DEMENT TO ENTER COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME TODAY

Former Southeast Missouri State University All-American Kenneth Dement will receive college football's highest honor today.

Dement, along with 23 other former standout collegiate players and coaches, will be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind.

"This is a tremendous honor that may never again be duplicated by someone from our university," said Southeast president Dr. Dale Nitzschke.

Dement, now an attorney in Sikeston, is the first player from a Missouri college other than the University of Missouri to be selected to the College Football Hall of Fame.

Dement is also one of only 657 players out of over three million men who have played the game to be chosen for membership to the elite group.

"The entire family is going to be there and we're really excited for my father," said Jerry Dement, the head football coach at Cape Girardeau Central High School and one of Kenneth Dement's sons. "It's quite an exciting time for the entire family."

Dement, an offensive and defensive tackle at Southeast from 1951-54, played almost every minute of every game during his four-year career with the Indians, winning All-America honors and becoming the first Southeast player drafted by a National Football League team.

Drafted by the New York Giants, Dement passed up the opportunity to play professional football and joined the United States Marine Corps, where he rose to the rank of captain.

An honor student at Southeast, Dement also earned academic honors at Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned his law degree.

Dement has been active in civic activities and he served as president of the University Board of Regents from 1971-81.

In 1989, Southeast honored Dement by retiring his No. 40 jersey.

Dement began his football career at Sikeston High School under famed coach Kenneth Knox. He enrolled at Southeast and became a starter playing both offense and defense his freshman season.

Knox became Southeast's head coach prior to Dement's sophomore season and Dement credits Knox as having a major impact on his life.

"Coach Knox was a great influence on me," he said. "I give a lot of credit to Knox and football for the success I've had."

Teammate Marvin Rosengarten, who later became a coach and athletic director at Southeast, recalls that Dement actually played more like a linebacker than a tackle.

"He had great stamina and simply played all over the field," said Rosengarten. "He really wasn't that big for a tackle, but he had great speed and he never gave up on a play."

Although Dement played both ways, he said he liked defense best.

"I liked to be mean on defense," he said. "Putting big hits on the ball carrier was always a big thrill."

And today, Dement will receive perhaps his greatest sports thrill when he enters the College Football Hall of Fame.