NORFOLK, VA— Former South Carolina Football Standouts Charlie Brown and Javon Hargrave, were among five who was inducted into the 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Hall of Fame Thursday (March.14th) during a Hall of Fame Brunch at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott in Norfolk, VA.
Brown and Hargrave became one of many Bulldogs inducted to the MEAC Hall of Fame from SC State, the most of any league school. Hargrave wasn’t in attendance, former Bulldog head football and the All-Time Winningest coach in school history Buddy Pough accepted the award on his behalf.
The MEAC Hall of Fame highlights former student-athletes, coaches, university and conference administrators, as well as special contributors, who have enriched the legacy of the conference since its inception in 1970. Enshrinees were selected by a 13-person committee made up of administrators and representatives from member institutions.
The inaugural Hall of Fame class was inducted on May 29, 1981 during a 10-year anniversary banquet in Greensboro, N.C. Since its establishment, the MEAC Hall of Fame has enshrined over 150 people, including the class of 2024.
The 2024 MEAC Hall of Fame Inductees
Charlie Brown, South Carolina State: Brown played football for South Carolina State as a wide receiver from 1979 to 1981. A two-time All-MEAC honoree, he led the Bulldogs to three Black National Championships, four MEAC titles, and a prestigious Gold and Bicentennial Bowl win. Brown is a member of the South Carolina State Athletic Hall of Fame and the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame. He was an 8th-round draft pick in 1981 with the 201 pick overall by the Washington Redskins and was Pro Bowl bound in each of his first two seasons with the team. In 1982, Brown helped the Washington Redskins win Super Bowl XVII (17) over the Miami Dolphins.
Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State: Hargrave is just one of many National Football League successes from South Carolina State. He played for the Bulldogs from 2012-2015 and was drafted in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft as the 89th pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hargrave played four seasons with the Steelers before spending three years with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before the start of the 2023 season, Hargrave was traded to the San Fransico 49ers and has appeared in all nine games this season.
While in Orangeburg, S.C., Hargrave played in 34 games and recorded 35 sacks for 220 yards. He collected 166 total tackles, including 118 solo, with 53 tackles for a loss. On October 25, 2014, he tied an FCS record with six sacks against Bethune-Cookman and finished third in the FCS with 16 sacks as a junior, earning First-Team All-MEAC honors. During his senior campaign, Hargrave recorded 59 total tackles, 22 tackles for losses, 13.5 sacks, and forced two fumbles, garnering him First-Team All-MEAC accolades for a second consecutive season and earning FCS All-American honors.
Hargrave was recently inducted into the South Carolina State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022 and was selected to play in the NFL Pro Bowl the same year.