This article is one in a series of features produced in partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference, exploring the history of the SWAC from its founding in 1920 to the present day. The series will run during the months of April and May.
In a conference full of football legends, there may be no one more unique in SWAC lore than the man nicknamed “The Round Mound of Touchdown.”
New Orleans-born Bruce Eugene arrived on Grambling’s campus in the fall of 2001 from Walter Cohen High School as a curiosity. His stature – 6-foot-1 and 260 pounds – suggested he would be a welcomed addition to either one of the Tigers’ stellar offensive or defensive line units.
Hardly. Bruce Eugene was a quarterback. And once his time at Grambling was done, his passing numbers would rival some of the best quarterbacks in not just SWAC history, but college football history.
Eugene saw spot duty for the 2001 Tigers, who, under legendary quarterback Doug Williams’ leadership as head coach, went 10-1, winning the SWAC and Black College Football National Championships.
Eugene was named the starter for the 2002 season opener, a 52-20 loss to eventual FCS runner-up McNeese State.
From benchwarmer to SWAC champion
The next week, Grambling started their home schedule with a SWAC game against Alcorn State, and after his struggles against McNeese, Eugene was benched for freshman Gary Cooper in that game. When Cooper suffered cramps, Eugene returned and put on a show.
He threw two touchdown passes to Tramon Douglas and, with 12 seconds left, hit D.J. Clay on a 35-yard scoring strike to boost Grambling past the Braves 41-35.
Eugene completed 10 of 20 passes for 172 yards and also ran 7 times for 77 yards, showcasing quick feet as well as his strong arm.
“Bruce Eugene stepped it up tonight,” Williams said. “He did what we knew he was capable of all along.”
“I think this [game] shows that the SWAC championship still runs through Grambling,” Eugene said.
He was right; Grambling went on to win the SWAC again in 2002, defeating Alabama A&M 31-19 in the conference championship game. Grambling was again named Black College National champions and Eugene earned SWAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, throwing for 4,483 yards and 43 touchdowns while running for 535 yards and nine touchdowns.
After another season of incredible numbers in 2003 (3,808 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns), Eugene suffered a knee injury in the 2004 season opener against Alcorn State, ending his season early.
A return, A record, and a moment for the history books
Eugene worked hard to get back to the field and after being granted a medical redshirt, he returned to the Tigers in 2005 with a point to prove.
Grambling hammered Alabama A&M 44-0 in the season opener with Eugene throwing for 275 yards and three touchdowns with a more controlled style of play.
Second-year head coach Melvin Spears said Eugene’s maturity was key in that victory.
“He’s a little older,” Spears told Nick Deriso of the Monroe News-Star. “He takes what they give him.”
“We weren’t concerned with how much we won by,” Eugene said. “We just wanted to get this win and get back to work. We’ll keep getting better.”
The Tigers were indeed better, especially with the watchful eye of Black Entertainment Television cameras following them around.
BET produced a six-episode series, “Season Of The Tiger,” which chronicled Eugene and several of his teammates during the second half of Grambling’s season.
Eugene was featured prominently in the series, from discussions about nutrition to relocating his family from New Orleans following the devastation Hurricane Katrina inflicted on the Gulf of Mexico.
His focus remained sharp on the field as Grambling returned to the top of the SWAC mountain, defeating Southern 50-35 in the Bayou Classic (played in Houston that year), and steamrolling Alabama A&M 45-6 in the SWAC title game.
Eugene made history in that outing, throwing his 140th touchdown pass, passing Mississippi Valley State legend Willie “Satellite” Totten for the FCS all-time record, which he still owns today.
In his four-plus seasons at Grambling, Eugene threw for 13,513 yards, currently fourth all-time in FCS football.
Along with his 19 rushing touchdowns, Eugene has accounted for more touchdowns (159) and total points (960) than any other player in FCS history.
Eugene prepared for the 2006 NFL Draft by scoring a 41 on the famed Wonderlic test, one of the highest scores ever recorded for a QB.
Even with that, his name was not called during Draft Weekend. Short stints in the NFL (the hometown Saints and Jacksonville Jaguars), the Canadian Football League and the World League followed, but Bruce Eugene found another way to make an impact.
Trading the playbook for a different kind of legacy
After a year as Alcorn State’s quarterback coach in 2011, he was hired as the head football coach of Grand Street Campus High School in Brooklyn, New York.
In 2015, Grand Street Campus advanced to the Public School Athletic League Championship game against Erasmus Hall.
Though GSC dealt with various issues during the season, nothing would stop them, or Bruce Eugene, from making history on December 6 at Yankee Stadium. Grand Street defeated Erasmus 28-26, making Bruce Eugene the first Black head coach to win a PSAL football championship.
He still coaches today, lending his quarterback expertise to aspiring signal callers through training and 7-on-7 programs.
And if those young quarterbacks are smart, they will listen and pay attention, as Bruce Eugene’s story is one worth listening to and sharing time and time again.
