Honoring HBCU History
The NFL celebrates its rich history with HBCUs.
The contribution of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to the NFL has changed the game forever.
The elite brotherhood of HBCU players has had a tremendous impact on football and in the communities in which they have played, exemplifying excellence on and off the field.
Whether it’s celebrating personal or team successes or positively impacting communities across the country, the influence of players from HBCUs is woven into the fabric of the NFL.
Honoring HBCU Players
The all-time leader in career receptions, receiving yards and most career touchdowns (Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State). The player with the most sacks in a single season (Michael Strahan, Texas Southern). The only man to ever win both a Super Bowl ring and an Olympic gold medal (Bob Hayes, Florida A&M). And the namesake for the NFL’s most prestigious honor (Walter Payton, Jackson State).
These are just a few of the accomplishments made by HBCU players in the NFL — all players that are enshrined forever in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Check out HBCU athletes, coaches, and notable figures who have graced the covers of Sports Illustrated.
HBCU players represent only a small portion of the total football population, yet nearly 10% of all players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame attended HBCUs (35 out of 371 members). Super Bowl rings, Pro Bowls and all-time records are attributed to these athletes; and their performance on and off the field set the standard for generations to come.
BLACK COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
2018 Black College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
In 2016, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) partnered on a permanent home for the BCFHOF — the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio, which celebrates the legacy of HBCUs on the game. The partnership also includes a traveling exhibit and established an HBCU postgraduate internship.
The BCFHOF was founded in 2009 by Black pioneers and NFL quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams. The institution preserves the history and honors the greatest players, coaches and contributors from HBCUs. There have been 90 inductees since its creation.
Doug Williams, former Grambling State University quarterback, was the first Black starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.
EXCELLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year trophy. (AP/Ben Liebenberg)
No honor represents the exemplary character of athletes more than the league’s most prestigious and coveted recognition — the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
Named after the legendary Chicago Bears running back and Jackson State University alumnus, the annual award is given to the player who best represents the NFL’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact.
Learn more about the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
HBCU Facts
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are institutions of higher education in the United States that were established before 1964 with the principal mission of educating and serving Black Americans.
As of 2021, there are 101 HBCUs located in 19 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands that enroll almost 300,000 students. Of the 300,000, approximately 80% are Black, and 70% are from low-income families.
See below for more facts about HBCUs and their extensive history:
- Founded in 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania was the first HBCU. The first HBCU owned and operated by Black Americans was Wilberforce University in Ohio, which was founded in 1856. It was named after William Wilberforce who first led efforts to abolish slavery.
- Between 1861 and 1900, more than 90 institutions of higher learning were established. Founded in 1865, Shaw University was the first Black college organized after the Civil War. Other schools include Talladega College, Howard University, Morehouse College and Hampton University.
- Some of the first HBCUs were established to train teachers, preachers, and other community members.
- Enrollment at HBCUs has been dominated by women since 1976 and has increased ever since.
- HBCUs generate $14.8 billion in economic impact annually, the equivalent to ranking in the top 200 on the Fortune 500 list of the America’s largest corporations.
- HBCUs have created 134,090 jobs for local and regional economies. Of this total, 57,868 are on-campus jobs, and 76,222 are off-campus.
- Over half of all Black American professionals are graduates of HBCUs with more than half of Black public-school teachers and 70% of Black dentists having earned degrees at HBCUs.
- HBCUs remain leading institutions in granting bachelor's degrees to Black students in engineering, mathematics, physical sciences and life sciences (STEM fields).
- Historical figures, such as W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington and Martin Luther King Jr. attended HBCUs.
- Other notable HBCU graduates include Vice President Kamala Harris (Howard), Oprah Winfrey (Tennessee State), Samuel L. Jackson (Morehouse College), Toni Morrison (Howard), Spike Lee (Morehouse), and Langston Hughes (Lincoln).
- Currently, there are 34 HBCU alumni from 17 different HBCUs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
- From the 1950s and into the 1970s, many Black players couldn’t attend predominantly white schools to play football. Many players turned to HBCUs, including NFL Legends Jerry Rice, Walter Payton, and Deacon Jones.
- The most HBCU alumni playing in the NFL at once was in 2019 when there were 32 active players in the NFL.
- Following the 2021 NFL Draft, the most draft picks from an HBCU include Grambling State (121), Tennessee State (117), Jackson State (101), Southern University (78), and Florida A&M (69).
- For a complete list of HBCUs located in each state across the U.S., click here.
