Louie F. Blackwell '59

Baseball/Football 1955-59

Louie Blackwell was an outstanding football and baseball player at Benedict College from 1955 to 1959, and served as co-captain of both teams during his senior year.  He was a coach’s dream: the kind of player a coach wished everybody else on the team could be like.

Blackwell, a Seneca native, was the starting center and key to a Benedict football offense that was absolutely devastating when it was at its best. His intimidating presence helped transform the Tigers from an also-ran to one of the best teams in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Louie was an adroit blocker who instinctively reacted to whatever opponents tried to do.  His coaches counted heavily on him to help provide protection when standout quarterback Jimmy Green attempted to throw passes, or to open holes for sensational running backs Robert “Jet” Johnson and David Carson.

On defense, Blackwell cemented his reputation as a great run-stopper.  It was the viciousness of his hitting that became his legacy.  He knew that one good hit could change the momentum of a game.  His most memorable play was a pass interception which he returned 69 yards for a touchdown against Savannah State College in BC’s 1958 Homecoming game.

Louie Blackwell also was a standout catcher on the Tigers’ baseball team for four seasons.  In football and baseball, he was voted “Most Valuable Player” and was selected for “All-Conference” honors in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences.

Blackwell lives in Norwalk, Connecticut and is retired after many years of service as a supervisor at Hour Publishing Company and as an administrator of Norwalk Community College.