Legendary Coach Eddie Shannon, 104 years old

  COACH EDDIE SHANNON was the head football coach at Lincoln Memorial High, an all-Black school in Palmetto. In 15 seasons, the Lincoln Trojans lost only two games. They went 25-0 from 1963-1968 under Coach Shannon. Ray Bellamy, one of his star football players, became the first black football player for the University of Miami in 1966. Another one of his star players at Lincoln, was Henry Lawrence, who played 13 seasons for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1974-1986). A standout from Florida A&M, he won three Super Bowls (XI, XV, XVIII) and was a 2X Pro Bowl selection (1983, 1984).