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Black college players deserving of the Hall of Fame
SEE FOR YOURSELF - HBCU alumni who are eligible and deserve to be in the Hall of Fame:
Robert Brazile (LB, Jackson State) played his entire 10-year career with Houston Oilers. He was an eight-time All-Pro, played in the Pro Bowl each of his first seven seasons and was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade team.
Harold Carmichael (WR, Southern) played 14 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys. Carmichael was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named to the NFL 1970s all-Decade team. He is 19th all-time in career touchdown receptions with 79.
Richard Dent (DE, Tennessee State) played 14 seasons with the Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts. He was MVP of Super Bowl XX with the Bears against New England. Dent was a two-time first team All-Pro pick, played in four Pro Bowls and was named All-NFC five times. He is tied for sixth on the all-time sack list with 137.
L.C. Greenwood (DE, Arkansas-Pine Bluff) was part of the Steelers' Steel Curtain Defense for 13 seasons, won four Super Bowl rings in the 1970s and was unofficially credited with 73 quarterback sacks. He was All-Pro twice, All-AFC four times and played in six Pro Bowls.
Claude Humphrey (DE, Tenn. State) was a devastating pass rusher who recorded 122 career sacks in 14 seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles. Humphrey missed just one game in his first seven seasons. He had a career-best 15 sacks in 1976 after missing the entire 1975 season with what was thought to be a career-ending knee injury. Humphrey was the 1968 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, a six-time Pro Bowler and a five-time first team All-Pro selection.
Harold Jackson (WR, Jackson State) was a five-time All-Pro pick during his 16-year career with the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks and averaged 18 yards per catch. He is 16th in league history in receiving yards (10,372). He led the league in receptions in 1972 and in receiving yards in 1969 and 1972.
Ed "Too Tall'' Jones (DE, Tenn. State) is one of only three player who played 15 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. Jones played in the Pro Bowl twice. He appeared in three Super Bowls with the Cowboys, including their 1978 victory against Denver. He officially had 57 career sacks. His unofficial total was 106 as sacks didn't become an official stat until 1982.
Henry Lawrence (OT, Florida A&M) was a member of the Oakland Raiders offensive line that included Hall of Famers Gene Upshaw, Art Shell and Jim Otto. Lawrence didn't miss a game in 10 of his 13 seasons. He played in the Pro Bowl twice and won two Super Bowl rings.
Greg Lloyd (LB, Fort Valley State) was the emotional leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense during the early 1990s. Lloyd, hampered by knee injuries throughout his career, was a three-time All-Pro pick, played in five Pro Bowls and was the 1994 UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year.
Ken Riley (CB, Florida A&M) played 15 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and ended his career with 65 interceptions. He is fifth on the NFL all-time interceptions list and has more career interceptions than 16 of the 20 defensive backs in the Hall of Fame.
Isaiah Robertson (LB, Southern) was noted for making big plays. Robertson was NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1971 and a four-time first team All-Pro pick during his 12-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills. He was second team All Pro twice and played in the Pro Bowl six times.
Shannon Sharpe (TE, Savannah State) played 14 seasons with the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. He is No. 1 all-time among tight ends with 815 receptions and No. 2 in receiving yards with 10,060. Sharpe, named to the NFL's 1990s All-Decade team, won three Super Bowl rings during his career. He played in eight Pro Bowls and was first team All-Pro four times.
Donnie Shell (SS, South Carolina State) won four Super Bowl rings during his 14-year career as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers' Steel Curtain Defense. Shell retired as the NFL career leader in interceptions among strong safeties with 51. He was a four-time first team All-Pro pick and played in five Pro Bowls.
Everson Walls (DB, Grambling State) led the league in interceptions as a rookie free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 1981 and is the only player in history to lead the NFL in interceptions three times. Walls played 13 seasons with the Cowboys, New York Giants and Cleveland Browns and ended his career with 57 interceptions. He was a four-time Pro Bowl pick, and he won a Super Bowl ring with the Giants in 1990. Walls is tied for 10th place on the NFL all-time interception list with 57.
Paul "Tank'' Younger (RB/LB, Grambling State) in 1949 became the first athlete to go directly from an HBCU into the NFL when he signed with the Los Angeles Rams and is No. 6 on their career rushing list with 3,296 yards. A four-time Pro Bowl pick, he was the first black to play in an NFL All-Star Game. After retiring, Younger became the first black front office executive in NFL history.
Compiled by Roscoe Nance
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