The 2024 season was a rollercoaster for JCSU football. The Golden Bulls started 8-0 and quickly became one of the hottest teams in HBCU football, drawing national attention with their dominant defense and explosive offense. However, the team stumbled down the stretch, losing their final two games and narrowly missing both the CIAA championship game and a potential NCAA Division II playoff berth. The late-season heartbreak has only fueled the returning players. Guys like Brevin Caldwell, who knows the Golden Bulls’ 2025 campaign is his last chance to bring a championship back to the Queen City for JCSU.

WATCH: Brick x Brick with JCSU Football | Spring Ball ’25 | First Day Out

The Charlotte, NC native stars in the premiere episode of the new spring season of Brick x Brick with JCSU Football. HBCU Gameday’s behind-the-scenes docuseries has covered the HBCU football program’s rebuild during Maurice Flower’s tenure in Charlotte.

In the mic-’d-up portion of the episode, Caldwell showcases his determination and professional mindset. He gives viewers a glimpse into the work ethic of a top HBCU football player, as he’s one of the first players on the field before practice in the “First Day Out” episode of the series.

HBCU to NFL

“I’m aspiring for a professional opportunity,” said Caldwell on Brick x Brick. “So it’s just being a pro at everything I do, man. The way that I train, the way that I practice, the way that I live, the way I eat. Taking that professional mindset, applying it here while I’m a senior, and just dominate. So that’s all I can do. And then I try to spread that energy to my teammates.”

That drive is a defining trait of the former West Charlotte High School standout, who arrived at JCSU with big goals and has steadily grown into a leader both on and off the field. Since joining the Golden Bulls, Brevin Caldwell has developed into one of the CIAA’s premier receivers. Over the past two seasons, he has posted multiple 100-yard games and has consistently been one of the top targets in the conference thanks to his route discipline, sure hands, and ability to stretch the field.

“I feel like we pieced it together (last year), man. We found ways to beat really good opponents, obviously let two slip away at the very end. But, you know, that’s what this year is for.” Caldwell has some unfinished business on the personal side too, as his omission from the AFCA DII All-America team is also fueling the 6 foot 1, 185 lb receiver during the offseason. “I feel like I missed out on All-American last year. I was AFCA All-Region. One out of eight guys and four guys got selected for All-American. I wasn’t, you know, a part of the cut.”

CIAA’s Best

During his time at JCSU, Caldwell has built a reputation as one of the top wideouts in the conference. Known for his precise route-running and strong hands, he’s been a consistent threat in the Golden Bulls’ offense. In his career, Caldwell has totaled 180 receptions for 2,286 yards and 14 touchdowns. His standout 2024 performance earned him First team All-CIAA honors and Team Offensive MVP.

But this spring, with a new quarterback under center, the stakes—and potential—are even higher. Enter Fort Valley State transfer Kelvin Durham, one of the top Division II HBCU football quarterbacks in the country. The dynamic dual-threat veteran brings a versatile skill set and big-play ability to the JCSU offense. Caldwell and Durham have already begun to develop chemistry. Developing a connection could be the key to unlocking the full potential of the Golden Bulls’ passing attack in 2025.

Brevin Caldwell on Brick x Brick with JCSU Football | Spring Ball ’25 | First Day Out

“I’ve taken it upon myself to hone in on that chemistry. All the hours that aren’t seen behind closed doors. As soon as he got here, he hit me up. And, you know, we’ve been working ever since. He’s a great natural passer, man, the touch on the deep balls. I mean, I don’t think it gets too much better.”

Caldwell’s attitude seems to resonate with his coaches and teammates as well. He sets a standard for what it means to be a senior leader at an HBCU football program.

“This year, you know, especially this spring is just focusing on the little things that I feel like I could have done better last season. Everybody’s trying to fine-tune their game before the fall. But, you know, I’m here on a mission. Like I said, it’s a professional mindset, and so I’m trying to get myself ready for the pro level, you know. And I know taking those little steps, you know, everything every day is our is our motto. That’s how I’m going to get there. ” Caldwell says in the premiere episode of a special four-episode Spring Ball ’25 season of the ‘HBCU Hard Knocks’ style series on HBCU Gameday.

Brick x Brick, produced by Filmmaker and HBCU Gameday Partner Wali Pitt, gives fans an all-access look into the culture, grind, and brotherhood of JCSU football. As Caldwell anchors the first episode, his journey reflects the dedication, resilience, and pride found within the HBCU sports community. New episodes of Brick x Brick with JCSU Football premiere weekly on the HBCUGameday.com homepage, the Gameday app, and the HBCU Gameday YouTube Channel. Brick x Brick will also air on Fox Soul, Sundays at 7 PM as part of on HBCU Gameday’s flagship show on the Fox affiliated network.

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From HBCU Commitment to Collegiate Stardom

In November 2020, Duncan Powell, a 6’8″ forward from DeSoto, Texas, made headlines by committing to North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T), choosing the HBCU over other prominent programs. Rated as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Powell’s decision was seen as a significant boost for NC A&T and highlighted the potential of HBCUs to attract top-tier talent.

During his tenure at NC A&T, Powell faced challenges, including injuries that limited his playtime. Despite these setbacks, he showcased his resilience and talent. Powell played in 30 games, starting four of them. He averaged 8.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, with a field goal percentage of 42%. Notably, in the season’s final five games, Powell’s performance peaked as he averaged 16.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, including double-doubles against Hampton (16 points, 15 rebounds) and Towson (18 points, 10 rebounds). His contributions earned him a spot on the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) All-Rookie team.

His commitment to the team and the broader HBCU community was a major part of his choosing to play at an HBCU, and his journey was chronicled in the HBCU Gameday Original documentary titled “Mid-Major,” which provided an intimate look into his experiences and aspirations.

Transitioning to New Horizons

After his stint at NC A&T, Powell sought new opportunities to further his basketball career. He transferred to Sacramento State for the 2023-2024 season. Powell played in 29 games, starting 23 of them. He led the team with an average of 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Powell shot 49% from the field and 69% from the free-throw line. He also contributed 2.0 assists per game, averaging 26.5 minutes on the court. Unfortunately, his season was cut short due to injury, causing him to miss the final five games. His performance caught the attention of Georgia Tech, leading to his transfer to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team in June 2024.

Dominating the ACC and National Recognition

Powell’s impact at Georgia Tech has been profound. In a recent week of ACC play, he delivered standout performances that solidified his reputation as a formidable player. He averaged 24.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, leading the Yellow Jackets to victories over Pittsburgh and NC State. Notably, Powell set a career-high with 26 points against Pittsburgh, including six three-pointers and two rare four-point plays—a feat achieved only 23 times in Division I this season. He followed this with a double-double, recording 23 points and 10 rebounds in a commanding win over NC State.

These stellar performances earned him the Lute Olson National Player of the Week award, a testament to his hard work and dedication. The award, named after the legendary coach Lute Olson, recognizes outstanding players in Division I basketball, and Powell’s achievement highlights his significant contributions to the sport.

Reflecting on the HBCU Influence

Powell’s journey from NC A&T to national prominence underscores HBCUs’ vital role in developing athletic talent. His initial commitment to an HBCU set the foundation for his growth, resilience, and success. As more top recruits consider HBCUs, Powell’s story serves as an inspiring example of the opportunities and platforms these institutions provide.

In conclusion, Duncan Powell’s recent accolades are not just personal triumphs but also a celebration of the enduring legacy and potential of HBCUs in shaping athletes who excel at the highest levels.

Duncan Powell’s Journey: From HBCU Commitment to ACC Stardom

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The first two seasons of ‘Brick x Brick’ followed the football program at JCSU as head coach Maurice Flowers took over a 2-win program and turned them into one of the top teams in HBCU football. Now, the show follows the JCSU women’s hoops program and coach Monterika Warren. The second-year Golden Bulls head coach leads a team of nine players and two coaches into their 2025 CIAA season.

Brick x Brick with JCSU Women’s Basketball

The HBCU Gameday Original Series continues to give viewers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to JCSU athletics, this time covering HBCU women’s basketball like never before. From Practice to shootaround and inside the locker room during games, HBCU filmmaker Wali Pitt combines these elements with in-game highlights to create a compelling narrative that tells the story both on and off the court.

“I’ve wanted the chance to tell an HBCU women’s hoops story for a while now,” said Pitt. “When I met Coach Warren last year, it felt very similar to meeting Coach Flowers back in 2022, the CIAA is one of the toughest leagues in women’s basketball and I think fans will appreciate how hard this team competes as underdogs in a tough conference.”

The first two episodes follow JCSU as they look to get two big conference wins over Lincoln University and Virginia Union the week before Winter Break. The Golden Bulls came into both games with only nine active players but still believed they had what they needed to win. Coach Warren and company find themselves fighting against not only the championship-caliber opponents across from them on the court but also the battle within, as they work to build themselves into a winning HBCU women’s basketball program.

Fans can watch episodes digitally on the HBCUGameday.com homepage, the Gameday app, the HBCU Gameday YouTube page, and on TV every Sunday at 7 pm on the Fox Soul channel.

Episode 01

Witness HBCU women’s hoops like never before as HBCU Gameday takes its ‘HBCU Hard Knocks’ docuseries ‘Brick x Brick’ to the hardwood with the women’s hoops program at Johnson C. Smith University.

The post HBCU women’s hoops gets overdue spotlight in new docuseries appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

HBCU Gameday on Fox Soul

HBCU Gameday has extended its reach in the media landscape with a new agreement with Fox Soul. Beginning October 27, HBCU Gameday will broadcast a weekly sports show on the network every Sunday at 7 pm EST and 4 pm PST. The show is simply called HBCU Gameday.

For a majority of the episodes during the football season, HBCU Gameday will feature segments from the Wali Pitt docuseries “Brick x Brick.” The series follows head coach Maurice Flowers as he leads Johnson C. Smith University into the championship picture in the CIAA. Through the season’s first seven games, JCSU sits at 7-0 with an unbeaten record.

The partnership with Fox Soul will allow HBCU Gameday to reach many new viewers. Fox Soul is available on Roku, YouTube, YouTube TV, Vizio, LG, Tubi, Xumo, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Plex, Apple TV, Fire TV, Amazon News, Fox Local and Samsung TV Plus.

Brick x Brick Docuseries with JCSU Football

The Charlotte, North Carolina HBCU is amid a football resurgence, and our cameras have captured the turnaround at Johnson C. Smith under head coach Maurice Flowers since his first win in 2022. Season 1 of Brick x Brick showed the Golden Bulls increase their win total from two to seven games, the most in over a decade. Season 2 is unfolding to reveal the Golden Bulls as a CIAA championship contender, as they continue to make history in Charlotte, NC.

The post JCSU football HC Maurice Flowers candid in Brick x Brick Finale appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

HBCU Gameday on Fox Soul

HBCU Gameday has extended its reach in the media landscape with a new agreement with Fox Soul. Beginning October 27, HBCU Gameday will broadcast a weekly sports show on the network every Sunday at 7 pm EST and 4 pm PST. The show is simply called HBCU Gameday.

