The Reese's Senior Bowl and NFL will host the HBCU Combine in a bid to maximise visibility for prospects from historically Black colleges and universities; the announcement follows on from the recent introduction of the HBCU Legacy Bowl, set to be staged following Super Bowl LVI
Wednesday 26 May 2021 17:09, UK
The Reese's Senior Bowl and NFL have announced they will team up to host the HBCU Combine in Mobile, Alabama, showcasing the best NFL draft-eligible players from historically Black colleges and universities.
Players from the four HBCU conferences - CIAA, MEAC, SIAC and SWAC - and other HBCU schools will be welcomed to the University of South Alabama where a Scouting Committee of past and present league executives can obtain medical information, interviews and on-field evaluations of football skills and acumen in a process similar to that of the NFL Combine.
"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."
The event is designed to maximise visibility for HBCU players and follows on from the Black College Football Hall of Fame's introduction of the HBCU Legacy Bowl, a postseason all-star game scheduled to take place at Tulane University's Yulman Stadium on the Saturday following next year's Super Bowl LVI.
"Throughout NFL history, HBCU athletes have exemplified a standard of excellence both on and off the field," says Troy Vincent, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations. "The HBCU Combine is part of honoring that legacy and making every effort to accelerate exposure of HBCU draft prospects to all NFL clubs. The game is better when all have the opportunity to compete."
The Pro Football Hall of Fame currently includes 33 players of HBCU origin, including Mel Blount, Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Michael Strahan, Harry Carson, Art Shell and Marion Motley.
This year marked the ninth time since 2000 that no HBCU prospects were selected in the NFL Draft, with Jackson State head coach and two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders taking to social media to express his frustration, stating that HBCU players had been "neglected and rejected".
Among the HBCU products to be signed as undrafted free agents, Grambling guard David Moore, who was the highest-ranked HBCU prospect, landed with the Carolina Panthers, NCCU defensive back Bryan Mills was given a chance by the Seattle Seahawks and North Carolina A&T cornerback Mac McCain was picked up by the Denver Broncos.
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