By Ron Harris
Greenbelt, Md. – The DMV (District, Maryland and Virginia) has a rich tradition of displaying some of the best high school athletes in the country. These players are sprinkled on rosters all over NFL, MLB, NBA and the top colleges in the country, then and now. Fairmont Heights high school can take a back seat to no high school in the DMV. Its athletes go back to the days when young black students could only attend Douglas High School or Fairmont Heights High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Players like Julius Johnson, Gerry McDaniel, Sam Jordan, Fatty Taylor, Fred Tabron, John Hampton and many others, made Fairmont Heights the talk of the area.
The Fairmont Heights Football Alumni Association, led by its President Carlos Prillman, selects members to the football Hall of Fame each year for the past 4 years. It also gives financial support to the school and the surrounding area where the school is located. Prillman, an FHHS alum, is proud of the work they have done. “We have been doing this for 4 years,” says Prillman. “We think what we do has had a positive effect on the young people in this area. I can’t say for sure, but we have seen statistics indicating that crime has gone down in the past 4 years. We are not taking credit for that, but we think it has helped by giving the young people other things to do other than running the streets.” The Fairmont Heights Football Alumni Association is one of only 31 such organizations in the country. All proceeds go to Fairmont Heights High School for equipment, pre and post-game meals, uniforms, transportation and other school needs outside of football.
This year’s class totals 33 members. The list includes Clayton T. Jackson, Jr., Wendell Thomas, Theodore “Teddy” Cash, Harold Wood, James Marsh, Lacy Alston, Gregory G. Gist, Joe Brown, Anthony Wallace, James Chambers, Don Glymph, Michael Barnes, Enoch F. Rogers Sr., Robert E. Flint Jr., Sung Park, Dewey Robinson, Napoleon “Manzy” Queen Sr., Andre Freeland Sr., Michael A. Price, Steve Agpaoa, Jeffery Chandler Robinson, Tim Brown, Caprice Wright, Larry Richardson, Jose Santa Cruz, James “JP” Chapman, Carlos Russell, James Anthony Trice, Antoine Jorvelle Elder, Abrey Thomas 3rd, Keino Galston Thomas, Sir-Colin Franklin and Christian Bryant. All received blazers in the colors of Fairmont Heights. The event had an NFL HOF induction ceremony feeling all the way.
Charles Allen, HOF class of 2023, Fairmont Heights class of 1965 was thrilled to get the call that he had been inducted. “It was such a thrill and a surprise. It’s always good to get your flowers when you can smell them,” says Allen a running back in his day. Asked if he ran over people or ran away from them. “I didn’t so much run over people, but I bounced off them. We primarily had a running attack. Our quarterback was more of a runner than a passer.”
Allen had held a fun fact close to his vest for many years, but he decided to tell the story. “My father was the inspiration for the movie “The Butler.” My father was a Butler at The White House, and he served under 8 presidents.” After a Washington Post reporter did a story on the elder Allen, 5 years later the story became a movie.
Gregory Gist, Fairmont Heights class of 1975 played offensive and defensive line and fullback. “In those days, we didn’t have enough players, so we had to play offense and defense,” says Gist. “I had a fantasy to play fullback, so I talked the coach into playing fullback my senior year.” Getting the call that he was inducted into the Fairmont Heights Hall of Fame was, “It was a long story. I didn’t know about the Hall of Fame, so I met Carlos, and he asked me to come to the second ceremony. I was nominated in 2021, but I didn’t make it. When I got the call, I was so happy.” Gist was there when the school first integrated. “It was reported that there would be violence, but we never had any incidents, and we are all friends to this day.”
Enoch Rogers, class of 86, played on the first 3 Fairmont Heights teams to be ranked in the Washington Post top 20 rankings. “We had good coaching, and the players listened to the coaches, and we loved to play” says Rogers. Rogers played offensive guard and on the defensive line at 170 pounds. That seems small by today’s standards. How did he do it? “Because of my tenacity. I played offensive guard, defensive tackle and end, with my hand in the ground.” The call telling a player he is being inducted into the Hall of Fame is a good feeling. “It felt good to get that call saying I would be inducted. I always worked with the organization, and I knew what they did for the school and the community, and I knew what it was like for me as a kid and I wanted to be a part of it.”
A good time was had by all. The inductees had that celebrity feeling with all the cameras pointing at them as they wore their Hall of Fame blazers and rings. Another Fairmont Heights football HOF class will be inducted in 2025.
Photos courtesy Monique Michael
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