Abbeville's Dexter Grimsley enters Northwestern State hall of fame

Abbeville’s Dexter Grimsley always looked back on his college basketball career as being rather normal.

“I never looked back through the stats to know they were so-called impressive,” Grimsley said.

Yet Saturday, Grimsley found himself being inducted into the Northwestern State Athletic Hall of Fame in Natchitoches , La.

And for good reason.

In 110 games from 1989-93, Grimsley scored 1,437 points (eighth in school history), grabbed 664 rebounds (1 4 t h all-time) and set the school career blocks record with 153, though he now ranks third all-time. He also ranks ninth all-time at NSU in career steals with 139 .

Grimsley, who stood 6-foot-6 and weighed 241 pounds during his playing days, made an impact from the start in earning Southland Conference Freshman of the Year honors.

The school knew they had something special in Grimsley after he matched up against a much more heralded freshman that first year – LSU’s 7-foot-2 giant Shaquille O’Neal, who would go on to become one of the NBA’s greatest.

Former teammate Tony Beaubouef, who introduced Grimsley during the hall of fame ceremonies, remembers well that battle in the paint.

“Dex wasn’t scared,” Beaubouef was quoted during the ceremony. “There was no fear that day or any other.

“It didn’t matter who we were playing, where we were playing. He wanted to win.”

NSU lost to LSU that day, 73-63, but Grimsley had given notice he would be a force in the middle during the coming years for the Demons.

“The points, the rebounds, those things, they’re all great, but Dexter’s trademark was his competitiveness,” Beaubouef said. “It didn’t matter if we were playing checkers, playing horse, whatever, he was going after it.

“You fed off that and he made us all better, and made us a better team.”

Grimsley said his days at Abbeville High prepared him for his college career.

He caught the eye of a Northwestern State assistant during a game at the Holiday Prep Classic tournament at the Dothan Civic Center during Grimsley’s senior year.

“We beat Northview in the semifinals,” Grimsley said. “Their (Northwestern State) assistant coach was there looking at someone else, maybe a Northview player.

“I was just at the right place at the right time.”

The fast-paced style of play the Yellow Jackets have displayed for years under coach Moses Knight was the perfect fit for Northwestern State’s system.

The Demons were known for pushing the ball up the floor as well, and led the nation in scoring during the 1991-92 season at 95 points per game.

The muscular Grimsley was right at home with that style of play.

“The coach kind of made a team rule that if I ran down the court and was the first one there, you’d better give it to him,” Grimsley said of himself.

Grimsley became a team leader and was co-captain of the team each of his final three seasons. He said some of the off-the-court activities required by his college coach, Dan Bell, prepared him to be a leader on and off the court.

“He required us to go to elementary schools to mentor children,” Grimsley said. “A lot of stuff back then seemed minor, but it was setting you up to be a leader.”

Grimsley has certainly continued to be a leader since his basketball days. He’s been a chief juvenile probation officer in Henry County since 1995 and is an Alabama state representative, elected in 2010 to serve the 8 5 t h District in the Alabama state house .

“Basketball is a lot like life,” Grimsley said. “You’re not going to get more out of it than what you put into it.”

Grimsley has always put a lot of effort into both. He was rewarded for it on Saturday.

“The weekend was great,” Grimsley said.