For a majority of the episodes during the football season, HBCU Gameday will feature segments from the Wali Pitt docuseries “Brick x Brick.” The series follows head coach Maurice Flowers as he leads Johnson C. Smith University into the championship picture in the CIAA. Through the season’s first seven games, JCSU sits at 7-0 with an unbeaten record.

The partnership with Fox Soul will allow HBCU Gameday to reach many new viewers. Fox Soul is available on Roku, YouTube, YouTube TV, Vizio, LG, Tubi, Xumo, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Plex, Apple TV, Fire TV, Amazon News, Fox Local and Samsung TV Plus.

Brick x Brick Docuseries with JCSU Football

The Charlotte, North Carolina HBCU is amid a football resurgence, and our cameras have captured the turnaround at Johnson C. Smith under head coach Maurice Flowers since his first win in 2022. Season 1 of Brick x Brick showed the Golden Bulls increase their win total from two to seven games, the most in over a decade. Season 2 is unfolding to reveal the Golden Bulls as a CIAA championship contender, as they continue to make history in Charlotte, NC.

The post Brick x Brick SzN II | JCSU football vs Livingstone | One Heartbeat appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

HBCU Gameday on Fox Soul

HBCU Gameday has extended its reach in the media landscape with a new agreement with Fox Soul. Beginning October 27, HBCU Gameday will broadcast a weekly sports show on the network every Sunday at 7 pm EST and 4 pm PST. The show is simply called HBCU Gameday.

For a majority of the episodes during the football season, HBCU Gameday will feature segments from the Wali Pitt docuseries “Brick x Brick.” The series follows head coach Maurice Flowers as he leads Johnson C. Smith University into the championship picture in the CIAA. Through the season’s first seven games, JCSU sits at 7-0 with an unbeaten record.

The partnership with Fox Soul will allow HBCU Gameday to reach many new viewers. Fox Soul is available on Roku, YouTube, YouTube TV, Vizio, LG, Tubi, Xumo, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Plex, Apple TV, Fire TV, Amazon News, Fox Local and Samsung TV Plus.

Brick x Brick Docuseries with JCSU Football

The Charlotte, North Carolina HBCU is amid a football resurgence, and our cameras have captured the turnaround at Johnson C. Smith under head coach Maurice Flowers since his first win in 2022. Season 1 of Brick x Brick showed the Golden Bulls increase their win total from two to seven games, the most in over a decade. Season 2 is unfolding to reveal the Golden Bulls as a CIAA championship contender, as they continue to make history in Charlotte, NC.

The post ‘No Excuses,’ JCSU football falls in emotional Brick x Brick episode appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

HBCU Gameday on Fox Soul

HBCU Gameday has extended its reach in the media landscape with a new agreement with Fox Soul. Beginning October 27, HBCU Gameday will broadcast a weekly sports show on the network every Sunday at 7pm EST and 4pm PST. The show is simply called HBCU Gameday.

For a majority of the episodes during the football season, HBCU Gameday will feature segments from the Wali Pitt docuseries “Brick x Brick.” The series follows head coach Maurice Flowers as he leads Johnson C. Smith University, a Charlotte, NC HBCU, into the championship picture in the CIAA. Through the first seven games of the season, JCSU sits at 7-0 with an unbeaten record.

The partnership with Fox Soul will allow HBCU Gameday to reach many new viewers. Fox Soul is available on Roku, YouTube, YouTube TV, Vizio, LG, Tubi, Xumo, DirecTV Stream, Fubo, Plex, Apple TV, Fire TV, Amazon News, Fox Local and Samsung TV Plus.

Brick x Brick Docuseries with JCSU Football

The Charlotte, North Carolina HBCU is amid a football resurgence, and HBCU Gameday cameras have captured the turnaround at Johnson C. Smith under head coach Maurice Flowers since his first win in 2022. Season 1 of Brick x Brick showed the Golden Bulls increase their win total from two to seven games, the most in over a decade. Season 2 is unfolding to reveal the Golden Bulls as a CIAA championship contender, as they continue to make HBCU football history in Charlotte, NC.

Brick x Brick SzN II | JCSU football vs Shaw U | Homecoming

There’s nothing like homecoming, especially when your school is 6-0 and having its best \season since 1969. Go inside Homecoming in Charlotte, NC for another epic late-game win with Johnson C. Smith (JCSU) football in the latest episode of Brick x Brick with JCSU football.

Brick x Brick SzN II FULL EPISODES

The post HBCU Hard Knocks: Brick x Brick follows JCSU to 8-0 vs WSSU appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Game Notes

Shaw took a 7-0 lead over Johnson C. Smith after scoring the game’s first points on the first drive of the game. Johnson C. Smith then scored to take a 21-7 lead before the Bears put a touchdown on the board to narrow the advantage and make it a 21-14 game. Shaw had one last chance to tie the game with less than a minute left with the ball in JCSU territory but came up short on fourth down to end the threat.

» Shaw outgained Johnson C. Smith 355-325, including a 138-60 advantage on the ground.
» Shaw had their highest scoring quarter in the fourth period when they put up seven points.
» Shaw converted 4 of 11 third downs while Johnson C. Smith was successful on 3 of 10.

Brick x Brick Docuseries with JCSU Football

The Charlotte, North Carolina HBCU is amid a football resurgence, and HBCU Gameday cameras have captured the turnaround at Johnson C. Smith under head coach Maurice Flowers since his first win in 2022. Season 1 of Brick x Brick showed the Golden Bulls increase their win total from two to seven games, the most at the HBCU in over a decade. Season 2 is unfolding to reveal the Golden Bulls as a CIAA championship contender, as they continue to make HBCU football history in Charlotte, NC.

Brick x Brick SzN II | JCSU football vs VA State | Get Perfect

JCSU is the hottest team in HBCU football heading into the second half of the season. The Golden Bulls battle not just CIAA preseason favorite Virginia State, but the rising expectations as the only undefeated HBCU after 5 weeks. Can JCSU block out the noise of ESPN’s College GameDay and NFL scouts to go 6-0?

Brick x Brick SzN II FULL EPISODES

The post Brick x Brick SzN II | JCSU football vs Shaw U | Homecoming appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Game Recap

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), one of the oldest HBCU football programs in the country, continued its remarkable season by defeating Virginia State 21-17. This victory allowed JCSU to remain undefeated at 6-0, marking its best start since winning the CIAA title in 1969. The win, achieved at the Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, propels the Golden Bulls to 3-0 in conference play, keeping them in prime position for another potential CIAA championship run.

This 6-0 start is a testament to the resurgence of Johnson C. Smith, located in the heart of Charlotte, and shows their intent to reclaim their place among the top programs in the CIAA. As one of the oldest HBCU football programs in the country, JCSU is writing a new chapter in its history, hoping to continue this hot streak and make a run for the CIAA title. The Golden Bulls’ success is a shining example of the pride and competitive spirit that HBCU sports bring to the national stage.

Brick x Brick Docuseries with JCSU Football

The Charlotte, North Carolina HBCU is amid a football resurgence, and HBCU Gameday cameras have captured the turnaround at Johnson C. Smith under head coach Maurice Flowers since his first win in 2022. Season 1 of Brick x Brick showed the Golden Bulls increase their win total from two to seven games, the most at the HBCU in over a decade. Season 2 is unfolding to reveal the Golden Bulls as a CIAA championship contender, as they continue to make HBCU football history in Charlotte, NC.

Brick x Brick SzN II FULL EPISODES

The post Brick x Brick SzN II | JCSU football vs VA State | Get Perfect appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The Charlotte, North Carolina HBCU is amid a football resurgence, and HBCU Gameday cameras have captured the turnaround at Johnson C. Smith under head coach Maurice Flowers since his first win in 2022. Season 1 of Brick x Brick showed the Golden Bulls increase their win total from two to seven games, the most at the HBCU in over a decade.

Season 2 follows a currently undefeated JCSU football program as they have gone from upstart to usurper, by beating the defending CIAA champion Virginia Union Panthers at the Irwin Belk Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina in an emotional rollercoaster of a game that wasn’t decided until the final moments of the fourth quarter.

The title of the latest episode, ‘Refuse to Lose’, is about a portion of the team’s mantra that appears throughout the series. After the hard-fought victory, Coach Flowers repeated the “refuse to lose” portion of the mantra a few extra times to emphasize the team’s grit in the win.

“I knew when I heard him repeat it about three extra times that it would be the title of the episode,” said series producer Wali Pitt. “That was the biggest win for Smith in the three years that I’ve been covering them, it was a signature win for the program and a signature episode for the series.”

The Golden Bulls have grabbed the attention of the HBCU football world with their 4-0 start to the 2024 season, and the brick x brick motto has become an integral part of the identity of the team. “like we always say, day by day, brick by brick, just gotta keep going, keep the momentum going,” said all-CIAA linebacker Benari Black during the postgame press conference after the win against VA Union. “But like I said, we’ll celebrate tonight but tomorrow, we’re right back at it,” the Charlotte, North Carolina native continued.

JCSU football hits the road to face Bluefield State on Sept 28, and production of Brick x Brick, HCU football’s Hard Knocks docuseries will continue the week of Oct 5 when the Golden Bulls host Virginia State University. Watch full episodes of ‘Brick x Brick SzN II with JCSU Football’ on the hbcugameday.com homepage, the Gameday app, and on the HBCU Gameday YouTube channel.

Brick x Brick SzN II

The post HBCU Hard Knocks with JCSU football | Refuse to Lose  appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Brick x Brick began in 2022 as a segment on JCSU football head coach Maurice Flowers’ first win over Elizabeth City State University. From there, HBCU Gameday and JCSU partnered on a documentary of the Golden Bulls’ spring ball program, highlighted by a trip to Bank of America Stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers for a special spring practice. That project bloomed into a five-part series, culminating with an all-access episode where filmmaker Wali Pitt traveled to Fort Lauderdale, FL with JCSU football on their trip to the inaugural Florida Beach Bowl.

Episodes four and five of season two of ‘Brick x Brick’ follow the Golden Bulls to Atlanta for a ‘Business Trip’ against Morehouse and take you behind the scenes of the JCSU football home opener against Lincoln where Smith was looking to ‘Protect the Crib.’

Brick x Brick SzN II | JCSU vs Morehouse | Business Trip

Follow JCSU football as they load the team bus in Charlotte, NC, and head for Atlanta to take on Morehouse College at historic B.T. Harvey Stadium. After a win over Tuskegee in the Red Tails Classic, the Golden Bulls look to prove they can handle business on the road against a tough non-conference opponent.

Brick x Brick SzN II | JCSU vs Lincoln | Protect the Crib

After going 2-0 on the road to start the season, JCSU football returned to Charlotte, NC for its home opener against CIAA foe Lincoln University. The Golden Bulls’ packed the Irwin Belk Complex and showed what type of atmosphere you can expect in Charlotte with a winning football team.

JCSU vs VA Union

The Golden Bulls are 3-0 and welcome the defending CIAA champion Virginia Union (VA Union) Panthers to Uptown Charlotte and the Irwin Belk Complex for a 6 pm kickoff. Union is coming off a tough 33-21 loss to Virginia HBCU rival Hampton and has had a long road to becoming a CIAA football champion.

