by Shawn Nowlin
Film director Tamarat Makonnen, R&B singer Will Downing, Bishop Leontine Kelly, Poet Bai Moore, and Samuel Gravely Jr., the first African American to reach the rank of admiral in the United States Navy, are all notable alumni of Virginia Union University (VUU). Also on that list is Sherman Lea Sr., Roanoke’s Mayor since May 2016.
Lea arrived on the Richmond campus in 1971 to play football for Coach Willard Bailey, a legendary figure who compiled 238 victories over four decades at VUU, Norfolk State University, Saint Paul’s College, and Virginia University of Lynchburg.
The school often displayed dominance on the football field when Lea was in uniform. A starter at the center on both the ’73 and ’74 teams, in Lea’s junior campaign, VUU won the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Football Championship, finishing with a 9-1 record that year.
After earning a college degree, Lea became a football official for the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and CIAA. In 2000, Lea, along with his college football head coach, established the Western Virginia Education Classic in Roanoke. Over the years, Lea has been vital in strengthening the relationship between the Roanoke Valley and CIAA, especially as it pertains to the conference football championship, which has taken place in the City of Salem since 2016.
Unlike some other schools, one’s accomplishments at VUU never go unnoticed. For all of his contributions to the Virginia Union University football program, both on and off the field, Lea was recently selected to the school’s 1970 All-Decade Team. Four years ago, Lea was inducted into the VUU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Lea has proudly discussed his Virginia Union experience with the community dating back to his days when he served as a city councilman. “Had I gone to a different school, there is very little doubt in my mind that my life would have turned out differently. Some of the most important people in my life were individuals I met at Virginia Union. I love my alma mater, and consider my college years some of the best times of my life,” he said to the Roanoke Tribune earlier this year.
He added, “Countless high school students considering VUU have asked me questions over the years or sought advice. I’ve always answered them honestly. If I had an opportunity to go to any college out of high school, there is no doubt that I would choose Virginia Union all over again.
