Low number of HBCU players in NFL

The NFL is struggling to consistently look at Historically black colleges and universities athletes. (HBCU).

5 years ago, the NFL launched a program with the purpose of trying to strengthen its relationship with HBCUs. The focal point attempting to get these colleges, and its athletes the necessary knowledge and support.

With the hope being HBCU players become more visible to the NFL. However, the results from the last 5-6 years do not demonstrate that.

In 2016 the NFL launched its Strength of HBCUs Impacting Pro Football since 1948. program. This created a partnership with primarily two HBCU athletic conferences.

The Mid- Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Atlantic Conference (SWAC).

Former MEAC conference player Ryan Smith from NCCU, became the first-ever Eagle to win a Super Bowl and the third Eagle to play in one.

The primary focus of this initiative is to give HBCU players more opportunities to play in the league and fulfill their ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl just like Smith.

Players drafted from HBCUs over the last 4 seasons

• 2020- 1

• 2019- 4

• 2018 - 3

• 2017 - 4

In 2016 the year of launching for the program, the NFL had 32 players make the opening day roster. In comparison to 2015, the year before launching the NFL had 36 players.

This year 19 players made the active roster.

This should be a little alarming considering that this is the fourth year of having a program, whose main goal is to get HBCU players in the NFL.

In addition to giving them better resources to put these young athletes in a better situation to reach that goal.

In other words, leveling the playing field.

There seems to be multiple holes in the plan that the NFL may not be seeing.

A league that prides itself on saying if you play the game, we’ll find you

This saying does not include HBCUs more times than not. HBCUs are not properly scouted by the NFL, which comes as a disappointment since some of the game's greatest athletes come from HBCUs.

Campus athletic facilities for some of the nation's powerhouses are on ridiculous levels when you start to compare.

Let's look at Grambling State University...

A legendary HBCU football program in Louisiana. They have a stadium that seats 20,000 fans.

Recently Grambling spent $30,000 on a new weight room and training facilities alone.

In addition to $2 million on a stadium.

That's a lot of money, right? Sure.

The stadium at LSU, can seat over 100,000 fans. Recently the university completed a $28 million dollar renovations for its football facilities.

The playing field has not been able to balance and become level for those HBCU athletes yet.

If we want to continue to see African American athletes go to HBCUs we have to remind them of guys like Tarik Cohen (A&T) and Ryan Smith (NCCU). They can be the keys for this new generation.

There have been many HBCU graduates who had Hall of Fame careers in the past, recently that has not been the case.

Is there more the NFL has to do to get more HBCU schools on their radar?

Notable former NFL players from HBCUs

• Walter Payton- Jackson State

• Jerry Rice- Mississippi Valley State

• Shannon Sharpe- Savannah State

• Michael Strahan- Texas Southern

• Steve McNair- Alcorn State University