During a recent Rolling Out interview, podcast personality, comedian, and former NFL player Channing Crowder doubled down on why he doesn’t want to send his kids to an HBCU (Historically Black College and University).
When asked why he’s advocated for young athletes to attend traditional Power 5 programs instead of HBCUs, Crowder explained that HBCUs are “too far behind.”
“OK. I don’t not want it to happen. We’re just too far behind. It’s just too far … I’m [a] Florida guy. I know to be a Gator, there are 10s of 1000s of people who donate over $100,000 a year just to have a little sticker on their collar of their suit. It’s so much money pumped into those universities.”
Crowder also mentioned the lack of resources for HBCUs during a visit to Howard University.
“My wife took me to Howard for the first time. I’m used to Florida. I’m used to stone crabs and sirloin steaks every night. I’m used to unlimited meal tickets so I can go in there all day, 24/7, and get me a steak whenever. I’m used to a 96,000-person stadium. A $4-6 million weight room. I went to Howard and I’m like, “This is where y’all play? Like, this is the football field that you play on?” My high school field was bigger than that…”
With NIL now, Caleb Williams is making $5 million leaving USC. Could Jackson State do that?” Crowder asked.
Crowder has previously expressed controversial views on HBCUs and advocated for Power 5 programs instead.
In May 2021, Crowder, who was a two-time all-SEC selection at Florida before playing six seasons in the NFL, said that top recruits would not pick HBCUs over Power-5 schools.
He told then Jackson State coach Deion Sanders that he could not compete with Power-5 schools in recruiting when Sanders was a guest on the “I AM ATHLETE” podcast.
Six months later, Sanders signed Hunter, the No. 1 prospect in the country who was committed to Sanders’ Florida State for nearly two years. Hunter was the highest-rated recruit to pick an HBCU or an FCS school in the recruiting rankings era.
Crowder issued an apology to Sanders on an episode of “The Pivot Podcast” on YouTube.
“I want to apologize because I said that, I did, and it was very strong,” Crowder said “I said there’s not going to be a top recruit that chooses and HBCU over a Power-5 school and I want to apologize to Deion because he did pull him. As Deion he did pull Travis Hunter to an HBCU.”
When the RollingOut interviewer told Crowder that they believed Deion’s son, Shedeur would have received the same Power 5 level offer if he’d stayed at Jackson State University, Crowder questioned why Deion Sanders left JSU.
“Uncle Prime, that’s my ace. I love Coach Prime. That’s my man. I talk [to] and text him all the time. But why did he leave [JSU]? The resources aren’t there…”
If it’s my son, who plays baseball, football and basketball, or my daughter, who’s a crazy tennis player and amazing basketball player, I can’t push them to go somewhere if these people are offering them a million dollars a year.
I think your kids, off the strength of your name, could get $250K a year at an HBCU, the interviewer said.
“And they could get a million over there. It’s simple math,” Crowder responded.
Check out the full RollingOut interview below.
