Courtesy of Cheyney University
Coach William “Billy” Joe’s reputation with Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) goes well beyond winning college football championships and being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. The 81-year-old has made a commitment to providing HBCUs, such as Cheyney University where he launched his 35-year coaching career, with the latest technology to help student-athletes compete at the highest level.
Joe, who led the Wolves football team from 1972 to 1978, recently joined with Dr. Bruce Coren, CEO of Technological Medical Advancement, and members of Cheyney’s Athletics Department to donate the Diowave 60-watt high power stealth therapeutic laser to the university. The equipment is made by Technological Medical Advancement and is the most powerful and clinically advanced therapeutic laser device in the world, helping athletes return to health and the courts in a shorter amount of time.
Dr. Bruce Coren has partnered with Coach Joe to make the donation. He is donating the laser on behalf of his father, Dr. Ben Coren, who coached at Cheyney for many years with Coach Joe.
“I greatly appreciate Dr. Bruce Coren for allowing me the opportunity to make this donation. Cheyney University made the bold decision to hire me as their head coach when I was 31-years old and I am forever indebted to this wonderful institution,” said Joe. “I will continue to do everything I can to give back to Cheyney because it has given so much to me.”
“Coach Billy Joe has a deep understanding of athletics and knows the importance of providing HBCUs with the same opportunities that top performing collegiate and professional athletes can access,” said Tammy A. Bagby, Cheyney’s Director of Athletics. “We appreciate the coach and Dr. Coren for making this donation that will give us a technological advantage to help athletes get back on the courts quicker.”
The Diowave therapeutic laser is used to manage neuro-musculoskeletal pain from athletic injuries to post-surgical pain as well as accelerate post-surgical injury recover. The advanced technology equipment is valued at $38,000.
“This is a class 4 laser device that stimulates tissue healing and tissue regeneration,” Dr. Bruce Coren said. “It will heal any tissue in the pathway of the laser beam. It will accelerate athletic recovery anywhere from 25 to 75 percent faster than normal healing. Several professional and top collegiate programs have similar technology but not as advanced as what Cheyney now has.”
Mark Corbin, Cheyney’s Director of Public Safety and Director of University Environmental Health and Wellness, joined the donation ceremony. Corbin, a hall of fame running back, played under Joe at Central State University, an HBCU in Ohio, where the team made several appearances in the Division II tournament, including the 1983 national title game.
“It’s a great honor to join with my former coach who made such an impact on me as an athlete and the professional I am today,” said Corbin. “This donation is one of the building blocks to the foundation to Cheyney athletics. It will go a long way to provide the technology we need and give our athletes an advantage.”
After coaching at Cheyney for seven years, Joe was the Philadelphia Eagles’ running back coach for two years, which included the team’s 1980 Super Bowl appearance. He returned to collegiate athletics as the head coach for Central State from 1981 to 1993, where he won five consecutive Black college football national championships and two NAIA National Football Championships. He was also the head coach at Florida A&M (1994-2004) and Miles College (2008 – 2010). He finished his coaching career with 243 wins and currently second only to Eddie Robinson in most wins at HBCUs. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Football Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2017. After his last season with Cheyney, he was recognized by his peers as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
After being drafted in the ninth round from Villanova, Joe played seven seasons in professional football, earning Rookie of the Year honors in what was then called the American Football League in 1963 with the Denver Broncos. He would go on to play with the National Football League New York Jets team that in 1969 won Super Bowl III. During the Jets Super Bowl season, Joe tied a league record by scoring three touchdowns in one quarter.