The Panthers come to Charlotte with an all-CIAA running back and one of the first two HBCU Legacy Bowl selections of 2025. Brigton, NJ native Jada Byers has been one of the top backs in the CIAA for a few seasons and he’s continuing his dominance in 2024 averaging 158 yards per game and scoring five touchdowns on the year.

The Golden Bulls will counter Virginia Union’s steady dose of Jada Byers with the three-headed backfield of Quavaris Crouch, Kamarro Edmunds, and Avante George, who collectively average 164 yards per game.

The JCSU football program’s 3-0 record shows they have gone from rebuilding to resurging. Still, the matchup against VA Union will show if they are already a CIAA championship-caliber team in year three under head coach Maurice Flowers.

HBCU Gameday cameras will be in Charlotte covering the contest for the next episode of ‘Brick x Brick with JCSU Football.’ Full episodes are available on the HBCUGameday.com homepage, the Gameday, and on the HBCU Gameday YouTube Channel. You can also find exclusive content on all HBCU Gameday social media platforms.

The post New ‘Brick x Brick’ episodes preview crucial JCSU night game appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

After winning the second most games in school history in its first winning season in 10 years, JCSU football comes into the year carrying the unfamiliar burden of expectation. Picked to finish fourth in the 2024 CIAA preseason rankings, the Golden Bulls’ fall showed that you can build team chemistry while hitting each other for 3 straight weeks.

Filmed over two practice days, Brick x Brick | Inside Fall Camp goes inside the huddle of an HBCU fall camp to show fans what it’s really like during the dog days of a mid-August practice. We get a first-hand look at how rough it can get in the trenches during O-line vs D-line one-on-one drills.

Brick x Brick | Inside Fall Camp | Photo Gallery

The most important position battle for Johnson C Smith football coming into 2024 was at quarterback, but for newly named QB1 Darius Ocean, it was just as important to help build up the other quarterbacks on the team as it was for him to try to beat them out for the position.

With his quarterback locked in, JCSU football head coach Maurice Flowers had to install his offense. The only problem? They have to go against a defense that finished number two statistically in Division II football in 2023.

After a grueling hot day of fall camp, it was time for a little motivation before hitting the locker room. Ric Elias, CEO of Charlotte, NC media giant Red Ventures stopped by Fall Camp to speak to the team about his 3 keys to having a successful team and reminded the Golden Bulls that everything changes once you have the expectation of success.

The post WATCH: Brick x Brick | Inside Fall Camp with JCSU football appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

What started as a spring football segment for Gameday’s flagship HBCU football program ‘No Huddle’, blossomed into its own five-part series, giving fans an intimate look at a 2023 season that was one of the best in JCSU football history. The Golden Bulls are coming into the 2024 season with more expectations than ever and have given HBCU Gameday unprecedented access for the production of season 2.

“The partnership with JCSU football has been amazing in terms of the access they let me have, not just with the camera but they let us tell the story organically and really showcase the ups and downs of building an HBCU football program in real-time,” says series producer Wali Pitt.

“Every single day. It matters, it counts,” Head Strength & Conditioning Coach/Defensive Line Coach Kevon Fly tells the team before their 16th and final summer workout, hammering home the message throughout the session.

“With this being an in-house production you can expect Season 2 of Brick x Brick to come in a bunch of different forms of content spread throughout the gameday digital space. We’re starting the season with a shorter, hype video-type episode, but fall camp may end up being a 30-minute piece or longer, I’m really trying to let the story dictate what type of episode comes out of it, which as a creative is a dope space to be in,” Pitt says about what to expect from the second season of Brick x Brick.

Brick x Brick SZN II | Last Workout of the Summer | PRODUCTION STILLS

Full episodes of season 2 of Brick x Brick starring Johnson C Smith football will air exclusively on hbcugameday.com and the HBCU Gameday app, with featured content being regularly uploaded to Gameday’s YouTube and social media channels.

The post HBCU Football ‘Hard Knocks’ Back for Season 2 with JCSU appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

WATCH: Brick x Brick | Changing the Culture at Johnson C. Smith | Part II

Part II of Brick x Brick: Changing the Culture at Johnson C Smith goes behind the scenes of an early morning practice, a team meeting and film session, and exclusive sideline footage of what would become the first victory in a 3-game-winning streak for JCSU, the first streak of its kind for Smith in a decade.

Part I of the Brick x Brick series showcased the spring football program at Johnson C. Smith.

The 30-minute documentary combines Coach Flowers’ strategic insights with candid interviews from players and high-intensity “hard knocks” style footage of spring practices and scrimmages to craft a narrative that takes fans deep inside the process of creating a winning football team with Coach Flowers and his staff.

The Golden Bulls are currently 4-2 overall and 3-1 in conference play heading into homecoming against CIAA South foe Saint Augustine’s College. HBCU Gameday will be covering homecoming at JCSU for part III of the ‘Brick x Brick’ series and will continue to follow the culture change happening on Beaties Ford Road throughout the 2023 season.

Johnson C Smith VS BLUEFIELD STATE PHOTO GALLERY

The post Johnson C. Smith continues to build ‘Brick x Brick’ in docuseries appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

As the empty stands bask in the heat, there’s no cool breeze in sight and players are drenched in sweat. Eddie George paces back and forth in the east end zone of the field, waiting for the Tigers’ offense to execute a play against the team’s defense. The former ‘95 Heisman Trophy-winning running back will begin his third season at the helm of the Tennessee State football program when the Tigers face No. 13 Notre Dame in a historic battle on Saturday afternoon. It marks the first time the Fighting Irish (1-0) will clash against an FCS team since the NCAA split its football divisions in ‘78 and the first instance of Notre Dame competing against an HBCU.

Eddie George never dreamed of coaching a group of men in the house that Knute Rockne built. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” George says. Multiple whistles sound off after a defensive end blows up a designed run play in the B gap and manhandle an offensive lineman in the process. George is pleased with the physicality of his defense. But, on the other hand, the former 10,000-yard NFL rusher is devoted to improving the production at his position, a key area of focus as the Tigers seek to capture their first winning season since ‘17. 

WATCH: ONE-ON-ONE WITH EDDIE GEORGE

Bringing culture to life

Eddie George stands underneath the goalpost moments before the snap of the next play. Donning his straw hat draped in TSU blue along with a long-sleeved half-zip pullover and shades, his physique suggests that he could bulldoze his way through a defense for a 20-yard run off of a simple counterplay. George, who turns 50 on Sept. 24, keeps himself in terrific shape. But even before playing eight of his nine NFL seasons with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, defenses feared his presence at Ohio State. In ‘95, behind a stout Buckeyes’ offensive line, George bounced off tackles and burst through the heart of Notre Dame’s defense for 207 yards and three touchdowns in a victory against the Irish.

However, when Tennessee State takes the field against one of college football’s premier programs in front of a nationally televised audience on NBC, it’s not about the glory days of the former four-time Pro Bowler who once graced the cover of the Madden NFL 2001 video game or appeared in a Super Bowl. It’s about leading a group of men who have been molded in the TSU standard, a tough-love culture rooted in three “ships” and discipline. “Relationships, ownership and leadership,” he says. “Adversity is going to come, you’re going to get hit with doubt. How do you manage that? …Culture is not a bunch of words. If you’re not living in it, it’s not truthful.”

George’s journey to implanting his philosophy ahead of the ‘23 season premiere presented a great deal of challenges. But, the lessons have prepared him to be a coach, a mentor, and a father figure. “He’s a man of character and the standard for what a man should be,” says linebacker James Green. “He’s done it all… Hollywood… he’s the reason I’ll never quit chasing my dreams.”

Touching a player’s soul

Eddie George strolls into his office on the third floor of Hankal Hall after a gritty practice, the team’s walk-on tryouts, lunch, and a string of weekly staff meetings to prepare for the Tigers’ Week 1 matchup in South Bend. His office displays a juxtaposition of five principles: discipline, love, patience, peace, and structure. Entering the door, on the wall to the right, sits a mural of John Merritt, the winningest coach in program history. Behind his desk, to the left, lies a black-and-white chessboard. The wall adjacent to his workspace lists the names of every player labeled by position. But, before concluding of each day, George visits the Almond-colored folding table next to his air conditioning unit, where more than 100 stacks of neatly organized papers of his players’ long-term aspirations stare him in the face daily, serving as a reminder of building intentional relationships away from the field.

“I spend time reading through each one and I find out so much more about them,” he says. “We talk about mental health and a lot of stress goes into football from day to day. …I’m more interested in molding the person. If I can touch your soul, the football side will be easy.”

Eddie George is also refining his coaching perspective. That process, however, has not been comfortable. In ‘21, he took over a struggling Tennessee State program that had previously won nine games in a three-year span in the Ohio Valley Conference. After consecutive losing seasons–filled with a laundry list of injuries, a youthful roster, and a few player issues away from the field–in his coaching tenure, George needed a change of scenery. He spent time with himself, engaging in extensive soul-searching sessions in San Juan, Puerto Rico. During his excursion of self-examination this offseason, the TSU coach popped open John Gordon’s The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy.  “It’s peaceful to get in a place where I can hear God and understand what these athletes and what this coaching staff needs from me to turn the corner on this program. …There’s no written rule book of steps. I’m learning to lead more from a place of faith.” 

The smoke is welcome

He also adopted a new admiration for Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra’s ability to establish a robust culture in the franchise well before the team’s improbable postseason run to the NBA Finals last season. “You can look around the league and find teams with better talent,” George says. “In terms of culture, true buy-in, that’s [the standard].” A freshly lit candle sits on the table slightly in front of two Black couches and underneath the TV, where George has broken down game film of the possible schemes Notre Dame could present in Saturday’s game

Despite the past two campaigns, Eddie George remains confident in his strategies, his staff, and his team heading into Year 3 and the first of the newly cemented OVC-Big South conference partnership. While TSU faces a tall task for its season opener, George is not “shying away from the smoke [in competition],” says TSU defensive coordinator Brandon Fisher. 

The pressure that awaits TSU on the opposing sideline at Notre Dame Stadium is an Irish team that dismantled Navy, 42-3, on Saturday in Dublin. Sam Hartman, the former Wake Forest quarterback, berated the Midshipmen defense, throwing for 251 yards and four touchdowns in the battle on European soil. Nine different receivers registered a catch from the journeyman signal caller. Audric Estime steered ND’s rushing attack as the Irish offensive line pummeled Navy’s defensive front. Defensively, the Irish held Navy to a dismal 169 yards of total offense. “There’s a lot of talent over there and it’s going to be a big boy football game,” Fisher says. 

George concurs: “When I pop that tape on, that’s what we need to look like [Notre Dame]… maybe not height, weight, speed but certainly that’s the standard across the board.” 

While TSU will receive a guaranteed $1 million–the largest payout received in program history–from the competition by Nov. 1, the Tigers don’t view the matchup as merely a high-dollar financial contribution. They see it as a 60-minute battle with an opportunity to create a new moment in college football history. “There’s no pressure on us,” says TSU offensive coordinator Theron Aych. “The football field is the same size [at “The Hole”]. Once the ball is kicked off, the game will take care of itself.”