Sources:
- https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=667
- https://hbcugameday.com/2020/09/07/hbcu-2-nfl-2020/2/
- https://www.profootballhof.com/celebration-of-pro-football-hall-of-famers-who-attended-historically-black-colleges-and-universities-at-super-bowl-li/
- https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/5-things-know-hbcu-edition
- https://triblive.com/sports/historically-black-colleges-play-significant-role-in-nfls-1st-100-years-hope-to-continue-in-future/
- https://www.niche.com/blog/unknown-facts-about-hbcus/
- https://www.ebony.com/entertainment/celebrities-graduated-historically-black-colleges/
2018 Black College Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Black College Football Hall of Fame
In 2016, the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) partnered on a permanent home for the BCFHOF the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio, which celebrates the legacy of HBCUs on the game. The partnership also includes a traveling exhibit and established a postgraduate internship for an HBCU student.
The BCFHOF was founded in 2009 by African American pioneers and NFL quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams. The institution preserves the history and honors the greatest players, coaches and contributors from HBCUs. There have been 64 inductees since its creation.
BREAKING GROUND: A STORY OF HBCU FOOTBALL AND THE NFL
In celebration of Black History Month, NFL Network took an in-depth look at the legacy of HBCUs within the NFL in the documentary “Breaking Ground: A Story of HBCU Football and the NFL.”
NFL Legends and groundbreakers, including Jerry Rice, Doug Williams, Mel Blount and Marquette King, share their stories of the HBCU experience. Each player discusses the impact HBCUs had in not only shaping their football careers, but in laying the crucial foundation for what the NFL has become. The interviews explore the experience of black athletes and the importance of those experiences within the context of America’s history and social climate.
HBCU CELEBRATION AT SUPER BOWL LI
The NFL recognized the Pro Football Hall of Fame members who attended HBCUs at Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas. In addition to the on-field tribute during the pregame show on FOX, the NFL honored this elite group during the week leading up to Super Bowl LI at events throughout Houston, including NFL Honors.
NFL Legends and former Grambling State players, Doug Williams and the late Paul “Tank” Younger, were also honored in Houston for their achievements and impact on the game.
HBCU Athletes in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Lem Barney, Jackson State - Hall of Fame Class of 1992
Elvin Bethea, North Carolina A&T - Hall of Fame Class of 2003
Mel Blount, Southern University - Hall of Fame Class of 1989
Robert Brazile, Jackson State - Hall of Fame Class of 2018
Roosevelt Brown, Morgan State - Hall of Fame Class of 1975
Willie Brown, Grambling State - Hall of Fame Class of 1984
Buck Buchanan, Grambling State - Hall of Fame Class of 1990
Harold Carmichael, Southern University - Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Harry Carson, South Carolina State - Hall of Fame Class of 2006
Willie Davis, Grambling State - Hall of Fame Class of 1981
Richard Dent, Tennessee State - Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Len Ford, Morgan State - Hall of Fame Class of 1976
Bob Hayes, Florida A&M - Hall of Fame Class of 2009
Winston Hill, Texas Southern - Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Ken Houston, Prairie View A&M - Hall of Fame Class of 1986
Claude Humphrey, Tennessee State - Hall of Fame Class of 2014
Charlie Joiner, Grambling State - Hall of Fame Class of 1996
Deacon Jones, Mississippi Valley State - Hall of Fame Class of 1980
Leroy Kelly, Morgan State - Hall of Fame Class of 1994
Willie Lanier, Morgan State - Hall of Fame Class of 1986
Larry Little, Bethune-Cookman - Hall of Fame Class of 1993
Marion Motley, South Carolina State - Hall of Fame Class of 1968
Walter Payton, Jackson State - Hall of Fame Class of 1993
Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State, Hall of Fame Class of 2010
Shannon Sharpe, Savannah State - Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Art Shell, University of Maryland Eastern Shore - Hall of Fame Class of 1989
Donnie Shell, South Carolina State - Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Jackie Slater, Jackson State - Hall of Fame Class of 2001
John Stallworth, Alabama A&M - Hall of Fame Class of 2002
Michael Strahan, Texas Southern - Hall of Fame Class of 2014
Emmitt Thomas, Bishop - Hall of Fame Class of 2008
Aeneas Williams, Southern University - Hall of Fame Class of 2014
Rayfield Wright, Fort Valley State - Hall of Fame Class of 2006
NFL Football Operations’ mission is to establish a culture of clarity, consistency and credibility in all aspects of the greatest game. Football is an essential piece of America’s fabric, uniting fans, players and communities with a simple yet powerful bond. We honor the game’s history while continuing to innovate and preserve the sport for future generations of fans, players, coaches, teams and officials.
© 2024 National Football League. All rights reserved.