With recent high profile hires like Deion Sanders at Jackson State and Eddie George at Tennessee State, you could argue that the light on HBCU's has never been brighter.
Now HBCU's will be getting their own combine, as the Reese's Senior Bowl and the NFL announced a partnership today to an HBCU Combine to showcase draft eligible talent.
The combine will be held in at the University of South Alabama, located in Mobile during the Reese's Senior Bowl and the format will be patterned off the NFL Combine.
Players from HBCU leagues including the CIAA, MEAC, SIAC and SWAC will be selected and invited to attend
The announcement from Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy reads, in part:
“The Reese’s Senior Bowl is honored to be collaborating with the National Football League to host the inaugural HBCU Combine in Mobile, Alabama,” said Reese’s Senior Bowl Executive Director Jim Nagy. “Over the years, the Senior Bowl has served as a showcase for some of the top Black college football players in America, including seven of our game’s 56 future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and this event will help many more HBCU players secure further attention and exposure from all 32 teams.”
Evaluating and selecting the players will be a task for the HBCU scouting committee that will be comprised of current and former NFL executives.
Some well known HBCU players of the past few decades include Shannon Sharpe (Savannah State), Michael Strahan (Texas Southern), Art Shell (Maryland State), Steve McNair (Alcorn State), Mel Blount (Southern), Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), and Walter Payton (Jackson State).
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.