Competing, not complaining, is best option for HBCU football
Follow
Kadeem Edwards
By HOWARD MANN
There’s no denying that African Americans have come a long way since the days of Jim Crow. There’s also no doubt that integration helped lead to the gradual weakening of once-burgeoning black businesses and institutions.
Take HBCU football, for instance. The game used to bethe main attraction, with talents such as Jerry Rice (Mississippi Valley State), Bob Hayes (FAMU), Walter Payton (Jackson State), Willie Lanier (Morgan State), etc. But nowadays, the vast majority of NFL-caliber prospects go elsewhere for college ball, leaving HBCUs better known for bands and halftime rather than stars and highlights.
“The HBCU halftime is part of the culture, and I love the bands,” Tennessee State’s Kadeem Edwards told Aljazeera America. “It fills me with pride. But, man, the football is more important to me. I don’t want the people to leave the game before the third quarter. Stay and watch us.”
Edwards was the only HBCU player selected for the 2014 Senior Bowl. He believes that HBCU football “is slowly dying” with diminishing crowds and fewer impactful recruits. South Carolina State safety Christian Thompson was the only HBCU player drafted in 2012 and only two HBCU players were drafted last year; as recently as 1996, 17 were drafted.
Former Arizona Cardinals star Aeneas Williams, who played at Southern, said mid-major schools and up-and-coming FBS schools have dented the influx as much as traditional powerhouses such as Alabama, Texas, Florida State, etc. He said HBCUs need to do a better job of marketing and promoting their legacy (while also upgrading their facilities).
“We need to be blowing the horns for our players who have the skill set to play at the next level,” he said. “Football can be the eyes for people to see into your university.”
Clearly, there’s no going back to the glory days, but there’s no reason HBCU football can’t be a quality product.
A number of players will continue to transfer from FCS schools, for a variety of reasons. And while former Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – who will line up for Denver in the Super Bowl – is the only first-round draft pick in the NFL, other HBCU players have reached the league via the undrafted free agent route.
It’s understandable that Edwards is frustrated by fans who barely pay attention during the game and leave after halftime. But continuing to compete is the best way to change that behavior.
Complaining isn’t the answer.
