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Lee Andrew Fobbs, Jr., enters his third season as the head football coach at North Carolina A&T. Over the first two seasons of his era he has been the overseer and facilitator of a rebuilding project that when complete, it should put North Carolina A&T football on solid footing. When he was announced as the 14th head coach in Aggie football history on December 2, 2005, he took on the challenge of restoring the Aggies football tradition with the dignity, grace and persistence taught to him by his mentor and former head coach at Grambling – Eddie Robinson. Although success has not come on the field, he has put into place the personnel and outreach it takes to garner the financial support needed to prosper the program. With the help of the Aggie and Victory Clubs, Fobbs organized the Aggies first-ever Signing Day Party on February 7, 2007. The event brought together Aggie supporters and administration to celebrate and view the players the Aggie coaching staff signed during the off-season. Fobbs and his staff successfully executed the signing day party again in 2008 as Aggie fans witnessed the unveiling of a 30- player recruiting class. The building blocks Fobbs has attracted to North Carolina A&T include linebacker Andre Thornton, the team’s leading tackler over the last two seasons. It also includes cornerback DaShaun Graham, a local recruit out of Greensboro Page High School who started as a true freshman in 2008, and offensive lineman Enoch Cohen who also started as a true freshman in ’08. Fobbs brought national recognition to the Aggies program by being named an assistant coach for the 61st annual Hula Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game offers senior football players from across the country an opportunity to showcase their talent in front of NFL general managers in a nationally televised exhibition game. Fobbs coached the East squad on January 14, 2007, and the game aired on ESPN. Before coming to N.C. A&T, Fobbs, 58, ended a three-year stint as the Texas A&M Aggies’ running back coach to become the Aggies new leader. In his 30 years of coaching, he has excelled on the high school, Division I-AA and Division I-A levels. He has played a vital role on eight different Division I-A staffs as an assistant. He began his coaching career in 1975 as a graduate assistant under the legendary Robinson. After leaving Grambling he eventually became the head football coach and athletics director for his high school alma mater, Carroll High School from 1985-1988. In his final two seasons there, he led Carroll to the Louisiana State Class 2AA semifinals and Class 2AAA quarterfinals respectively. Fobbs coached running backs at three different Division I-A schools over a nine-year span. The backs under his tutelage enjoyed great success. In 2005, Texas A&M had three different runners rush for more than 550 yards. Two of those runners – Courtney Lewis and Jorvorski Lane – were among the top rushers in the Big 12 conference. Each of the runners averaged more than 5.0 yards per carry, while combining for 19 rushing touchdowns. In 2004, two Texas A&M runners rushed for more than 700 yards, averaged a combined 4.5 yards per carry and scored 17 times. During Fobbs’ first year as the running back coach at Texas A&M, Lewis was just four yards shy of reaching 1,000 yards on the season. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 11 touchdowns. Texas A&M’s rushing attack led to a Cotton Bowl appearance. The University of Alabama’s running game also benefited from Fobbs’ presence. Alabama’s offense ranked second in the SEC in total offense in 2002 on its way to the best record in the SEC West. A year earlier, the Crimson Tide led the SEC in rushing. While at Alabama, the offense ranked second in the SEC in 2002, and led the conference in rushing in 2001. During his post at Alabama he also was apart of the 2001 Independence Bowl team. In 1997, Fobbs’ first year as the running back coach at Baylor, running back Darrell Bush averaged a school record 6.73 yards per carry. Running backs are not Fobbs’ only area of expertise. He has extensive experience on both sides of the football. He has coached defensive tackles, outside linebackers, offensive tackles, tight ends, defensive ends and wide receivers. Fobbs’ experience coaching a variety of positions has led to many different players achieving NFL success once leaving the leadership he exhibited. Among those players are former San Francisco wide receiver Odessa Turner, former Arizona Cardinals tight end Terry Hardy and former Indianapolis Colts running back Roosevelt Potts. Fobbs has helped five other players enjoy NFL success including, Kenny Mixon, Dwight Johnson, Gabe Northern, Santonio Beard, Shad Williams and Ahmad Galloway. Fobbs is a 1973 graduate of Grambling University, where he played for the Tigers under Robinson from 1968-72. He was an All-SWAC performer his junior and senior seasons as a fullback, and was an All-American his senior season. He was drafted in the eighth round by the Buffalo Bills in 1973. Fobbs also played professionally with the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Rough Riders and Winnipeg Jets, and the WFL’s Detroit Wheels and Birmingham Stallions. In 1976, Fobbs earned his master’s degree in sports administration from Grambling. Fobbs is a Monroe, La., native. He and his wife, Dr. Sheila Fobbs have three children – Broderick, Jamaal and Chelsea.
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