Henderson State University Athletics

Russell Cerrato lettered four years in football and three years in track from 1958 to 1961.

Cerrato was an All-AIC linebacker in 1958 and was a member of the 1959 AIC Championship football team.

He graduated from Henderson receiving a B.S.E. and later a M.S.E. A distinguished ROTC military graduate, Cerrato returned from active duty in the U.S. Army and served as an assistant football and track coach at Caruthersville High School in Missouri.

Cerrato was the head football coach and athletic director at Bearden and Helena before serving as an assistant football coach at East Texas State and later Wake Forest. His teams won conference championships at Bearden and East Texas State.

Cerrato returned to Henderson in 1973 and was the Reddies’ offensive coordinator for three years. During those three seasons, HSU won three straight AIC titles, finished as NAIA National Runners-up in 1974, and won the Bicentennial Bowl in 1975.

The Reddies compiled a 32-4 record while losing just one conference game in three years.

Cerrato served as professor of health, physical education and recreation and also worked as the university’s registrar.

After retirement, Cerrato continued to serve the university as a member of the alumni board, chair of the Distinguished Alumni and ‘H’ Award committees.

An avid cyclist, Cerrato began competing on the competitive level at the age of 47. He has won numerous national championships in the Senior Olympics. He became the first masters (30+) cyclist from Arkansas to make the podium in the U.S. Cycling Federation National Championships.