Notre Dame is just a name

After a week of grueling practices, count on James to usher the energy into the room. “I’ve been walking around dapping up the boys and making sure everybody is on the same page,” he says. “We’re ready to play and show the nation who Big Blue is. We’re not afraid of Notre Dame, it’s just a name.” Green, who entered TSU in ‘17, will start his seventh year of college football on Saturday and returns after missing his entire senior season in ‘22 with a shoulder injury. He injured the same shoulder in ‘19 and was granted a medical redshirt.

So, if Green’s confidence and excitement exude a little louder than his teammates, it’s because it has been a long journey for the team’s third-leading tackler (131 tackles) and one dispensed with multiple dark moments. “I had a phase where I wasn’t sleeping, crying and wondering if I should hang it up,” he adds. Instead of succumbing to anxiety and depression, Green regained control of his situation. When he found out that he was eligible to play one more season, he considered it a blessing. “It’s God’s will that I’m here,” he adds.

James anchors a defensive unit with his brother, Josh, who currently leads the team in tackles (225) in his career at safety. The duo are like an “extension” of Fisher in the defense. Apart from the Green brothers, TSU’s defense features a group of talented transfers that include linebacker Monroe Beard (UAPB transfer), defensive lineman Jalen Bell (Mississippi Valley State), defensive back Jeremiah Josephs (Miami Ohio) and Tyler Jones (Missouri), to name a few. The Tigers also return defensive lineman Terrell Allen and Bryce Phillips from a ‘22 defense that finished first or second in scoring defense, total defense, pass defense, pass defense efficiency, red zone defense and limiting their opponents third down conversions in the OVC. “Between the [Greens], the [defensive] group we have and the transfers, they’ve come in and raised the bar,” Fisher says. 

Leadership under center

While the Tigers’ defense seeks to maintain its competitive edge this season, Draylen Ellis will lead a TSU offense that will require the senior quarterback to be more of a vocal leader as well as putting the offense in the best position to succeed. Ellis threw for 1,807 yards and eight touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 55 yards and four scores on the ground last season. The former Austin Peay signal caller will be under center behind a mixed bunch in age along the offensive line that includes left tackle Romello Tarver (redshirt senior), left guard Nicholas Green (junior), center Chazan Page (sophomore), right guard Aarion Harvey (graduate student) and right tackle Jamari Freeman (redshirt freshman). 

In ‘22, opposite of the defense, the Tennessee State offense finished near the bottom of each major statistical category that included scoring offense, total offense, rush offense, pass offense, first downs, and red zone offense. But, the unit will feature some new faces in wide receiver Lucien Brunetti (Tennessee), tight end Trenton Gillison (Michigan State), and key returners Jalen Rouse and Karate Brenson which should help increase scoring opportunities.

Tarver says the growth in maturity during the summer should pay off in a huge way starting Saturday. “We have a lot of new guys but we’re all locked in on establishing the ultimate protection for the quarterback,” he adds. “Draylen works on his craft every day and he’s been a monster this offseason.” But, according to Eddie George, Ellis’s maturity off the field–navigating some character-related setbacks–has changed the way he approaches the game. “Helping him become more of a leader,” he adds.

Ellis agrees: “2022 was a year of lessons. …Growing in the leadership role has given me a free mind [on the field]. I’ve taken some of [Coach George] tips and he’s been motivational for me.”

A moment for Black Coaches

When Eddie George leads Tennessee State to battle against his friend and Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman, it will surely be a competition on the field. However, it will also be remembered as a notable moment in time for two Black coaches on one of the grandest stages in college football. “There is a ceiling for Black coaches,” George says. “It’s tough to get a serious look nowadays. I hope this [game] encourages African Americans to get involved and it leads to more opportunities for people of color.”

Even more, the clash against the private Catholic giant will give George a close-up visual on the strength of his team’s ‘23 doctrine in real time in front of more than 80,000 fans as well as those players with NFL aspirations an opportunity like never before.

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WATCH: Howard University | A New Era in DC

Kenny Gallop, Jr. – Howard DB – All-MEAC FIRST TEAM

“First, it was a blessing having some hardware and having a ring and having that moment when you open the box and seeing that ring was a blessing,” Gallop said. “But we all know, at the same time, we finished 5-6. That’s below average. That’s not acceptable – that’s not what we want.”

Eden James – Howard RB – All-MEAC THIRD TEAM

“You better bring your ‘A’ game, because we’re going to bring it too. The team that you played last year – throw that out the window – this is a whole new team. Best believe this is going to be a dogfight every single play, every single quarter. Every single game.”

Eden James on upcoming NCCU matchup

“They have the right to talk all the trash they want – they beat us fair and square, and all you can do is just come back from it and make them eat their words. That game is going to be one to look out for.”

Stills from Howard University Football’s Fall Camp

Robert Jones III – Howard DB – All-MEAC SECOND TEAM

“We do have to take it one game at a time, one step at a time, but I do believe that when I look at our schedule we can compete with every single team that we play against this year. It’s just about if we perform to the best our abilities.”

“First game of the season, Eastern Michigan, they’re going to be good opponents as well. Harvard – they came down here and beat us last year, we’re going to go up there and play them. And that red team in North Carolina. It’s a new, fresh year like I said. I can’t wait for that date and the other games in the MEAC as well.”

Darrian Brokenburr – Howard DL – All-MEAC SECOND TEAM

“Coach London had just left, coach Prince had stepped in, coach Prince wasn’t here for very long so we really didn’t have much stability and really no foundation.”

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Second-year head coach Maurice Flowers is looking to turn the Johnson C Smith University (JCSU) football program from perineal basement dwellers into a CIAA and Division II powerhouse. HBCU Gameday was given behind-the-scenes access to film the Golden Bulls’ off-season spring football program for a Gameday Original documentary titled “Brick x Brick | Changing the Culture at Johnson C. Smith”.

The 30-minute documentary combines Coach Flowers’ strategic insights with candid interviews from players and high-intensity “hard knocks” style footage of spring practices and scrimmages to craft a narrative that takes fans deep inside the process of creating a winning football team with Coach Flowers and his staff.

The documentary opens with JCSU taking a trip to the home of the Carolina Panthers for a spring practice while new turf was being installed to replace the grass at Eddie McGirt Field.

GOLDEN BULLS AT THE BANK – SPRING PRACTICE WITH THE CAROLINA PANTHERS

“It’s a dream come true for me to have our young men get an opportunity to practice in the NFL stadium,” said Flowers. “You want to be a winner in this town and that’s part of what we say when we’re recruiting; this is John Johnson C Smith University in Charlotte and we have a lot to offer. There’s some things that can only happen at Johnson C Smith University and in the city of Charlotte and you can’t get this any place else.”

The Johnson C. Smith football program is on a mission to rewrite its story after a recent history of losing. “We really can look at how teams celebrate at the end of each game. When you have teams celebrating a win against Johnson C Smith that’s something that you don’t want to happen again,” said Coach Flowers on the recent history of JCSU football. 

The documentary also features interviews with four JCSU players – Jaden Lockhart (WR), Gerald Nathan Jr. (LB), Tyrell Jackson (QB), and Ja’Quavis Smith (LB) – Giving the student-athletes themselves a chance to tell the stories of their paths to Johnson C. Smith.

BAND OF BROTHERS – MEET THE 2023 JCSU GOLDEN BULLS

From the heartbreak of transferring from an SEC school after a coaching change to working at FedEx while making their way back to the game. The HBCU Gameday original documentary puts the grind of student-athletes into perspective by hearing about the obstacles they’ve overcome while also seeing the work they’re putting in to make their dreams a reality.

Brick x Brick | Changing the Culture at Johnson C. Smith is out now, premiering exclusively on hbcugameday.com and The HBCU Gameday app before making its way to all of Gameday’s video platforms.

STILLS FROM Brick x Brick | Changing the Culture at Johnson C. Smith

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LOS ANGELES, FEBRUARY 16, 2023 – The Los Angeles Rams are celebrating Black History Month with the debut of the powerful short film Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington, produced alongside creative marketing agency The BLK Originals and award-winning video production company Loyd Visuals. This inspiring docu-style short film tells the story of Kenny Washington, who was the first Black player to be signed by a National Football League (NFL) team in the modern era and ended a 12-year ban on Black players in the league. 

On March 21, 1946, the LA Rams broke the color barrier in the NFL with the signing of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), standout and LA-native Kenny Washington. During his time at UCLA, Washington was the first All-American in school history and played alongside Jackie Robinson, who was the first African American to play Major League Baseball (MLB) in the modern era. Washington played for the Rams for three seasons and still holds the team record for the longest run from scrimmage with his 92-yard rushing touchdown. After his football career, Washington appeared in several films, including The Jackie Robinson Story. Washington also served as a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer for several years. He died in 1971.

Yesterday, February 15, the LA Rams hosted a film premiere in Inglewood’s historic downtown at The Miracle Theater. Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington is live now on the Rams’ digital channels including therams.com/kingfish, Facebook and YouTube. 

“The story of Kenny Washington and his timeless impact on our game and all of professional sports has often been overlooked,” said Kevin Demoff, Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Rams. “Kenny’s inspirational determination and commitment to leading through adversity set the standard for the Los Angeles Rams. Following the 75^th anniversary of him reintegrating the NFL, we wanted to shine a light on this legend and his legacy with this film.  Kenny’s pioneering role in NFL history should be celebrated and never forgotten.”

Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington gives an account of Washington’s football journey from bringing Abraham Lincoln High School two championships in both baseball and football to dominating the gridiron at UCLA alongside Jackie Robinson and Woody Strode to breaking the color line in the NFL when he signed to the Los Angeles Rams after pressure from the public and Black press. The film not only chronicles Washington’s career — which inspired change in other professional sports leagues and broke barriers — but it particularly focuses on the impact Washington made by sticking to his truth in the face of adversity and his legacy that has paved the way for the next generation of leaders, giants and heroes.

The film is a dynamic narrative of scripted scenes shot at Inglewood’s Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen and SoFi Stadium, featuring Inglewood-native and rapper D Smoke as well as previous Watts Rams participants Daryl Jamerson and Noah Williams, mixed with documentary footage and interviews. In addition, Rams front office staff, North East Lincoln Rams, Watts Rams and members of Washington’s family made cameo appearances in the film. 

Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington features interviews from Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Rams Legends — Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Isaac Bruce, Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk, and Rams all-time leading rusher and three-time Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson. In addition, Kenny Washington’s daughter, Karin Washington-Cohen, grandson, Kraig Washington, and granddaughter, Kysa Washington, help tell his story. 

“My family and I are so pleased that my father’s story is being told,” said Karin Washington-Cohen. “It is a part of history, not just sports history. We are thrilled that the world will get to know how great of an athlete he was, and how he achieved so much in spite of the disadvantages facing Black people in those times.”

The film was created by the LA Rams in partnership with The BLK Originals, a Black-owned creative agency that specializes in genuine storytelling through research, ideation and design. The BLK Originals was founded by Sam Hoggs and Jasmine Alston. The Rams and BLK Originals worked with Black-owned production company Loyd Visuals’ CEO and Executive Producer, Khaleel Loyd, Head of Production, Maleek Loyd, and Brand Marketing Manager, Najm Loyd, to creatively develop the docustyle short film memorializing Kenny Washington’s legacy. 

