Grambling, La. (April 16, 2014) - As a world class athlete from Trinidad and Tobago, Grambling State University Head Track and Field Coach Bertram Lovell had a wealth of talent and a great mind for the sport of track and field.  His talent and determination would pay off big dividends early on. 

Lovell earned a spot on the 1968 and 1972 Olympic teams and went through a life changing experiences.  None of the experiences would be more frightening than the events that occurred during the 1972 games in Germany in which 11 Israeli athletes were held hostage and eventually killed.

Less than 24 hours before the attack and assassination, Coach Lovell and a few former teammates were in their rooms in a building next door and saw men dressed in blue sweat suits, tossing bags over the fence in the parking lot of the athletic dormitories.  "We didn't think anything of it", said Coach Lovell.  "There were always guys that wanted to sneak back in the area after hours without checking in, but it wasn't until later that we found out that they were terrorists.  It was certainly a scary time for all of us, especially considering we were right next door to that building".   

After the Olympics, Lovell hoped to accept a scholarship to San Jose State from a pool of nearly 200 offers not long after representing Trinidad and Tobago in the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany. "I had a lot of offers to run for different colleges after the Munich Olympics and it was a tough decision", said Coach Lovell.  "Really I had no intentions of running after the Olympics.  I just wanted to get an education and settle down."

John Carlos, most famous for his and San Jose State University (SJSU) teammate Tommie Smith's "black power salute" at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, advised Lovell, who was his friend and opponent, to attend Grambling State University.  "John told me that if I wouldn't have enough money to graduate SJSU after I stopped running then I needed to go to Grambling", said Lovell.  "Carlos said I needed to make sure that I got my degree after I stopped competing and going to an HBCU would help that."

As a student athlete at Grambling, Lovell ran the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes and 4x100-meter relay for the Tigers from 1974-77, but has left arguably his biggest impact since stepping to the sidelines shortly thereafter. 

As a Head Coach, Lovell has led Grambling State University to a total of 31 championships and won Coach of the Year honors 31 times during his illustrious career. "I love teaching students and realizing their potential", said Lovell.  "Over the years, I have had some of my past student-athletes go on to be educators, coaches and professionals and that means a lot to me."   Lovell was inducted into the Grambling Legends Hall of Fame in 2007.