The Atlanta Falcons are putting their money where their mouth is — and 17 HBCU students are better for it.
On May 27, 2026, the Falcons and Wells Fargo officially announced the 2026 Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program — the largest cohort in the program’s four-year history. Seventeen students from Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College were selected for the eight-week paid fellowship, which places HBCU students inside one of the NFL’s premier organizations for real-world professional experience. The Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program is not just an internship — it is one of the most intentional pipelines in professional sports for developing the next generation of Black executives.
What the Program Actually Does
This is not a shadow-someone-for-a-day experience. Fellows work across departments inside the Atlanta Falcons and AMB Sports and Entertainment offices — including marketing, communications, community engagement, content production, partnerships, and football operations. They build professional networks, develop transferable career skills, and gain direct access to an NFL ecosystem that has historically been difficult for HBCU graduates to break into.
The 2026 cohort kicked off on May 1 with an immersive orientation that brought in Grammy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur Jermaine Dupri and music executive Amir Windom for what the program called a “Creative Currency Experience” — a launch event designed to connect students with career pathways in sports, entertainment, and business. Fellows also participated in the Carter Work Project, a community service initiative that anchored the program’s opening week in purpose.
“The Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program is about opening doors — to professional opportunity, mentorship and meaningful experiences that help students chart successful futures,” said Tai Roberson, Southeast Executive of Philanthropy and Community Impact at Wells Fargo.
A Program That Keeps Growing
Now in its fourth year, the Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program has produced 41 alumni since its launch — and the results speak for themselves. Former fellows have gone on to land competitive positions across the NFL, other professional sports leagues, and the Olympic Games. The program is the first of its kind in the NFL, and its growth from year to year reflects both the depth of talent coming out of Atlanta’s HBCUs and the Falcons’ genuine commitment to the initiative.
Falcons HR Manager Bella Vaughan summed it up well: “This year’s class joins a legacy of 41 alumni who continue to write their own stories, seize every opportunity to learn, and most importantly give back and strengthen the communities that shaped them.”
Why the AUC Is the Perfect Home for This
The Atlanta University Center — home to Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, and Spelman College — is the largest consortium of HBCUs in the world and sits right in the heart of Atlanta. The talent pipeline between the AUC and the city’s sports and entertainment industry is a natural fit, and the Falcons have leaned into that geography intentionally.
Past fellows have spoken about the program’s lasting impact beyond the fellowship itself. Kyla Emory, a 2025 fellow and Spelman College senior, put it directly: “This program has taken me to new heights. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with Wells Fargo, Atlanta Falcons, and NFL attorneys who have all solidified my interest in going to law school.”
That kind of outcome — a student walking away with a clearer vision of her future — is exactly what this program is designed to deliver.
The Bigger Picture
The sports and entertainment industry has a representation problem in its front offices. The talent has always been there. The access has not. Programs like the Atlanta Falcons HBCU Fellows Program exist specifically to close that gap — not through token gestures, but through paid, meaningful, sustained investment in HBCU students year after year.
Seventeen fellows. Four HBCUs. One NFL team committed to doing the work. That is what real investment in HBCU excellence looks like.
