In college football, the big schools win and the small schools struggle.

That is a time-tested truism, exemplified by schools like Livingstone College in North Carolina. But other schools, like Langston University in Oklahoma, are seeing their struggles pay off. And Lane College in Tennessee is proving the exception to the rule.

Lane College shocked the Black college football universe with a stunning 9-1 season record in 1995, finishing second in the Sheridan Black College Football Poll.

With an enrollment of just 700 students, tiny Lane college, an NCAA Division II independent, had dominated teams in the bigger Division I-AA.

Early start

The seeds for Lane's dramatic change were planted in 1993 when Dr. Wesley McClure became the school's president. McClure is credited with masterminding the Dragons' resurgence. The change became corn plete when McClure fired the athletic staff.

"When I came on board, the program was merely existing," McClure said. "Our board of trustees gave me authority to give scholarships and to seek a higher level of competition than we had been playing. We hired a quality staff, raised the level of enthusiasm of alumni and supporters, and added some incentives for the players."

One of the prime incentives for players is a chance to fly to two road games each year. McClure is convinced that it helps the players to reach their potential.

"They feel good about themselves and what they're doing when they know they're going to travel first class. Sure, Lane is a small school, but you can compete and win if you're selective about the staff you hire and the students you recruit. We're now on course to recruit good players who are also good students."

LC's program didn't experience an immediate turn-around, but there as early as 1993 there were signs of progress. The Dragons were only 1-9, but they had broken a 36-game losing streak. The next year, the team was 3-8, but never lost by more than seven points. Then came 1995, the break-through year.