It has been quite some time since I have heard about the incredible talents that have been coming out of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, or HBCUs. After further research I saw that these schools have been producing top-level NFL talent for many years. So let’s take a look at how many HBCU players are in the NFL today.
I was initially quite surprised to find out that in the NFL 2019 season there were 48 HBCU players out of 1,696 players. This is quite a sizable amount, and a testament to the incredible talent that is coming out of these schools. Furthermore, a number of these HBCU players have achieved great accolades in their respective leagues. Notable HBCU alumni include Cris Carter, Steve “Air” McNair, Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, and the immortal Shannon Sharpe.
It was also interesting for me to find out that many of the current HBCU alumni in the NFL have accomplished great feats while there. A few of these alumni, such as Quinton Jefferson, Jayron Kearse, and Treyvon Hester, have all been named to the Pro Bowl, as well as winning Super Bowl championships. Another impressive feat is that, out of the 32 teams in the NFL, there are now 8 that have at least one HBCU player.
I felt the same level of admiration and respect when I found out the 2018 NFL first round picks were Odell Beckham Jr, Jarvis Landry, Taven Bryan, and Denzel Ward. All of these players are alumni of HBCUs. The fact that these players have made it to the NFL draft is a testament to the hard work that HBCU coaches and players put in every day.
I think it’s also worth mentioning the HBCU alumni that are doing excellent work in the NFL off the field as well. There are several prominent former HBCU players who are now involved in coaching, front office, scouting, and media roles. This list includes former Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis, as well as Atlanta Falcons Wide Receiver Everson Walls who both transitioned to broadcasting after their playing days.
Overall, I’m very happy to see that the NFL has become an even more diverse and welcoming place due to the presence of HBCU talent. As I thought more about the issue, I started to wonder how the integration of HBCU players had evolved throughout the history of the NFL.
To answer this question, I did some research and learned that, in the first NFL draft ever, there were only 3 HBCU players selected, whereas in the most recent draft, the 2019 class had 11 HBCU players selected. Considering that HBCUs only practice in the NCAA, this is still an impressively high number.
Furthermore, one thing I didn’t initially expect was the specific positions of many of the current HBCU players. Out of the 48 players in the NFL 2019 season, there were linebackers, defensive ends, defensive tackles, quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs, and even specialists.
Overall, I am really pleased but also slightly surprised when I think about how far HBCU players have come. Many of these schools always get overlooked and it is great seeing that NFL teams are paying more attention to the type of talent that is coming out of them.