Robert Craven: Two Rings, One Legacy — From Dunbar’s Last QB to JCSU Champion and Beyond

Some stories don’t fade. They just switch beats and keep playing.

Take Robert Craven, co-founder of Roberts Funeral Home, the last quarterback to ever suit up at Dunbar High School, and one of the rare Lexington athletes who can say he sat on two championship teams.

He closed his season at Dunbar, walked into Lexington Senior High School during integration, and helped the squad lock in a title before most folks knew his name would still be ringing decades later.

That same year, he headed to Johnson C. Smith University on a full ride.

At JCSU, Craven moved to safety and became part of the 1969 Golden Bulls, the second team in school history to grab a CIAA championship. They took their talent to Charlotte Memorial Stadium, stepping onto a stage a long way from the Lexington streets he grew up on.

More than 50 years later, JCSU brought home another CIAA championship — a moment that doesn’t just honor the present team but brings Craven’s era back into the spotlight.

A Legacy Bigger Than the Field

After college, Craven came home and helped build Roberts Funeral Home with Anthony Roberts and wife, Katrina Craven — a family-run business that has held it down Lexington for generations. No hype, no need for the spotlight. Just steady service, respect for the community, and a reputation that moves through the county like word-of-mouth wildfire.

Roberts Funeral Home isn’t just a business name — it’s a legacy. A place where families know they’ll be treated right. A place tied to Craven’s name as tightly as those championships.

Two Titles. One City. Lasting Impact.

From Dunbar to Lexington Senior, from Charlotte Memorial Stadium to the heart of Davidson County, Craven’s story sits at the intersection of athletic history and community leadership.

Two rings championship rings don’t say it all, according to Craven. In the end, the family does.
A family funeral home that’s become part of Lexington’s heartbeat.
And a legacy that stretches across fields, decades, and generations.