For the second time since 1950, no NFL team selected an HBCU player in the draft, a fact that irked former Grambling State and NFL great Doug Williams. Williams and fellow Grambling State quarterback James “Shack” Harris, who played in both the AFL and NFL, spoke to HBCU Legends' Kyle T. Mosley about the lack of HBCU representation.

“We have given all of the teams access and information about the players,” Williams told Mosley. “No one is in the draft room standing on the table for our guys. I don't think they speak up. It's almost like they're afraid to mention an HBCU player or something.”

It would not be farfetched to suggest that the NFL has greatly benefitted from the elite play of HBCU athletes. There are several former players and even Hall of Famers who came from an HBCU. Savannah State's Shannon Sharpe, Mississippi Valley State's Jerry Rice, and Texas Southern's Michael Strahan are not only Hall of Fame players but are also considered some of the very best to play in all of NFL history.

In recent times, however, the league seems disinterested in investing in HBCU talent. For 70 years, between 1950 and 2020, at least one HBCU player was selected in the draft. However, twice in the last four years, the draft flew by without HBCU representation. The league skipped over HBCU players in 2021 and now 2024. In between those years, Jackson State cornerback Isaiah Bolden and Fayetteville State cornerback Joshua Williams bucked the trend.

Mosley mentioned NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's influence in spotlighting more HBCU talent through avenues such as the HBCU Combine and HBCU Legacy Bowl. Both events are now broadcast on television, but it seems the extra exposure isn't enough. Williams believes the bulk of the blame rests upon the team scouts.

“One guy is the running back from Alcorn State, Jarveon Howard,” Williams said. “5-10 with a 36-inch vertical, 10-8 broad jump. And he rushed for over 2,000 yards in the past two years. He had everything. The scouts got to have the courage to write a guy up and let them know that he can be drafted without giving him an undrafted grade… Consider this: the draft measurements and statistics of players like Sundiata Anderson, John Huggins, Jarveon Howard, and Davius Richard are not to be dismissed. They are strong indicators of potential that could easily justify a team using a 6th or 7th-round draft pick on at least one HBCU talent.”

Following the draft, a load of HBCU players received undrafted free-agent contracts and rookie camp invites from NFL teams. While they still receive an opportunity, these undrafted players don't have the security that their drafted counterparts enjoy. Even at the most basic level, these players don't have their names read on stage for all of their family and friends to see.