BELLVILLE — Long-time educator and athletic coach Archie Seals has been selected to be inducted into the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, March 4 in Dallas. He will be part of the 26th Anniversary Class.
Seals attended elementary school in Buchkorn and Spicer Elementary in Bellville. He graduated from Austin County High School in Sealy. He excelled at sports during his time at Austin County, where we played football, basketball and track, and in 1956, he helped his team win the first-ever state cham pionship.
Seals moved on to Prairie View A&M on a full scholarship, and his athletic ability continued to shine. In college football, he had the most rushing touchdowns for a game and a season, the most punt returns for a touchdown in a game and season and the most kick returns for a touchdown in a season.
In 1961, he finished his college ca reer as an All-American halfback. Seals holds the record for many game stats that stands to this day. However, the American Football League professional opportunity was kept at bay because of his earlier leg injury that continued to plague him.
Armed with a Bachelor of Education, Seals took his first teaching and coach ing position at Temple High in Diboll and stayed for four years.
In 1966, Seals was hired by Bellville Independent School District to teach math and general business, where he made another first - being the first Afri can American male hired by the district. By 1979, he was the head football coach and athletic director, making him the first African-American Athletic Direc tor and Head Coach for BISD.
Seals earned his Masters in Coun- seling and became the first-ever Afri can-American Counselor for Bellville Junior High. He also reentered coaching at BISD in 1984, where he coached the boys and girls cross country and girls track teams. Again, his coaching prowess and the kids athletic abilities proved successful.
Seals coaching career at BISD led to 35 district championships, two bi-district titles, 14 regional championships, 24 state titles and a state runner-up.
After retiring after 48 years in Bellville ISD, he continues to be involved in the community because he considers Bellville home.
