BCSP Notes . . .
Revised opening day black college numbers in NFL
Hike that number of former black college players on opening day National Football League rosters back up to 50 after a series of moves and some oversights on our part. That leaves an increase of one over last year.
Last week we reported that there were 44 players with black college
roots on NFL opening day rosters, down five from last season. Well, we missed
a couple and a few others were picked up, either on regular 53-man rosters
or practice squads, as our report was coming out.
Add the names of nine-year veteran defensive tackle Grady Jackson out of Knoxville College to the Atlanta Falcons' roster and rookie free agent defensive back Cletis Gordon out of Jackson State to the San Diego Chargers'. Those two were overlooked in our initial report.
Additionally, third-year veteran former North Carolina A&T DB Curtis Deloatch, who we reported as cut by the New York Giants, was picked up later by New Orleans.
Also, former Florida A&M quarterback Casey Printers, after being cut by Kansas City, was signed to the Chiefs' practice squad. Printers was the 2004 most outstanding player in the Canadian Football League. Also, getting practice squad assignments were former Tuskegee wideout Calvin Russell with Green Bay, former Southern defensive lineman Joe Sykes with Washington and former Morehouse running back John David Washington with St. Louis.
Green Bay also announced last week that it had released former North Carolina A&T defensive back Jason Horton.
The moves alter the numbers slightly in our report. The St. Louis Cardinals are now tied with Green Bay and Jacksonville with the most black college players (5) on their rosters. The addition of Russell brings the number of former Tuskegee players in the league to four, which ties it with Alcorn State, just one behind Howard and North Carolina A&T for the most in the league.
The re-calculation still leaves the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference with more players (21) in the league than the SWAC (18). That's the first time in the 13 years the Black College Sports Page has been keeping these statistics that the MEAC has led the SWAC.
© 2006 Azeez Communications, Inc.