“The true significance of this project is sharing the inspirational story of Mr. Washington on a large scale for future generations,” said Sam Hoggs, Co-Founder and CEO of The BLK Originals. “We are beyond honored to be in a position to tell African American stories with authenticity. To be trusted by the Rams, an organization that not only gave Mr. Washington an opportunity but our company one as well, speaks to their core values. We hope this project honors our ancestors whose stories have been overlooked and undertold. We want Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington to encourage all to dig deep into history and shine a light on other African American men and women who have paved the way.”

“Mr. Washington’s story is one of triumph, resilience, and overcoming adversity— it is the epitome of lifting while you climb,” said Khaleel Loyd, CEO and Executive Producer of Loyd Visuals. “We are honored to share the Kingfish’s legacy through digital storytelling, and we have taken great pride in ensuring his story is told with integrity and accuracy. I am grateful to have worked alongside The BLK Originals as I believe collaboration among Black-owned agencies is essential, and I appreciate the intentionality of the LA Rams as they entrusted Black storytellers with this project. I am confident audiences will recognize that like so many of our ancestors, Mr. Washington ran so we would have the freedom to soar to new heights.”

The debut of Kingfish: The Story of Kenny Washington is accompanied by the release of a t-shirt designed by The BLK Originals, inspired by the look and feel of the film. The t-shirt is available for purchase at auctions.therams.com. All proceeds from the merchandise sale will benefit the Los Angeles Rams Foundation. 

This film builds on the work the Los Angeles Rams have done to celebrate Kenny Washington’s impact on the organization and the NFL. In January 2022, the Rams launched their “pLAymakers” program, which recognizes 13 Angelenos each year for their efforts to fight injustice and pioneer with purpose in their communities as part of the NFL’s Inspire Change platform. On Wednesday, the Rams surprised this year’s first “pLAymaker”. During the premiere, Kysa Washington, granddaughter of Kenny Washington and Student Athlete Program Coordinator of the National College Resources Foundation, was recognized during the premiere and received a $5,000 donation from the Los Angeles Rams Foundation. 

To further their dedication to preserving Kenny Washington’s legacy, last year the Rams created the Kenny Washington Memorial Scholarship, which provides up to four years of financial support and advisement from Fulfillment Fund (FF), a partner of the Los Angeles Rams, for 13 students from low-resourced communities who are among the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education. Each student selected embodies Kenny Washington’s core values — perseverance in the face of adversity, dedication to their goals and the Los Angeles community, fortitude through breaking barriers and inspiring others to make a difference. 

In addition, the Rams adopted the North East Lincoln Rams (formerly known as the North East Lincoln Tigers), a youth football program coached by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and serving youth in the Ramona Gardens public housing development in Boyle Heights. The North East Lincoln Rams play their home games at Kenny Washington Stadium at Abraham Lincoln High School, the alma mater of Kenny Washington. 

The Rams will include a screening of the film in this month’s EVERFI Mental Wellness session for more than 10,000 students (grades 6-9) throughout all 32 NFL markets. In addition to the partnership with EVERFI, the Rams will look to team up with Los Angeles area schools to host screenings of the film. Schools that are interested in screening the short film for their students can reach out to the team via email at kingfish@rams.nfl.com. 

For more information about the Rams’ Black History Month efforts, visit www.therams.com/community/black-history-month. 

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BRISTOL, Conn. — The Undefeated and ESPN+ are partnering to deliver a year-round home on the industry-leading sports streaming service for stories at the intersection of sports, race and culture. Why Not Us: North Carolina Central University Men’s Basketball, a new all-access docuseries executive produced by NBA All-Star Chris Paul and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith is the first project to debut under The Undefeated on ESPN+.

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“Why Not Us will spotlight the importance and uniqueness of HBCUs by chronicling the NCCU basketball team and the challenges they encounter throughout a season in my home state of North Carolina,” said Paul. “HBCUs face challenges to compete at the same level as PWIs due to lack of funding, resources and awareness. Despite the obstacles they face, Why Not Us shines a light on these amazing Black student athletes who attend HBCUs, and how these historically significant schools continue to enrich not only the Black community but our nation as a whole. It was important to tell this story with Roadside Entertainment as we have successfully partnered with them to tell a great story through Crossroads, another important documentary about inspirational Black athletes in North Carolina.”

“As a graduate of an HBCU — Winston-Salem State University — any issue that allows us to illuminate the great challenges that HBCU’s perpetually face, yet overcome day-after-day, is something that is going to garner my interest,” said Smith. “After asking my coach, the late, great Clarence ‘Big House’ Gaines, what I could do for him in return for all he’s done for me, his answer was very simple: ‘Do all you can for this university, for any HBCU. Don’t let the world try and forget about it.’ This project is a step in that direction. It’s not just a project or a piece of work. It’s a mission. And I’m incredibly delighted and grateful that Chris Paul and ESPN asked me to come on board to make this happen.” 

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“Why Not Us is exactly the right show for our audience and this cultural moment, and Chris and Stephen A. are the ideal duo to deliver it,” said Brian Lockhart, vice president, ESPN Original Content and ESPN Films. “It combines their sports passion with the incredible impact of HBCUs on Black life in America. It’s authenticity is the new benchmark for the type of content we’re creating for ESPN+.”

“We are proud to bring our distinct brand of storytelling to ESPN+, and will continue to experiment and challenge convention,” said Kevin Merida, Senior Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, The Undefeated. “We are excited about the premiere of Why Not Us, and the attention this series gives to the vibrancy of HBCUs and the promise of their future.” 

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The Undefeated on ESPN+, available now on the streaming platform, offers fans a dynamic platform for year-round premium Black storytelling with The Undefeated sensibilities. A dedicated new section for the partnership launches today as home to new original content, curated collections and more, throughout the year on the sports streaming service. This represents The Undefeated’s latest expansion across the Walt Disney Company.

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More than 50 years after leading Winston-Salem State to a historic title, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and his teammates will get the national spotlight again. 

CBS Sports Network will air a new documentary on Thursday, Feb. 11 (7:00 PM, ET), Big House, The Pearl & The Triumph of Winston-Salem State, highlighting Monroe and voiced by NBA All-Star and Winston-Salem native Chris Paul, along with a special We Need to Talk With interview on Sunday, Jan. 31 (2:00 PM, ET) with the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Williams. Additionally, the network will produce animated and regular-footage vignettes featuring Black athletes from over the past century.

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“It is imperative that we at CBS Sports, and as an industry, work towards a more diverse and inclusive landscape,” said Harold Bryant, Executive Producer and Executive Vice President, CBS Sports. 

“Telling these stories of Black athletes is incredibly important, and we are proud that many of our Black employees have the opportunity to lead these productions. These vignettes written, produced and edited by Black CBS Sports employees continue that necessary mission of utilizing our resources in front of and behind the camera to push for more diversity and inclusion.”

In a time of intense racial turmoil, a star from Philadelphia descended upon a North Carolina teachers college, Winston-Salem State. Earl “The Pearl” Monroe was so spectacular that the Rams had to move from their tiny campus gym to the Winston-Salem Memorial Coliseum so thousands of more fans could see him play. As a senior in 1966-67, “The Pearl” averaged 41.5 points per game and helped Winston-Salem State become the first HBCU to win an NCAA championship in any sport (Div. II). In the process, Monroe helped ease racial tensions in the still-segregated Winston-Salem by bringing everyone together to marvel, collectively, at his greatness.

The documentary, voiced by NBA All-Star Chris Paul, features interviews with Monroe; teammates including Eugene Smiley and Ernest Brown, among others; former Wake Forest coach and former CBS Sports analyst Billy Packer; and Head Coach Clarence Gaines’ son, Clarence Gaines II. Produced by Blake Berson with Sammy Smith as Associate Producer.

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What starts as a promising basketball career for Davon Dillard eventually sends him spiraling into the abyss of the portal, dropping him off in the most unlikely of destinations… A division II HBCU.

As a top 100 recruit from the class of 2015, Dillard’s path took him from the streets of Gary, Indiana to the suburbs of Long Island, New York as a High School hoops phenom. Davon’s journey then takes him to to the plains of Stillwater, Oklahoma, where he excelled on the court and struggled to feel at home off of it. And after 2 and a half up and down seasons at Oklahoma State, Dillard made his way to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he found something more important than any championship or individual accolade… The warm embrace of HBCU culture.

Witness Davon’s journey from an immature kid to an enlightened man ready to become a professional basketball player… in another most unlikely location.

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The unrelenting August sun sat high upon its midday perch as I wiped sweat onto the quickly moistening corner of my shirt.

Removing just enough sweat from my brow so that I could keep my eyes focused in the camera monitor as I hovered over my tripod at Carolina Panthers training camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

A buzzer sounded off in the distance and the surround sounds of pads slamming into equipment and coaches yelling from all corners came to a momentary pause.

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This was the signal for the players at the joint practice between the Buffalo Bills and Carolina Panthers to move on to the next phase of the day. Before walking off to the next drill, Darryl Johnson, a former North Carolina A&T star, reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and the guy I was at camp to cover raised his hand with his index finger pointed in the air. Signaling to his coach that he wanted to get one more rep in on the tackling machine in front of him.

“Go again Darryl… Get some extra work” the coach enthusiastically shouted. Johnson got down in the three-point stance and crashed into the human-shaped pad three times in a row.

BAM, BAM, BAM, went the sounds of Johnson hitting the pad, echoing through the practice fields of Wofford University as the rest of the players were in between reps.

I knew that the title of the segment I was putting together would somehow come from this simple moment between, Darryl, his coach, and my camera.

Extra Work Photo Gallery

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Extra Work

This original piece: “Extra Work: Darryl Johnson’s reps to 53” is the result of both our hard work (mostly Darryl’s) under the hot August Carolina sun, as I followed him during the joint practice and ensuing preseason game.

It became clear to me while shooting this segment that there were three important things for a player to accomplish while trying to make an NFL team.

1. Make plays

First, you have to make plays whenever you can in preseason games. Which Darryl had already done in the opening game against the Colts. He had three tackles and a sack and the seventh-round draft pick already had a nice buzz around his name with the Buffalo faithful.

2. Maximize reps

Second is to get as many reps in practice as possible, which was a tough task seeing that he was one of the last picks in the 2019 draft. And he was joining one of the most stacked defenses in the league.

I can recall being anxious waiting for Darryl to get a rep for me to film. Then I thought about how anxious he must be waiting on his turn to make an impression on the coaching staff.

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3…When game is dropped, pick it up

The third thing is soaking up as much game as possible from the vets on your team. Darryl Johnson was like a sponge during practice, and the veteran defensive ends on the Buffalo Bills were surprisingly eager to teach what they know to a rookie who is essentially their competition.

This is indicative of the “each one teach one” mentality that NFL players have among themselves. Which led to one of the best moments in the segment as Jerry Hughes, a 10 year NFL veteran, broke down Johnson’s use of the spin move in a one on one drill against Carolina’s Taylor Moton.

Moton initially got the best of Johnson. The veteran Hughes pulled Johnson aside and showed him some spin move techniques to use going forward. On Johnson’s very next rep he used the spin to blow past Moton. Hughes encouraged Johnson in the background during the play. It’s a great moment that perfectly summed up the brotherhood of NFL rookies and vets.

Making the roster

Darryl Johnson has done everything in his power to make the final 53 man roster for the Buffalo Bills since filming.

