BCSP NFL Report, II
Hampton leads the way in NFL

LUT WILLIAMS
BCSP Editor

With six players on opening day rosters, Hampton University leads the way among historically black colleges with players in the NFL this season.

On the strength of three new players in the league as the season began last week, the Pirates moved past Grambling State with whom they were tied last year with five. Grambling and Howard both have five players in the league as the 2008 season begins.

Added to Hampton's ledger this season are rookie defensive end Kendall Langford, a third round draft pick of Miami, fellow rookie defensive end Marcus Dixon, who was signed as a free agent by Dallas and made the Cowboys' practice squad, and wide receiver Onrea Jones, a 2007 free agent who made Arizona's practice squad.

As former Pirates in the league they join second-year Jacksonville linebacker Justin Durant, former MEAC record-setting running back Alonzo Coleman, who is on the Dallas practice squad for the second straight year, and seven-year veteran fullback Darian Barnes of Buffalo who is playing for his fifth NFL team.

Langford had an impressive debut Sunday for Miami registering a sack on future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre among three tackles in a loss to the New York Jets. Durant had five tackles Sunday in a loss to Tennessee.

Durant's Jacksonville team, with former Grambling and NFL quarterback James Harris as general manager, passed Green Bay as the team with the most black college players on its roster. The Jaguars have a league-high five HBCU alums. Harris added former Tuskegee standout defensive back, six-year NFL veteran Drayton Florence to the Jags' roster, joining Bethune-Cookman all-pro Rashean Mathis in the secondary. Two other black college rookies have joined them in the defensive backfield. Former Stillman speedster, rookie Brian Witherspoon, made the team's active roster and former Fort Valley State safety Rashod Moulton was signed to the practice squad.

Green Bay, Arizona, Minnesota and Indianapolis each have four HBCU alums on their squads.

The NFC with 29 HBCU products continues to lead the AFC who now totals 26. With 23 players in the league, the Mid Eastern Athletic Conference continues to set the pace among black college conferences. This is the third consecutive season the MEAC has set the pace. The Southwestern Athletic Conference follows closely behind with 17. Nine players hail from the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference this season.

With seventh round draft pick Alex Hall of St. Augustine's, a defensive end that made the Cleveland Browns' squad, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association has its first player in the league in five years.

Defensive back (19) and defensive line (10) are the top positions occupied by black college products. The defensive side of the ball produces 35 of the 55 players that made NFL rosters.

© 2008 Azeez Communications, Inc.

Return to Front Page