ATLANTA, Ga.- Jackson State's Robert Brazile and Walter Payton along with Grambling State's Doug Williams were named to the East-West Shrine Bowl All-Century Team on Tuesday morning with the team unveiled at the College Football Hall of Fame.

The duo played together at Jackson State and led the Tigers to the 1972 and 1973 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships before becoming NFL Hall of Famers.

Brazile was named a Sheridan Black College All-American ('74) and First Team All-SWAC ('74), and played in the Senior Bowl the same year. He set a school record with 129 solo tackles ('74) and led the conference with nine interceptions ('74) after from tight end to linebacker in 1972.

Brazile went on to star for the Houston Oilers (1975-1984) and held the team record for most consecutive games played (147). He finished as the Associated Press Rookie of the Year ('75) and AFC Rookie of the Year ('75) before being named an All-Pro for seven consecutive seasons (1976-82).

He is a member of the Sheridan Broadcasting Network 100-year all-time Black College Football Team ('93) and the Houston Oilers All-Time Team. He is also a member of the Mobile (Ala.) Sports Hall of Fame ('94), SWAC Hall of Fame ('95), JSU Sports Hall of Fame ('03), Alabama Sports Hall of Fame ('05), and Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame ('07).

Meanwhile, Payton led Jackson State in nine categories with many still standing during his career. He finished his career with 3,563 yards rushing, 6.1 yards per carry, 65 rushing touchdowns, and 464 career points, He also holds the school record with 24 rushing touchdowns in a single season and touchdowns scored in a single game (seven).

Payton was named First Team All-SWAC in 1972, 1973, and 1974. He was also named the SWAC Offensive MVP ('74), named to several All-American teams the same year, and was a candidate for the Heisman his senior year. Payton retired as the NFL's all-time leading rusher (16,726 yards) and led the Chicago Bears to the 1985 Super Bowl. He was a four-time All-Pro, and played in a streak of 176 consecutive games from 1975 to 1986, and was named the UPI Athlete of the Year ('77).

He is a member of the JSU Sports Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame ('93), SWAC Hall of Fame ('94), and the College Football Hall of Fame ('96).

The two were drafted during the 1975 NFL Draft in the first round with Payton drafted fourth overall and Brazile sixth overall, the highest drafting of teammates in Mississippi history.

Williams, a member of the 80 Greatest Washington players and franchise's Ring of Fame, played with the team from 1986-89 and led Washington to a Super Bowl XXII title, which was a 42-10 rout of the Denver Broncos. The first African-American quarterback to play in a Super Bowl, he completed 18-of-29 passes for 340 yards with four touchdown passes to earn Super Bowl XXII MVP honors.
 
A first-round pick by Tampa Bay in the 1978 NFL Draft (17th overall), he led the Buccaneers to the first three playoff appearances in team history. He propelled the team to three winning seasons (10-6 in 1979, 9-7 in 1981 and 5-4 in 1982).
 
They were the only campaigns in franchise history with a winning record until more than 15 years later, in the 1997 season. He started 67 career games for the Buccaneers and was a two-time team MVP in 1980 and 1981. He ended his Tampa Bay career in 1982 as the all-time franchise leader in touchdown passes, passing yards, attempts and completions.
 
In 1986, Washington traded for Williams' rights following two seasons with the USFL's Oklahoma Outlaws. In his Super Bowl XXII MVP performance following the 1987 season, he set or tied several Super Bowl passing records, including most TD passes (four), most yards passing (340), longest pass completion (80 yards) and longest TD pass (80 yards).
 
In six seasons during his first tenure (1998-2003) at Grambling State, Williams brought one of the most storied programs in college football history back to prominence, compiling a 52-18 record as head coach after succeeding the legendary Eddie Robinson, who was at the helm for 57 years from 1941-97 and re-wrote the record books as the winningest coach in the history of college football with 408 career wins.
 
Williams led the Tigers to three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference titles from 2000-02, as they were named National Black College Champions during the same three-year span. He was also named SWAC Coach of the Year in each of those three seasons. Williams was a two-time finalist for The Sports Network Eddie Robinson (Division I-AA) National Coach of the Year. He rejoined the program for three seasons from 2011-13, including earning the SWAC title in his first season back in 2011.
 
Williams started his college head coaching career at Morehouse College in 1997. He also has previous NFL experience as a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 and as offensive coordinator for the Scottish Claymores of the World League in 1995 and tutoring running backs for Navy in 1994.
 
He also excelled on the high school level as head coach and athletic director at Point Coupee H.S. in New Roads, La., in 1991. In 1993, he was head coach at Northeast H.S. in his hometown of Zachary, La., where he guided the team to a 13-1 record and the state semifinals, including a win over Peyton Manning's Isidore Newman squad in the 1993 state quarterfinals.
 
As Grambling's quarterback from 1974-77, he had a spectacular college career as he passed for more than 8,000 yards and 93 touchdowns, leading the Tigers to three Black College National Championships and two SWAC titles. He posted a 35-5 record as a starter and finished fourth in voting for the 1977 Heisman Trophy.
 
In 2005, Williams and Shack Harris established The Shack Harris & Williams Williams Foundation with the function of providing grants for after-school initiatives, leadership development, mentoring programs and minority higher education assistance for economically disadvantaged youth. In March of 2009, the foundation put on its first annual Washington Football Legends for Charity in Washington, D.C. In 2010, the foundation established the Black College Football Hall of Fame, which will move to its new home in Canton, Ohio in 2018.
 
After Super Bowl XLII, the NFL honored the 20th anniversary of his Super Bowl XXII victory as Williams was chosen to present the Lombardi Trophy to the New York Giants following their victory over the New England Patriots.

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.