ALPHA ATHLETES To some, Coach Douglas T. Porter is a miracle worker. To others, he is just a man that heads the football program at Fort Valley State College. Those who know him best will tell you that he's an opportunistic, superb organizer and a great person. The fact of the matter is that Doug Porter has taken whatever situation that confronted him and made it a winner.
Porter of Fort Valley
Since arriving at Fort Valley in 1979, Brother Douglas Porter has moved the sports program up - to Division II and into the winning column.
Coach Porter is a 1952 graduate of Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana. He served as Head Football Coach at Mississippi Valley State University from 1961-65 and posted a 21-19-0 record. After his stint with the Delta Devils of Mississippi Valley, Porter journeyed to Grambling State University to work as an assistant coach under the legendary Eddie Robinson. While at Grambling, Porter had the opportunity to work with several athletes who later starred in the National Football League {NFL) including wide receiver Sammy White and quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams. From 1974-78, Porter was Head Football Coach at Howard University in Washington, D.C. After compiling a 30-20-2 worksheet, Porter came to the "Valley" and took over the football program. After an initial year of six wins, four losses and one tie, Porter posted a 7-3-1 record the following year. With his program on the upswing, The Sphinx/Winter 1985
the talented coach took a voyage into the land of Division II football (Fort Valley previously competed in Division III). The Wildcats captured the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference {SIAC) title in 1982 and a NCAA Division II playoff spot. The Wildcats concluded their showcase season as the seventh best team in America. In 1983, Fort Valley won another SIAC conference championship and finished as the ninth best team in America. In addition to the SIAC Division II titles won in 1982 and 1983, Porter won the conference title in 1980 on the Division III level. He has been named SIAC Coach of the Year in 1980, '81, '82, and '83. Porter's winning attitude and competitive desire to upgrade the athletic programs at Fort Valley have kept the program in the public's eye. Porter, a towering and imposing figure, has served as Vice President of the SIAC and will become the president of the conference in 1986. He serves with distinction on the NCAA Division II Football Committee and was one of 240 distinguished coaches from around the nation featured in a 300-page football drill book. The book is entitled "The American Football Coaches Guide Book to Championship Football Drills." As Athletic Director, Porter has seen the program reach greater heights at Fort Valley State. In addition to the outstanding football program, several sports at Fort Valley have made their marks in the annals of athletic history. For example, the Wildkitten basketball team advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1982 after an outstanding regular season campaign. The significance of this accomplishment is the fact that 1982 was the first year that women's teams were eligible for the NCAA playoffs and the Wildkittens were selected. In 1983, the men's basketball team enjoyed a winning season and advanced to the finals of the SIAC Tournament championship. Prior to 1983, SIAC records reveal the fact that the Wildcats had not advanced beyond the first round of the conference tournament since 1969 the year Fort Valley won the tourney. Also in 1983, Fort Valley's men's track team surprised everyone by finishing second to perennial conference power Albany State. In 1985, Porter has added women's volleyball to Fort Valley's athletic program. The 56-year old coach learned the value of unity and success from two men w h o greatly affected his life. The first was his father, W.P. Porter, who for 43 years was a high school coach in Memphis, Tennessee. The younger Porter played for his father. Later in life, Porter learned some valuable lessons while working for Robinson at Grambling — the winningest collegiate coach ever. "One thing I learned from my daddy and Rob," said Porter, "is that you have to make the best possible of what you have and don't go around complaining about what you don't have. That's counterproductive. It's that old Booker T. Washington philosophy. Drop down your buckets where you are. Do the best to build on what you have available to you, including the intangibles." 17