At last year’s NFL Draft, not a single player from a Historically Black College or University was taken, with only one being selected in 2020. The HBCU Legacy Bowl, created by Grambling football legends James “Shack” Harris and Doug Williams, seeks to change that. Williams says that the game will be a tremendous showcase for scouts to check out some great undiscovered talent.
“Shack and myself always felt that there was enough talent at these Black colleges for somebody to get drafted or signed as free agents,” said Williams. “And we felt like we could put a game together where scouts don’t have to come to the schools, just come to the all-star game and see the players.”
Since arriving in New Orleans, players have had a full week of practices and other events. One of the things that Williams is most proud of is that dozens of companies are participating in a job fair for these student-athletes. He says he understands that most won’t make an NFL roster, so providing real post-graduate employment options for these players is an essential part of the game’s mission.
“There’s about 40 booths that we have that the kids have an opportunity to visit those booths,” Williams said. “And these people don’t just have booths, they have jobs with them, so they got an opportunity to get a job if that’s what they want to do.”
First and foremost this game is about creating opportunity. With 98 draft-eligible players taking the field at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium tomorrow and more than two dozen NFL scouts expected to be in attendance, Williams is excited about the possibility of the Legacy Bowl helping pro dreams become a reality.
“We’re fortunate enough to have about 25 scouts from teams across the NFL,” said Williams. “Then they would go back and tell the head coach or whoever the director is, there’s a couple of players here and there. So when it’s time to draft or sign a free agent they have all the information that they need.”
The game airs live on the NFL Network starting at 3 pm.
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