The Team Nobody Would Play |
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 From The Clerk of the House of Representatives... A RESOLUTION Recognizing and commending Coach William "Buck" Godfrey; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, Coach William "Buck" Godfrey has long been recognized for his superior coaching skills, his dedication to challenging the future leaders of Georgia, and his incredible devotion to his players; and WHEREAS, Coach Godfrey is the beloved eldest son of the late William H. Godfrey, Sr., and Octavia S. Godfrey and graduated from Burke High School; and WHEREAS, he earned a bachelor's degree from Delaware State University, where he was captain of the football and baseball teams, named All Conference in both sports, and was the C.I.A.A. Batting Champion in 1965 with a batting average of .511; and WHEREAS, a Golden Gloves boxer in New York City, Coach Godfrey holds a master's degree in English from Atlanta University, where he finished a thesis in linguistics, and has authored three books, Moods of a Black Man, Songs for my Father, and The Team that Nobody Would Play; and WHEREAS, he diligently and conscientiously dedicated his time, talents, and energy for 27 years to challenging athletes to achieve their utmost potential with the football program at Southwest DeKalb High School, serving as a coach with the school since 1983 and amassing 250 wins; and WHEREAS, during his tenure as a coach with the Panthers, his teams earned national rankings five times, made playoff appearances in 24 seasons, and had four undefeated regular seasons; and WHEREAS, Coach Godfrey coached the 1995 State Champions and has averaged 9.2 wins per year, with a winning ratio of 76 percent, and stands as the winningest coach in DeKalb County Schools; and WHEREAS, during his tenure with Southwest DeKalb High School, the football program has earned two North Georgia Championship titles and 13 Region Championship titles, and he was named DeKalb County Coach of the Year five times; and WHEREAS, a 1995 State Coach of the Year recipient, Coach Godfrey brings out the superior athletic ability of his players and serves as a role model and mentor to his teams, sending 253 players to college on football scholarships, with 186 of them earning a degree; and WHEREAS, it is abundantly fitting and proper that the outstanding accomplishments of this remarkable and distinguished Georgian be appropriately recognized. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body recognize Coach William "Buck" Godfrey for his decades of service to the future leaders of this state and commend his commitment to the student-athletes of DeKalb County. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to Coach William "Buck" Godfrey.
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A group of fourteen young African-American boys are chosen as Little League Baseball All-Stars. Already blessed with athletic skills and desire which they honed in sandlot play, the boys follow the lead of their coaches to train their minds and bodies as they work together as a team that will surpass all expectations in the Charleston Little League Tournament. This is Charleston, South Carolina, however, and the year is 1955. The cruelties of segregation and the fears of the people in power clash with the expectations of the children, who knew little of this social evil. AUTHOR, William H. “Buck” Godfrey has created a remarkable recollection of a defining time for himself and his community. Written from personal experience, interviews, and research, Mr. Godfrey brings a historical situation to life with his first-person accounts and descriptions of the boys, their families, their society, and the overall importance of baseball in their lives. He clearly explains the segregation of the time and its impact on the African-American people, but at no point are they defeated. With chapters linked by original poetry, Mr. Godfrey elicits the lessons learned and the changes brought about in all of their lives. Coach "Buck" Godfrey became the first Black male teacher and coach at Towers H.S. and was the first Black head football coach at Southwest DeKalb... “I believe the key to teaching is critical thinking and my approach was different from the curriculum,” Godfrey said. “The kids have to be challenged and learn how to speak, write and argue their points of view correctly. “They learn more about life and develop skills that will help them in the future.” Godfrey, along with three other Atlanta sports legends, was inducted into the Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame on June 12. The Hall of Fame induction carried deep meaning for Godfrey as he reflected on his career and the people who joined him in the 2010 class. “It is a very humbling experience to be acknowledged or honored to go into the Hall of Fame for something you love to do and gives you a meaningful living, sense of fulfillment and the responsibility to the children put in your charge.” Joining Godfrey in the 2010 Atlanta Sports Hall of Fame class were Georgia State head football coach Bill Curry (a former NFL player and head coach at Georgia Tech, Alabama and Kentucky), two-time Cy Young winner and 1995 Atlanta Braves World Series MVP Tom Glavine and golfing great Larry Nelson. “Going in with these people may be the most humbling part of the honor,” Godfrey said. “I have a long history with Bill Curry from his days at Georgia Tech and Kentucky. I watched Tom Glavine pitch on many occasions as well as Larry Nelson playing golf. Just being up on the stage with these people and getting the same adulation by your peers was tear jerking.” “You can’t mention DeKalb without Buck Godfrey,” said Chris Ward, former player and current Georgia State assistant coach. “He made people proud to go to Southwest.” “We listened to everything he said.” “He told me to jump, I jumped sky high.” Sometimes, Godfrey simply would tell them to push. During some practices, Godfrey would instruct his players to line up along a school wall. They would drive their feet in the ground, place their hands along the wall and wait for Godfrey’s command. “He would tell us to push the school,” Ward said. "Then we would try and push the school." “You don’t want to disappoint him. You want to bust your butt to make him happy. You knew you were going to be successful.” - Chris Ward Thats the man coach Godfrey. I remember playing against the Southwest Dekalb Pathners during my years of high school. He beat us three of my four of high school. What a great man I'm so happy for coach..... - Thomas
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