Tyrone McGriff

Bio

Tyrone McGriff was a formidable blocker in the Florida A&M line. He opened holes for one of the nation's highest scoring teams. In 1977, his sophomore year, Florida A&M went 11-0 and was named by the Pittsburgh Courier as Black College co-champion. The title was shared with Grambling and South Carolina State. In 1978, the Rattlers had a 12-1 record and the Pittsburgh Courier named Florida A&M undisputed Black College champion. There was another trophy in 1978. The NCAA began division I-AA playoffs (FCS) and Florida A&M won the national championship in that class. The Rattlers beat Jackson State 15-10 and Massachusetts 35-28 in the playoff games. In 1979, McGriff's senior year, Florida A&M had a 7-4 season highlighted by a 16-13 victory over the University of Miami. McGriff was named All-America, college division, 1977, 1978, 1979. As a pro, McGriff played three seasons with Pittsburgh in the NFL and three in the United States Football League . In 1986, McGriff became a college assistant coach. He worked at Florida A&M , Tennessee State, and Bethune-Cookman. In 1994, he moved to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida as head football coach at a high school. He died at age 41, following a heart attack.

Career Highlights

• 1979 All-Conference
• 1979 First Team All-America (FBS, HBCU)
• 1978 All-Conference
• 1978 First Team All-America (FBS, HBCU)
• 1977 All-Conference
• 1977 First Team All-America (College Div., HBCU)
• 1976 All-Conference