEAC title and shut out the Rattlers 25-0.

Along the way, B-CC registered some signature wins over UCF, was well-represented in the NFL with the like of All Pro Lee Williams and Bostic, whose son Jon currently plays for the Washington Football Team. Many of his players now coach. A legacy.

This is a story that Little doesn't want to end just as a tribute to him, though. He wants to make sure his contemporaries get their just due and are represented in the history books. After all, as Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune said: "Knowledge is the prime need of the hours."

"Billy Joe may have not attended an HBCU, but look what he did at Central State (and Florida A&M and Miles). Ken Riley went back to Florida A&M. Sam Washington (North Carolina A&T) started out as one of my assistants with his first coaching job  and found his way. Alvin Wyatt, Sr. was on my staff and he had an amazing run as a Head Coach.

"Knowing we came back and gave back is so important," Little said.

This is the story's other bottom line. Sometimes HBCU's have to truly think outside the box to sustain programs. While this new experiment of NFL stars being hired to coach at HBCU's simply because of their "star power" is being debated with more emphasis being placed on their ability to possibly "raise more dollars than young men," only time will tell if it will work or if it will it be like a series of reality shows who get canceled after a bad season or two.

The reality about the "original version"? It worked! Little went on to earn enshrinement in the Black College Football Hall of Fame and the Bethune-Cookman Athletic Hall of Fame.  He later became head coach of North Carolina Central and even a pro head coach of the Ohio Glory in the WLAF. Joe and Riley are also enshrined in the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Washington's selection is inevitable because of his phenomenal success at A&T.

This is a story ending with Little once again saying he appreciates what the "remix version" and any others with something positive to bring, are doing for HBCU football and wishes them all much success.

Except for when their teams plays Bethune-Cookman. Even then, the cookout invitation still stands.