In his third-grade classroom, Eddie G. Robinson was visited by a local high school football coach. The desire to coach was planted and would later grow into a remarkable coaching career.

Robinson, born in Jackson, La., on Feb. 13, 1919, coached the Tigers of Grambling University for 56 years, winning 408 games -- the most in college football history -- and eight black college national championships.

In 1966, the Football Writers Association of America cited Robinson as the person who had contributed the most to college football over the previous 25 years.

At age 75, he was the Southwestern Athletic Conference coach of the year.

But Robinson always was much more than a coach. As a father figure, teacher and friend, he not only guided nearly 200 former players into the NFL -- including 1988 Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams, who replaced Robinson as coach of Grambling in 1997 -- but he also prepared countless other players for successful careers in many other fields. The Grambling football program under Robinson had an 85 percent graduation rate.

The statistics, records and accomplishments are endless. But one puts all the others in perspective: Robinson has been married to the same woman for 62 years.