Howard University inducted its men’s soccer team from 1974 into its athletics hall of fame. The HBCU organized celebratory events over the weekend to pay homage to the team’s historic victory and undefeated season.
“I knew it was something big, but now that I look back on it, I don’t think I realized just how big this was, for Howard and for Black people,” Trevor Leiba, who was goalkeeper for the 1974 team, said in an interview with The Dig, Howard’s university news publication. “I love meeting people who will say that they’re familiar with our team and it makes me very proud to be a part of a team that made history. It’s just very special to be the only HBCU team to win a national title.”
The celebration kicked off on Friday with the official induction ceremony. The weekend concluded with a dinner on Sunday, which was emceed by Rock Newman, an alum.
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Howard’s soccer program was put into the spotlight with the release of the 2016 documentary Redemption Song chronicling its history. The team won the 1971 championship and became the first HBCU to win an NCAA national championship. The association then revoked their title due to player eligibility violations. The team came back with another win in 1974.
“I look back on that time and I felt then what I feel now, truth crushed to earth shall rise again,” head coach Lincoln Phillips, who coached the Bison from 1970 to 1980, said. “We knew following the 1971 season that we were the rightful champions, and we fought to reclaim what was rightfully ours. That 1974 season – an undefeated season – was a true testament to claiming our rightful place in history.”
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“To win a championship was one thing, but to do it without losing a game is something pretty amazing,” Phillips added. “It’s an accomplishment that has never been equaled and, for that, I am both humbled and immensely proud.”
He also noted the significance of the win for soccer and the Black community.
“Back then, soccer was really a minor sport, but now, it has grown so much and so many people, including Black people, appreciate the game,” Phillips said. “What we were doing back in the 1970s was really setting the groundwork for the game to become what it is for our people.”
