Charles Edward Cleveland (April 25, 1951 – December 22, 2012) was an American college

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player, known for his standout career at the

University of Alabama The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...

, where he was a three-time first team all-

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

pick and led the Crimson Tide to the program's first NCAA tournament appearance. Cleveland was a three sport star at

Bibb County High School Bibb County High School (BCHS) is a public high school in Centreville, Alabama Centreville is a city in Bibb County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 2,800. The city is the county seat of Bibb County. Geography ...

in Brent, Alabama. He was turned down an offer to play baseball from the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

to pursue basketball at the University of Alabama. He played at Alabama for coach CM Newton, who would start five black players in a time of racial turbulence and progress. Center

Leon Douglas Leon Douglas (born August 26, 1954) is an American basketball coach and former professional player. He played seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) before transitioning to an extensive professional career overseas in Europe. ...

said, "We knew Coach Newton (signed us) because he wanted to win. He wasn't trying to be a trailblazer. You have to respect a man for putting five black starters on the court when others said it was a no-no." On December 28, 1973, in a 65-55 win at

Louisville Cardinals men's basketball The Louisville Cardinals men's basketball team is the men's college basketball program representing the University of Louisville (U of L) in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) of NCAA Division I. The Cardinals have officially won two NCAA cham ...

, Newton started Douglas, Charles "Boonie" Russell, Cleveland,

T.R. Dunn Theodore Roosevelt Dunn (born February 1, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who used to be an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A star at the University of Alabama, Dun ...

and

Ray Odums Ray Odums (born October 30, 1951) is a football player who played in the CFL and USFL. He played defensive back (DB). From 1975 to 1984 Odums was DB for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the Calgary Stampeders. He wa ...

for the first all-black starting line-up in SEC history, and a team that would win the SEC season title. For the Crimson Tide, Cleveland was a starter all three of his varsity seasons (freshmen were not eligible at this time). For his career, he became the first Alabama player in program history to be named first team all conference three times. In his senior season, Cleveland teamed with

and

T. R. Dunn Theodore Roosevelt Dunn (born February 1, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player who used to be an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A star at the University of Alabama, Du ...

to lead the Tide to their first NCAA tournament berth. For his Alabama career, Cleveland scored 1,312 points (15.8 per game) and led the Crimson Tide to a combined 66–17 record (seventh best in the country during that period). Following his college career, Cleveland was drafted by the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

in the third round (41st pick overall) in the 1975 NBA draft. After being one of the last cuts, he tried his hand at

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

, trying out for the

New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...

, but did not make the team. Cleveland later worked at his alma mater. Charles Cleveland died on December 22, 2012.

References

External links

College stats at Draft Review
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cleveland, Charles 1951 births 2012 deaths Alabama Crimson Tide baseball players Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball players Basketball players from Alabama American men's basketball players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People from Bibb County, Alabama Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Shooting guards