He had a strip-sack against Carolina and two more tackles on special teams the next week against Detroit. He is widely considered to be an asset that Buffalo and its fan base feel can’t let fall victim to the numbers game.

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With one more preseason opportunity to shine coming on Thursday, August 29 against the Minnesota Vikings, Johnson can cement his place with the Bills with another big performance.

For HBCU football fans, Johnson represents one of the many in a new generation of black college football players ready to show the world that sleeping on HBCU players is not a smart move.

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“I knew about Historically Black Colleges growing up, it’s funny because I always told myself I wouldn’t go to one…,” said Amir Hinton, in an interview with HBCU Gameday Filmmaker Wali Pitt.

Ironically, the two were sitting in CC Spaulding Gymnasium on the campus of Shaw University, one of the most historic gyms in HBCU basketball. A gym that Amir Hinton called home as he played his way from an unknown Philadelphia area transfer to NBA prospect in less than a calendar year.

“…but once I came down here and saw what was really going on and (saw) the atmosphere, everybody’s encouraging each other and backing up each other at the school… once I saw that and how it is, I was like…okay.”

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Amir Hinton x Different Photo Gallery

What was really going on during the 2018-2019 basketball season, was Hinton taking not just the black college basketball world by storm but leaving his mark on all of NCAA basketball by putting up numbers and dazzling fans at every gym he played in.

Success is not an overnight venture

“If you listen to the HBCU Gameday Podcast, you may have heard me talk about how much I hate when people say an athlete ‘came out of nowhere’. I feel like it kind of devalues the work they’ve been putting in for their entire life. Just because you only heard of them recently doesn’t mean they just popped up out of nowhere, they’ve probably been somewhere grinding” said Wali Pitt, the filmmaker behind the documentary project.

“When we (HBCU Gameday) started to catch wind of what Amir was doing on the court, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to get the backstory from an ‘out of nowhere’ athlete, and once I sat down with Amir I quickly realized that there’s no such thing as an overnight success.”

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Pitt started following Hinton almost every week after filming him at Johnson C. Smith University in January 2019 where Amir exploded for 40 points.

Away from the court

After the game against Smith in which Shaw University pulled out a close victory in a hostile road environment, Pitt went down to the locker room where he continued filming and got a glimpse of the Shaw Bears’ off the court chemistry.

“They really were like a family, (Head) Coach Hopkins was like the cool uncle, showing off how his Jordan 10’s matched his suit combo. When I first got down to the locker room the players were kind of going at each other about something from the game and the coaches just let them work it out among themselves. Five minuets later they were embracing each other, jumping up and down screaming ‘LETS GO SHAW U’ in the camera, it was crazy, and I thought, man, I gotta get more footage of these guys.”

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Pitt continued to film Shaw and more specifically Hinton for the remainder of the regular season and the CIAA tournament.

The result of those efforts is the 15 minute “Gameday Original” documentary “Amir Hinton x Different”

Hinton on wax

“I sat down with Amir before his final regular season game at CC Spaulding gym and basically asked him his life story,” Pitt joked. “Once we started talking he told me about growing up in the culture of outdoor basketball in Philly, transitioning to high school ball, then on to Lockhaven and how the whirlwind season had been at Shaw. He really left no stone unturned and it allowed me to know where to go back and research for elements in his past to create a really compelling narrative.”

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“I wanted the film to feel like a 90’s or 2000’s era hip-hop artists first album, the average basketball fan may know him as this DII NBA prospect, but I wanted to tell the story of how he got there, so I combined his own words with some gritty beats that I found online and tried to create a visual tapestry that would feel like Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ but as a documentary about a basketball player.

“Which is why I titled the film in the style that artists nowadays use to title their albums, with the ‘name’ x ‘title’ format. Plus the sheer amount of footage I had accumulated allowed me to really show off what he had done on the court and combine it with his interview and the newspaper articles and high school footage I had found, it’s a project that I’m extremely proud of.”

Amir Hinton declared for the NBA draft as an early entry but fell short of being the first DII player picked in the NBA Draft since 2005 and the first HBCU draftee since 2012.

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The newest Knick

Hinton did, however, sign a deal with the New York Knicks the morning after the draft, fulfilling his dreams of becoming an NBA player.

Hinton was invited to play on the Knicks summer league squad where in limited minuets behind the likes of one-and-done sensation RJ Barrett, he showed flashes of the 30 points per game scorer that HBCU hoops fans flocked to the gyms to see.

The documentary “Amir Hinton x Different” is out now on all HBCU Gameday Video platforms, including Youtube, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku.

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HBCU Gameday is excited to announce the latest documentary project from our “HBCU Originals” series, with the release of the official trailer for “Amir Hinton x Different” starring former Shaw University guard and NBA prospect Amir Hinton.

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Hinton sat down with resident HBCU Gameday Filmmaker Wali Pitt (who brought you last summer’s “The Original Gulf Coast Offense” doc) about to open up about his life’s journey in basketball. From playing on the concrete courts of Philadelphia, his high school and early collegiate career, to the unexpected excitement of playing HBCU basketball.

“I knew about historically Black colleges, it’s funny because I always told myself that I wouldn’t go to one,” Hinton told Pitt during his interview for the film. “But once I got down here and saw what was really going on and saw the atmosphere at the games, I was like…ok”

It was the atmosphere during Hinton’s 40 point performance at Johnson C. Smith that led Wali to begin to follow him game-by-game and eventually put the project together.

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“It was important for me to let Amir tell his own story,” Pitt said. “I wanted this project to be in Amir’s voice, allowing him to tell the world where he came from and how he got to this point.”

“It’s also exciting as a filmmaker to know that the story is still being written, hopefully we hear Amir’s name called in the NBA draft but no matter what, I believe he has the talent and work ethic to play on the big stage, and its important for other HBCU hoopers to know that the next level is within reach.”

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The Philadelphia native went from an unknown transfer from a small Pennsylvania school to declaring as an early entry into the NBA Draft, in under a calendar year. And it didn’t take long for the team at HBCU Gameday to recognize that Shaw University had a special talent in their backcourt.

Follow HBCUGameday.com for more information on the release date and where to watch the HBCU Gameday Original documentary “Amir Hinton x Different”.

The post Trailer: HBCU Gameday doc follows Amir Hinton’s path to NBA Draft appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

College football season brings out different types of excitement in all of us. Equipment managers roll out dusty shoulder pads from storage, fans purchase season tickets, and coaches send out their pre-season all-conference and all-American lists to their respective conferences.

Most of these players consist of superstars like lightning-fast defensive backs and nimble-footed receivers. Quarterbacks and running backs lead the pack along with the big linebackers that take on the blocks of gigantic lineman. Even the punters and kickers get public recognition. However, there is one position that more often than not goes unnoticed, but here’s the catch. If you do notice this player on the field, then that means something must have gone terribly wrong.

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Out of Sight Out of Mind

The most unrecognized athlete on the football field is that of the long snapper. For those who don’t know what position that is, the long snapper is the person who throws the ball upside down between his legs to the punter on the punt team and the holder on the field goal team. No, a long snapper is not the center. The center is an offensive lineman while the long snapper is a specialist.

Long snapper is one of the most wildly recruited positions in college football. They attend national showcases and earn full scholarships just like the hotshot quarterbacks. They get every perk every other position gets except media coverage and public appreciation. Especially in the Mid-Eastern and Southwestern Athletic Conferences.

Like it’s counter-part positions of kicker and punter, the long snapping position is primarily dominated by Caucasian athletes. While this is understandable as to why the Historically Black Conferences known as the MEAC and SWAC do not include these positions in their all-conference selections, it is still unacceptable. Of the eleven MEAC teams in 2017, seven of them had black long snappers. Of the ten SWAC teams in 2017, only four of them had black long snappers. This is 11 out of 21 black long snappers collectively in the two largest HBCU conferences in the United States. Only seven of these 21 teams actually had long snapper as a listed position on their rosters.

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Lack of Black Snap

I was blessed enough to be one of the very few African-American long snappers in the country. I even earned a scholarship and starting spot at North Carolina A&T where I would go on to play as a true freshman in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia and win two beautiful rings. It was the experience of a lifetime and I put my heart on the line each and every game. But as the list of the top players in the MEAC came out at the end of the season, I was astounded to find out that the position that my friends and I put our blood, sweat, and tears into was nothing more than a ghost to the selection committee. To make matters worse, the SWAC conference made the same decision to exclude the position of long snapper as well. I was just confused as to how the kicker and punter could be on the list but the long snapper is not. Do the fans and media believe that the ball just magically teleports back to the holder and punter?

All-Conference Recognition

I am willing to wager that none of the fans in Aggie Land aside from my teammates and family know who I am. I wear the gold and blue number 51. I started all 12 games just like Lamar Raynard and Franklin McCain, and I fought for every second of playing time in summer camp. How could that go unnoticed? But then I began to remember that the better I play, the less I am remembered. It is both a blessing and a curse but I just could not see my fellow snappers go without recognition any longer. My call to action is for the MEAC and SWAC conferences to add the position of long snapper to their all-conference lists.

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In case they do not know the criteria to search for in this position, here are a few: Spiral of the ball, accuracy of the ball, the speed of the ball, and tackles down the field. Maybe someday the hard-work of this beautiful position can be perceived as the work of art that it is.

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The post The Art of the Long Snap appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Buy your “Original Gulf Coast Offense” shirt here to support HBCU Gameday and rep the originals.

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Click to view slideshow.

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HBCU Gameday Podcast: The RAC Boys

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The post The Original Gulf Coast Offense: “The Mad Bomber and the RAC Boys” appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

From high school phenom to the last of the Saint Paul’s Tigers; Starbucks Barista to Livingstone College Blue Bear, witness the incredible “Legend” of Ramel “Pee Wee” Belfield. Only on HBCU Gameday’s web series The Players Club.

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Building a legacy in four years as a college basketball player is no easy task. For Riverdale, Georgia native Quincy January, it’s been a long road to his final CIAA tournament but he knows a championship is all he needs to cement his legacy as a Saint Aug Falcon. See what drives the Senior big man on the second episode of The Players Club.

The post The Players Club – Quincy January appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The CIAA has a rich history of great guard play and that tradition continues today at Johnson C. Smith with Robert Davis and Christian Kirchman. Davis, a 1,000 point scorer and Kirchman, a 300 assist point guard have merged their skills to create a headache in the backcourt for opponents. Find out how the JCSU seniors make it all work on the first episode of The Players Club.

The post The Players Club – Robert Davis and Christian Kirchman appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The post Rapman Ron – 2017 Gameday Anthem (Official Video) appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

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Roo in the House

Ain’t no tailgate like a Que Dawg Tailgate. Cause a Que Dawg Tailgate raises money for kids to go to HBCU’s. The Gamma Alpha Chapter of Omega Psi Phi in Roanoke, Virginia hosted a Tailgate at the 2017 CIAA Football Championship. They not only brought out their chapter-mates from Virginia but they united “Bruh’s” from Alabama to Oakland.

