ATLANTA – The Tennessee State football program celebrated a significant achievement this past weekend as former quarterback Joe "747" Adams, and linebacker Waymond Bryant, were officially inducted into the Black College Football Hall of Fame. These two TSU legends were among the 28 finalists chosen for this year's prestigious honor as the ceremony was held this past Saturday.

The finalists were selected from a pool of over 200 nominees by a distinguished 10-member Selection Committee composed of prominent journalists, commentators, historians, former NFL General Managers, and football executives.

Joe "747" Adams, who played for the Tigers from 1977-80, carried an impressive career record of 25-7 as a starter. Adams ranks second in career passing yards at Tennessee State with 8,653 and holds the record for most prolific touchdown passer in the program's history, with 30 in 1980 and 75 over his career. Hailing from Gulfport, Miss., Adams was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 12th round of the 1981 NFL Draft and went on to play three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, Toronto Argonauts, and Ottawa Rough Riders.

Waymond Bryant, a linebacker from Dallas, Texas, earned First-Team All-American honors twice as a Tiger. In 1972, he was selected as a first-team linebacker on the Associated Press Little All-American College football team, leading the team with 61 tackles. Bryant was drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Bears in the 1974 NFL Draft and played four seasons, recording 7.5 sacks, four interceptions, and nine fumble recoveries.

With these inductions, Tennessee State now boasts nine players in the Black College Football Hall of Fame, including quarterbacks Eldridge Dickey (1964-67) and Joe Gilliam Jr. (1969-72), defensive linemen Claude Humphrey (1964-67), Ed 'Too Tall' Jones (1970-73), Richard Dent (1979-82), Robert Porcher (1988-89), and defensive back Jim Marsalis (1965-1968).  Former head coach John A. Merritt is also enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

The Black College Football Hall of Fame was founded in 2009 by African American quarterback pioneers James Harris and Doug Williams to preserve the history and honor the greatest football players, coaches, and contributors from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).