Green Wave Club Donor of the Game: Bruce Grimes
Sep 24, 2020 | General
Green Wave Club Donor of the Game, Presented by Tabasco — Bruce GrimesTulane University ('72), Tulane University MBA ('89)
Tulane Football Letterwinner (1968-1971)
Green Wave Club member Bruce Grimes not only received two degrees from Tulane University but also spent four years competing for the Green Wave football program, helping to make history as part of the 1970 Liberty Bowl champion team. Below is a first-person narrative of Grime's experience as a Tulane student-athlete and a lifelong fan.
"At age 12, I decided I wanted to play college football, as did my best friend's older brother, who would later go on to become a fullback at Alabama. I worked hard and gladly accepted a scholarship at Tulane, as did my friend and teammate since first grade, Rusty Lachaussee. We played for Pascagoula High School on the Mississippi coast.
The coaches at the time had purged all subpar players, so were able to sign 50 or so freshmen. Many were from Texas as the coaches had come from coaching from universities there and most others from Louisiana. Maybe eight of us were from Alabama and Mississippi. Most had come for the education as exhibited by a third of the freshmen recruits signing up for engineering, including myself. Admission standards were higher than other southeastern colleges, and there were no physical education, kinesiology or sports management majors available. I graduated with a degree in civil engineering. My parents moved to Puerto Rico and then to Manhattan, so they missed most of my games. My brother played football at Perkinston Junior College on the Coast from which Tulane recruited, and eventually found some great players like Clem Dillinger and Sonny Pisarich.
In addition to the classroom education, much was to be learned from the student revolt related to the Vietnam War, Civil Rights Movement and general youth revolution. The only participation we had with those activities was to guard the flagpole from the flag burners! I simply observed.
My four years on campus, including three summers, included football, very close-knit civil engineering class of 23 students and the Kappa Sigma fraternity. That, in addition to the previously described, created a very stimulating and diverse experience. I had Newt Gingrich, later to be Speaker of the House during Bill Clinton's presidency, for a history class.
But the most rewarding time was spent with my teammates, as we were trying hard to be a successful team. The 1970 Liberty Bowl win during my junior year guaranteed our place in Tulane football history. We lived in the jock dorm, ate in the athletic dining hall, practiced together, showered together, partied hard and chased the same girls, yet most graduated and have had successful careers. We were close friends then and still are! We all loved our time in NOLA. It was a much slower-paced city then and really had that laid back, welcoming vibe that still exists today. We were still the home team for the city as the Saints had just arrived in 1967.
Tulane Athletics, as have all other Division I schools, has become a year-round endeavor. During my time, we started practice early August, played 10 to 11 games and did not see the coaches again until six weeks of spring training. We had no weight room or strength training. We had only seven or eight coaches. One must be much more committed now! Very few players were redshirted, so you had to graduate in four years.
Pride in my Tulane degree, and the later Tulane Masters of Business Administration, comes from a national recognition of the quality of education. Over the years, I've also been able to observe the elevation of the university in all schools and the level of research and literary accomplishments of professors and graduates."
To learn more or make a gift to the Green Wave Club, visit GreenWaveClub.com.
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WE ARE NOLA BUILT
Tulane University is located in the city of New Orleans. It is a city built on tradition and resiliency. The lessons Green Wave student-athletes have learned through their connection with this university and city have BUILT doctors, lawyers, business leaders, conference champions, all-conference players, All-Americans, professional athletes and NCAA tournament teams. The city of New Orleans has shaped us into who we are today. We are One City. We are Tulane. We are NOLA BUILT. Check out our story at NolaBuilt.com.
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