HBCUs have always played an important role in the world of football. There have been many athletes who have come through from these institutions to shine in the NFL and gone on to enjoy successful professional careers. Even though HBCUs do not get the same level of attention as schools in some of the other big conferences, there has always been a history of talent coming through.
Patrick Mahomes has been a very vocal supporter of HBCUs in the past and has lent financial support to the HBCU Legacy Bowl. His Kansas City Chiefs team has players who attended HBCUs, as well as a number of coaches on the sidelines. Many of them have already tasted Super Bowl success, and they will be pushing for a third championship in a row against the Eagles this weekend.
Many fans considering betting on football this weekend will be considering how some HBCU alumni will perform at the biggest event in sports. Those players will not be the first to do so though. Here are six players who have already played in and won a Super Bowl.
Walter Payton
One of the greatest players of all time, Walter Payton, is remembered as a prolific rusher and was one of the stars of the Chicago Bears team that won Super Bowl XX against the New England Patriots. Payton was born in Mississippi, and after receiving no invitations from SEC schools, even though he was one of the top running back prospects, he went to Jackson State, where his brother played.
Payton set all kinds of records at Jackson State before being drafted by the Bears as the fourth overall pick in 1975. The pro game was just as easy for “Sweetness” in a 13-year NFL career spent wholly in Chicago. He rushed for over 1,200 yards in 10 of those years (with two being shortened by lockouts) and will forever be remembered as one of the true greats.
Jerry Rice
One of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Rice is also from Mississippi and had wanted to go to MSU but didn’t receive a scholarship offer so opted for Mississippi Valley State instead. He immediately started showing just how good he was and set school records in his four years as a college athlete before being taken in the first round of the 1985 draft by the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners, led by the legendary Joe Montana, had already won two Super Bowls, and Rice initially had some tough competition for a place on the field. But he ended up playing the majority of games in his 16 years on the team, winning three Super Bowls of his own – and being named MVP in 1988 – as well as becoming a 13-time Pro Bowler.
Mel Blount
Three Super Bowl rings are something special. But how about winning four? Blount was born in Georgia and, after showing talent in football, basketball, baseball, and track in high school, was offered a scholarship by Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His performances at safety and cornerback there soon attracted scouts from the NFL.
Blount was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1970 and they became the dominant team of the decade, with much of the reason being Blount’s talents. His size and speed changed the idea of what a cornerback could be and he ended up winning four Super Bowls in an exemplary 14-year career.
Art Shell
After growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, Art Shell played both offensive and defensive tackle at Maryland State – now the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. After a successful college career, Shell was drafted by the Oakland Raiders, then of the AFL. It was a connection that was to continue throughout his life.
Shell played 15 seasons with the Raiders, initially on special teams and then on the offensive line. He was part of the team that lost Super Bowl II but went on to win three – as well as playing 156 games in a row at one point. He also coached the Raiders in two separate stints but could only take them as far as the AFC Championship game in 1990.
Shannon Sharpe
It is all very well winning multiple Super Bowls with a dominant team. But winning multiple championships with two different teams shows that you can really play. Shannon Sharpe honed his talents at Savannah State in Georgia and also played basketball and competed in track and field, as well as starring on the football team.
Although his numbers didn’t lie, Sharpe was not considered a top prospect in the 1990 NFL Draft and he was eventually taken in the seventh round by the Denver Broncos. He didn’t start off too well as a receiver but everything changed when he was converted to tight end, eventually winning two championships before joining the Baltimore Ravens – where he promptly won another one.
There could be more HBCU alumni Super Bowl winners this year – Source: Unsplash
Doug Williams
He may not have won as many championships as some of the athletes in this article but Doug Williams goes down in history as the first Black quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl. He also won the MVP award for throwing for 340 yards and four touchdowns in a single quarter as Washington beat Denver in 1988.
Williams played for the Grambling State Tigers in college but, although he led the NCAA in several categories, finished only fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was taken by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1978 draft. He then played in the USFL for two years before his most successful period with Washington. He later went back to Grambling State and won two HBCU National Championships as head coach.