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Fellow “Que-Dawg” Eric Martin competed in the Tailgate Cook-Off Competition at the 2017 CIAA Football Championship. Martin is an Air Force Veteran and Omega-man representing the Loudoun County Ques of Loudoun County Virginia. He came to Salem ready to show the CIAA Championship crowd that the Que Dawgs can throw down on the grill, and he did just that by winning the 2017 CIAA Football Championship Tailgate Cook-Off Competition.

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We caught up with Eric in the parking lot while he was grilling his championship ribs and chicken, to hear about all the fundraising he and his chapter do for the kids and we talked to Tuskegee Alum Reginald Parker about the Omega brotherhood that brought Ques together from coast to coast to Salem Virginia for the 2017 CIAA Championship. 

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Fayetteville State University grads Tracey Suggs and Foster Wilkins formed a concussion awareness company called Protect Your Skull. Their mission is to make sports safer for all athletes.

The post Protect Your Skull appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

After 10 weeks of football we are only days away from crowning the 2017 CIAA Champions. Check out all the stops en route to the only destination that mattered in the CIAA… Salem Virginia, where the Fayetteville State Broncos will meet the Virginia State Trojans in the 2017 CIAA Championship game.

The post Destination Salem: Road to the 2017 CIAA Championship appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

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In the beginning

Cecil Newton Sr., Caylin’s Dad, planted the HBCU tree for his family when he was a strong safety for the Savannah State University football team.  He was invited to training camps with the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills in 1983 and 1984 respectively, before being released.  Cecil Newton Jr., the oldest brother, was an offensive lineman at Tennessee State University and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2009.  He had other stints with the Saints, Packers, and Ravens. The story of middle brother Cam Newton plays out on televisions across the country every Sunday.

Despite Cam playing at Florida and later Auburn, after graduating high school, HBCUs are still the lifeblood of the Newton’s football DNA.

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“It’s just a lifestyle man. HBCU is just in the blood baby. It’s always good to come out here and see family. The long lineage. My Dad is HBCU, I’m HBCU, my youngest brother is HBCU. It’s just a beautiful thing to come out here and enjoy the environment,” Cecil Jr. told our Wali Pitt at a recent game versus South Carolina State.

The HBCU recruiting trail

Caylin was a dual-threat quarterback, with a three-star rating, coming out of Grady High School in Atlanta in 2016.  He had five official offers, according to his ESPN recruiting profile, four of them were from HBCUs. So don’t be mad at Hampton, Texas Southern, and Savannah State because they tried.  Kentucky Christian was the other school to offer in addition to Howard.

Caylin, who lets his play do most of his talking, is very happy with his choice five games into the MEAC schedule.

“I couldn’t have made a better decision than to come to Howard, no regrets. I love it here,” he said.

Howard fans should be more than happy because the Bison are serious contenders for the MEAC Championship this season.  Something no one has dared to utter for the past five years.  Howard is 4-1 in conference play after the victory over South Carolina State and Newton’s conference statistics read like a fifth-year senior, not a true freshman. He’s first in the league in total offense, second in passing yards per game, fifth in rushing and fifth in passing efficiency.  On second thought those are Cam Newton type stats.

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Cam weighs in

Cam Newton obviously follows his brother’s progress although he can’t make it to the games in person.  He had this to say about his younger brother in a September article in SB Nation.

“I think he’s a very undersized quarterback. But yet it doesn’t measure the heart that he has, what he brings to the table. He has that ‘it’ factor that lets or to have guys follow him. That’s what you want in your quarterback. To take a program like Howard, to take a program that isn’t necessarily known for certain things and change the whole retrospect of what people think, now hearing him talk on the phone and hearing his responses to different things, it’s like people, I’m telling him: ‘You’re giving people hope.’ A team that has probably been known for their band, people are going to football games to watch football now, not just to listen to the band play.”

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Caylin isn’t self-absorbed in his own personal success. His main focus is on helping the team achieve goals that honestly haven’t been realistic for a while.

“It’s just about being a ballplayer, it doesn’t matter freshman or senior, it’s just putting the team into a position to win,” he said.

Return of the Bison

Coach Mike London knows he has something special in Newton and he’s well aware of the run that this year’s team is giving to the Bison faithful.

“It’s been a long time since we won three games in a row, been a long time since we been on the road and won a road game. A lot of positive things are going on and we’ll get better as a team,” London said.

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Cecil Newton Sr. is on the last go around of watching his sons play college football and so far he couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Real excited, good team spirit, good chemistry. All around good athletes and great coaches so I’ve been really excited. I’ve been to about three to four home games, really excited about what the program is turning out to be this season,” said Cecil Newton Sr.

Excitement is everywhere around the D.C. campus thanks in no small part to Caylin Newton, who is continuing the HBCU legacy of his family.

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Numbers don’t lie

A closer look at Caylin Newton’s conference statistics through the first five games of MEAC play.

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The packed house at Legion Field had to wait until the second half to see some offense but that was okay for many.  The Magic City Classic weekend started early for a lot of ASU and A&M fans alike.  RV’s, grills and pop-up shops have been entrenched in Birmingham since Thursday and even earlier, the game can often be just a backdrop for the overall fun of the week.

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Offense shows up late

The flow of the game did pick up after halftime, in the first half, however, it was all defense, the Hornets with a pick six and the Bulldogs with a safety.  AAMU took the lead in the 3rd quarter when Octayvious Miles scored on a three-yard run to make the score 9-7.

Alabama State put the pressure on AAMU with two unanswered scores.  The first a 12-yard run from Alex Anderson that was questionable at best.  The ball appeared to be coming out of his hands as he dove into the end zone, but the initial ruling of a touchdown was upheld.

Was it a TD or fumble? Either way Alabama State takes the lead over AAMU in the #MagicCityClassic 14-9 in the 3rd quarter pic.twitter.com/uYypPEU83u

— HBCU Gameday (@HBCUGameday) October 28, 2017

Darryl Pearson seemed to put the game out of reach with 2:41 to go in the fourth when he found Chett LeVay for an 8-yard touchdown.  Alabama State was up 21-9, but AAMU scored 42 seconds later on a Jordan Bentley touchdown to make it 21-16.

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.@BamaStateSports has a little more magic on Saturday. They beat @AAMUBulldogs in the #MagicCityClassic pic.twitter.com/TENTAKuTV7

— HBCU Gameday (@HBCUGameday) October 28, 2017

The Bulldogs had one last chance to make some magic of their own in Birmingham with 38 seconds left, but couldn’t convert a 4th and 10, allowing ASU to run out the clock and celebrate the victory.

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Alabama State will take their winning streak to Jackson State, who just got its first win of the season on Saturday against Mississippi Valley State.  Alabama A&M travels to Alcorn State in a game that will carry a lot of weight in the race for the SWAC Eastern Division.

The post Alabama State has that Magical feeling appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

HBCU Gameday contributor and former Bowie State quarterback Nyema Washington breaks down the Clark Atlanta offense led by Johnathon McCrary.

The post Pocket Rocket Analysis: Clark Atlanta University appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

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The road to one million

“The likes, the follows, the shares, all of it has been pouring in, it’s overwhelming, Quiana Reliford, the senior captain of the Honeybeez, said. “Yall running the battery down on my phone.”

While our video didn’t classify as “viral” since it took weeks to reach one million instead of days, or even hours, that was just the beginning.

Someone on Instagram downloaded on our video early in October and it suddenly started appearing natively on other people’s accounts.  We were hijacked.  The video was quickly reposted by The Shade Room’s IG account and then celebrities started getting in on the action.  The Honeybeez had over one million views in less than six hours from The Shade Room.

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Celebrities notice the Black Girl Magic

Cedric the Entertainer, KevOnStage, Mario Lopez, Kym Whitley, Kim Coles and others were suddenly commenting on and becoming fans of the Honeybeez.  The realness of being a viral sensation had become a reality.  Daquendra Elston had her moment in the middle of a Starbucks when KevOnStage dropped a play by play dialogue of their routine.

“I screamed every time I saw a celebrity.  I was playing my phone all loud, everyone was over my shoulder trying to see. Oh snap!” she recalled.

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A post shared by kevonstage (@kevonstage)

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Anyone would be blown away with the proverbial 15 minutes of fame, but these girls aren’t in it solely for the fame.  Their mission is to instill confidence in everyone who watches these plus size girls dance, flip and twirl around the football field.

“Our gift from God is to inspire young women and keep people motivated and get their confidence up,” Elston said.  Being plus size is beautiful and you can do whatever you want to do, no matter your size, you can be plus size and healthy, you can be plus size and in shape, you can be plus size and still do anything a smaller person can do.”

#NYFW2017 @Pooh_thebee We love this look! #myasu #teamhoneybeez Top 10 competitor for the face of @TorridFashion … ASU show your love! pic.twitter.com/EgvZDqdChQ

— Honeyb'z ?? (@honeyb_z) September 9, 2017

Haters gonna hate

Elston realizes everything hasn’t been positive in the comments section, it is the Internet after all, but she says words can’t break the spirit of the Honeybeez.  And then there’s the Honeybee nation. Most people who’ve dared to go down the road of weight shaming were quickly beaten back by other fans online.

“Our fans clap back, we don’t have to say anything, they are already there.”

God be the glory! We've been blessed beyond! Can't wait for u to see what's next for #teamhoneybeez #myasu. Thank you for your support!

— Honeyb'z ?? (@honeyb_z) October 10, 2017

Sisters in every sense

The journey to Alabama State was challenging for most of the six young ladies on this year’s team but together they form a bond that provides each of them with security and warmth.

“My life changed for the better and it just changed completely, I don’t know what I do without these girls. Being out of state and away from home, you need a family, you need people to call on, people to lean, there’s not a day that I can’t call one of them,” Reliford said.  “I wish there were more HoneyBee squads out there because every young woman needs a support group like this, especially during your college years.”

A third of this year’s squad are freshman and becoming a HoneyBee provided a safe space.

“Always in high school, I’ve always been put down because of my size,” freshman dancer Andrea Swain said. “Coming to join the HoneyBeez team just fills me up on the inside.”

We’ll see the HoneyBeez a few more times this season and there’s no doubt we’ll have the cameras rolling.  But I wouldn’t be surprised to turn on the television before our next trip to Montgomery and see those girls flipping across the screen.  My wife predicts they’ll make an appearance on Ellen before too long.  Hopefully, their magical ride will last a long time wherever it takes them from here.

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Off the field moves

Colvard’s moves off the field might be more impressive than his on the field work.  A while back a friend convinced him to take his place at a fundraising function for the Mayor’s scholarship program in Atlanta. He went to the event on a whim and met what he described as an accountant who was in a talkative mood thanks in part to the cash bar.

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“My real estate business did 20 million dollars last year, but my girlfriend she wants me to go to bed [at night] but I can’t, the money is calling me. Do you want an internship?” is how Colvard recalls the conversation going.

Colvard followed up with a LinkedIn request and showed up for his newfound internship that Monday.  In the office, there was an accountant, a developer, a trucking company owner, and a house flipper.  He stuck to them as close as he does to a wide receiver in practice.

“I just stayed in there for the whole summer. Just hearing them talk, started picking up on stuff and I wanted to do it. They were like you can do wholesaling,” Colvard said. He looked it up online and all of a sudden this Educational Studies major was on a new track in life.

