1987 Grambling State Tigers football team

The 1987 Grambling State Tigers football team represented Grambling State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Tigers were led by head coach Eddie Robinson in his 45th year and finished the season with a record of five wins and six losses (5–6, 3–4 SWAC). The Tigers offense scored 278 points while the defense allowed 208 points.^[1] The season saw the Tigers lose to Central State in the Whitney M. Young Urban League Classic at Yankee Stadium 37–21.^[2] The game was the final football game played at "Old" Yankee Stadium.^[3][4] The Tigers failed to get their first winning season since 1959.

1987 Grambling State Tigers football
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Record	5–6 (3–4 SWAC)
Head coach	Eddie Robinson (45th season)
Home stadium	Eddie Robinson Stadium
Seasons ← 1986 1988 →

1987 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team	W		L		T			W		L		T
No. 9 Jackson State $^	7	–	0	–	0			8	–	3	–	1
Southern	5	–	2	–	0			7	–	4	–	0
Alcorn State	5	–	2	–	0			6	–	3	–	0
Alabama State	4	–	3	–	0			8	–	3	–	0
Grambling State	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Texas Southern	3	–	4	–	0			5	–	6	–	0
Prairie View A&M	1	–	6	–	0			3	–	8	–	0
Mississippi Valley State	0	–	7	–	0			1	–	10	–	0
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
September 5	vs. Alcorn State	Independence Stadium Shreveport. LA (Red River Classic)	L 24–28	22,745	[5]
September 12	vs. Central State (OH)*	Yankee Stadium Bronx, NY (Whitney Young Memorial Classic)	L 21–37	29,411	[6]
September 26	Bethune–Cookman*	Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium Grambling, LA	W 21–14		[7]
October 3	vs. Prairie View A&M	Cotton Bowl Dallas, TX (rivalry)	W 28–7	35,752	[8]
October 10	at Tennessee State*	Vanderbilt Stadium Nashville, TN	W 51–9	38,000	[9]
October 17	Mississippi Valley State	Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium Grambling, LA	W 45–14		[10]
October 24	at Jackson State	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	L 17–31	39,000	[11]
October 31	Texas Southern	Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium Grambling, LA	W 30–9		[12]
November 7	at Alabama State	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	L 7–17		[13]
November 12	South Carolina State*	Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium Grambling, LA	L 13–15		[14]
November 28	vs. Southern	Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, LA (Bayou Classic)	L 21–27		[15]
*Non-conference game

^[1]

Team players in the NFL

Player	Round	Pick	Position	NFL club
Curtis Maxey	8	195	Defensive Tackle	Cincinnati Bengals
Johnny Carter	12	332	Defensive Tackle	Denver Broncos

^[16]

References

1. "Grambling State University – 1987". College Football Reference. Archived from the original on October 29, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
2. Rhoden, William C. (September 13, 1987). "Central State runs by Grambling, 37–21". The New York Times. NYTimes.com. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
3. "Grambling game shifted". The New York Times. NYTimes.com. July 19, 1988. Retrieved October 24, 2013.
4. "Football Games at Yankee Stadium". LuckyShow.org. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
5. "ASU Braves stave off G-Men 28–24". The Clarion-Ledger. September 6, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Conquest of Grambling shows CSU belongs". Dayton Daily News. September 13, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Grambling dodges B–CC comeback". The Orlando Sentinel. September 27, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Grambling defeats PV A&M". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. October 4, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "TSU battered 51–9". The Tennessean. October 11, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Grambling stops MVSU cold". Hattiesburg American. October 18, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "J-State roars in secons half, downs Grambling". The Clarion-Ledger. October 25, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Allen passes G-Men to victory over TSU". The Shreveport Times. November 1, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Hornets finally beat Grambling". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 8, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "SCSC tops Tigers". The Times and Democrat. November 13, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
15. "Bizzare finish gives Southern win over Grambling". Alexandria Daily Town Talk. November 29, 1987. Retrieved March 19, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "1988 NFL Draft". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 25, 2013.