By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Elois Grooms is already a member of the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame, inducted all the way back in 1986.
This June, Grooms will see his name enshrined in another Hall of Fame as he will be a member of the 19th induction class for the Kentucky Pro Football Hall of Fame, benefitting the Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club of the Bluegrass.
A 1974 All-America selection on Kodak's NCAA College Division All-America team, Grooms set the Tech record for sacks in a game with five against Murray State that season. Branon Vaughn tied the record 24 years later against Eastern Kentucky in 1998. He was twice selected to the All-Ohio Valley Conference first-team roster during Tech's OVC-championship and Grantland Rice Bowl-bid 1972 season and in 1974.
The defensive end, nicknamed the "Giant Sequoia," was named the 1974 winner of the Robert Hill Johnson Award, Tech's highest football honor. He ended his career at Tech with 208 tackles – 131 solo and 77 assisted. He was inducted into the TTU Sports Hall of Fame in 1986. Grooms, who wore No. 90 with the Golden Eagles, is one of three Tech football players to have his jersey retired by the program, along with Larry Schreiber and Jim Youngblood.
A native of Tompkinsville, Ky., Grooms was drafted by the New Orleans Saints with the 63rd overall pick in the third round of the 1975 NFL Draft. Grooms played for the Saints from 1975 to 1981, played for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1982 to 1985, then wrapped up his NFL career with a season with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1987. He started 95 consecutive games in the NFL, 78 with the Saints before being traded to St. Louis. He also led the Saints in sacks in four seasons.
Also to be inducted on June 25 is Leeman Bennett (University of Kentucky, former Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach), the late Bob Fry (University of Kentucky, NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys), Cletidus Hunt (Kentucky State University, NFL's Green Bay Packers and Arena Football League's New York Dragons), the late Glenn Presnell (Eastern Kentucky head coach and athletic director; Ironton Tanks, NFL's Portsmouth Spartans/Detroit Lions) and Eric Wood (University of Louisville, NFL's Buffalo Bills). Anthony Munoz (Cincinnati Bengals, 1998 Pro Football Hall of Famer) will also receive the organization's Blanton Collier Award for Integrity, named after the former Kentucky and Cleveland Browns coach, which recognizes individuals who have shown outstanding integrity on and off the field.
The induction will take place at the Lexington Opera House on June 25, starting at 7 p.m.
For more information on the event, visit kyprofootballhof.org.