Make success your priority, your duty. Then, surround yourself with those who are doing the same.#Success #TahjAndJulianInc pic.twitter.com/rMeOBfTakc

— Julian I. Colvard (@JulianColvard) December 27, 2016

Time to flip

What he discovered was that a wholesaler acts as the middleman between a person selling a house to someone who might be looking to buy and flip the home.  Colvard makes his commission and collects payment at the time of closing.

He says he made about $55,000 last year but also admits, “I didn’t know what I was doing.”  Colvard sets quarterly goals and now with a year of experience under his belt, he hopes to clear 100K in his second year.

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Making it all work together

Good athletes are great at compartmentalizing and that’s exactly how Colvard handles having a career, being a student and a college football player.

“What I am doing right now I can really stop going to school and hire one of the kids to be my interns.  I do have an intern actually. I hired a girl to train my clients while I’m here. Outsourcing.”

Colvard also leans on a saying he picked up from personal development guru Jim Rohn.

“When he was at the beach, he was thinking about work.  When he was at work he was thinking about the beach. It just messed stuff up. He said the best lesson he learned was when he was at the beach, think about the beach.”

A life under constant revision is the only one worth living.~ Julian Isaiah-Colvard

An unexamined life is not worth living.~ Socrates pic.twitter.com/G6uciwcW8S

— Julian I. Colvard (@JulianColvard) August 20, 2017

What’s next

Colvard is definitely thinking ahead. He was making plans earlier this fall to also get his real estate license.  That would make it easier for him to just list a property directly if he didn’t have time to fit it into his wholesaling operation.  He says he hopes his business blossoms into a billion-dollar operation like Gary Keller or Sam Walton. Which wouldn’t be bad for a would-be school teacher who made the most of a chance meeting.

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The Bowie game was set to be WSSU’s home opener. Despite the Rams recent success, the team had struggled at home, suffering its previous four regular-season defeats in the confines of Bowman Gray Stadium, dating back to the 2015 season.
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The first home game of the year is often the biggest outside of homecoming because, well, its first. On Friday night we caught a glimpse of Winston-Salem State’s marching band, the Red Sea of Sound, getting prepared for its big day by practicing in the shadow of the stadium, which had a freshly painted new Ram on it.

In the heart of the campus, the WSSU football team was loose, enjoying some downtime while head coach Kienus Boulware rubbed elbows with alumni at the Hall of Fame football celebration before coming over to deliver a speech to his team.

WSSU would lose the game 31-13, despite an animated and fiery speech from former WSSU star and NFL defensive back Anthony Blaylock. Here is what you didn’t see before, during, or after the game.

Want to give a big shoutout to the sponsors of this post, Peters Auto Mall of High Point. Go check them out if you need a new ride and tell them HBCU Gameday sent you!

The post So Hard To Be A Ram: “Home (Not So) Sweet Home” appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Winston-Salem State’s Kienus Boulware fell right in line with that when we first talked about the 2017 season. The fourth year head coach has a big, potentially historic season ahead of him as he and his team try to become the first CIAA team in over 20 years to win three-straight titles, something that no team at the school has ever done. But, of course, beating UNC-Pembroke was at the front of his mind, and for good reason.

After beating UNCP for his first win back in 2014, his teams had lost back-to-back season openers to it after scoring first in both games. UNCP, a playoff program in 2016, came into the season ranked no. 19 in all of Division II football.

And it wasn’t just the coach or the players who were focused on beating the Braves.

WSSU Chancellor Elwood Robinson spoke to the team two weeks before the season opener and stressed to them why he personally was looking for redemption along with the players in the uniforms.

After a long, grueling camp, game week came quickly as the August 31 opener meant the Rams had to play Thursday. The game was moved up three hours early, starting under the blazing late afternoon sun as they prepared to try to put together a complete game against an opponent that appeared to have their number.

Speaking of the heat, we have to give a big shoutout to the sponsor for this episode, Can’t Wait To Hydrate. Everyone knows drinking water is good for you, but I learned this week that not all water is created equally. That means it doesn’t all replenish, renew and revitalize the same, which can make the difference when fighting fatigue or heat like the Rams did in their opener. My friend Greg Norton can tell you more so be sure to click the link above.

Of course, by now you know the end result of the game. WSSU won 34-31, tossing the proverbial monkey off its back and starting the season 1-0 for the first time since 2014. But as with every game, there are defining moments that fans don’t get to see. Thanks to WSSU allowing access, you’ll get to see which players ignited the fire that fueled the win, including senior center Josh Wormley who helped Kerrion Moore rush for 231 yards and three scores in the win and challenged his teammates on the sidelines.

With that said, enjoy Part III of “So Hard To Be A Ram.” If you enjoy this series and want to help it continue, please contribute to the Go Fund Me account or buy a  “So Hard To Be A Ram” tee.

Part I: Why Are You Here
Part II: No. 1 With A Red Bullet
Part 2.5: Meet The Rams

We’d also like to send a special shoutout to 1892 Crew for sponosoring Meet The Rams last week. Get your Chicken Day tickets at eventbrite now!

The post So Hard To Be A Ram: Exorcising Ghosts appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Brock had no idea of the shape that CAU’s band had fallen into.  At her interview, she assumed it was a smaller than usual outfit but she had no idea what she was about to hear next.

“As part of my interview, the drum major actually asked me would you like to know how many members we have?  I said sure.  So I’m thinking the number is going to be about 48 or 64.  She said we have six people.  I said are you serious,” is the story Brock recently recounted in her office just a few weeks ahead of the season.

She didn’t get up to leave the table upon hearing this and she managed to get 64 people in the band ahead of Thursday night’s home and season opener.  To be precise Brock says she has somewhere between 68-71 kids on her roster heading into the season.

She’s already thinking about next season, targeting a goal of 96-128 people to be a part of the program.  That’s a long way from six.

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CAU Band rescue

Brock knew she had to do three things in order to turn things around at CAU.  #1) Recruit more kids. #2) Get on the same page with alumni. #3) Quell any fears or concerns that parents of potential students might have.  That kept her very busy.

“When I first got here in June I was probably averaging 80-90 hours per week, Monday through Saturday and some Sundays at one point,” Brock said.

Now in August, she has managed to get that down to a Monday through Friday schedule and don’t even think about calling her after 6pm.

After visiting with the Band a few weeks later, it’s clear that she is still whipping them into shape.  Every turn, every note, every step must be on point because there are no restarts in the game.

“I need you to feel the beat and know that A) I don’t move until count eight. Understand,” Brock barked to the band over her megaphone.  The band fell back into line repeating the same song again and again.

Big Dreams

Like any true visionary she’s not overlooking what’s in front of her she’s just able to see what’s beyond.  Her worries aren’t about opening night, homecoming or even the Chicago Classic.  She’s planted a flag in her mind about securing another invitation to the Honda Battle of the Bands and becoming the second HBCU to win the coveted Sudler Trophy.

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“I’m definitely dreaming big and I’m teaching the students to dream big as well.”

Those dreams will manifest into their first steps towards fulfillment on Thursday night as Clark Atlanta hosts Mississippi College at 7 pm.

The post Save my Band: Clark Atlanta University appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Got a sneak peak of the new @WSSURamFootball helmet with the new @WSSURAMS logo pic.twitter.com/XinRTYWaKK

– Steven J. Gaither (@stevenjgaither) August 22, 2017

If that wasn’t enough, along with the usual anticipation of a new football season, WSSU was named the top football program in the state of North Carolina, regardless of NCAA Division, by Hero Sports. That decision was a controversial one, not only from FBS teams like the ACC schools and Appalachian State, but even more so from FCS HBCUs North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T.

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Many fans and alumni from both institutions took issue with the D2 HBCU making the list over their teams, with multiple conference titles between them during the five year period of which WSSU was crowned king by Hero Sports (and NOT HBCU Gameday).

Regardless of the many opinions, the Rams came out on top in that publications logic. Tonia Walker, WSSU’s Director of Athletics talked about how the program’s quest for Division I helped propel the program to the heights that it currently inhabits.

WSSU head coach Kienus Boulware reveals that the program’s success has been achieved despite not having the full number of scholarships (36) allotted to Division II programs and how he’s able to land D1 level talent at a D2 school.

Now, who has had the best team each year? Having covered and watched all three teams in person over the last five years, my scorecard looks like this.

2012: Clearly WSSU (14-1)
2013: Probably WSSU (10-2)
2014: Either WSSU (9-2) or A&T (9-3)
2015: A&T (10-3)
2016: NCCU (9-3)

I’d like to thank Lisa Boone-Wood for sponsoring this episode of So Hard To Be A Ram. A 2006 WSSU alumna, Ms. Boone-Wood has transitioned from the newsroom to help folks find their dream homes as a realtor in the Triad area. If you are in the market for a new place click here to check out her website and let her know you heard about her through HBCU Gameday.

The post So Hard To Be A Ram: No. 1 With A (Red) Bullet appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

Before his senior season in 2016, we traveled to Bunn, NC, traveling home with Cohen and putting together what would become our “Beyond the Yard” series.

Cohen candidly talked with us about family, football, and his future in the three part series that spanned the entire 2016 season.

After a stellar senior season in which Cohen broke MEAC records and help guide the Aggies to the FCS Playoffs, it was no surprise that he was about to get his shot to prove himself in the NFL.

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And on Saturday, April 29th, Tarik Cohen received the call that would change his life, as the Chicago Bears made him their 4th round draft pick.

Before he left Greensboro for training camp we caught up with Cohen as he took the field at Aggie Stadium one last time… Not to leave more defenders in his dust, but for one last “Beyond the Yard” interview before he left for the Windy City.

Cohen filled us in on the madness that is the NFL Draft process, his relationship with his new organization, and relived some of his favorite memories from his collegiate career, in the finale of “Beyond the Yard” In Depth with Tarik Cohen.

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At times those three fit together. If I hadn’t gone to WSSU in 2004 and graduated five years later (yes, I was a redshirt senior), there may not be an HBCU Gameday. Despite that fact though, it has always been important to be especially objective with my alma mater as this platform is for coverage of HBCU sports as a whole. I’d like to think I’ve done a pretty good job of that.

With that in mind, it’s been my aspiration to find creative ways to tell the stories of our institutions through athletics, and I’ve always wanted to produce a documentary.

WSSU’s football team is coming off back-to-back CIAA championships and looking to win a third-straight conference crown. It has won the conference title a dozen times, but never three in a row. It’s something that hasn’t happened in the conference since Hampton did it in the 1990s. It’s also the 40th anniversary of the school’s first conference title and the 30th anniversary of the first team that won the CIAA title game.

That is part of a bigger year for the school as it prepares to celebrate its 125th year as an institution of higher learning. The school has undergone a new branding campaign and revealed a new Rams logo on August 19th.

WSSU has given me the opportunity to chase my goals by giving myself and HBCU Gameday the access to not only its practice fields but its locker rooms and player-coach meetings as it prepares for what it hopes will be a historic season.

My goal is to tell the story of the football team, and the school, in an accurate and honest manner.

The title of the web-series/documentary “So Hard To Be A Ram” comes from the school’s unofficial fight song. It was also the title of an earlier documentary shot 10 years ago by my late friend Jonathan Wedlock, a former football player who passed away earlier this year way too soon. This is a tribute to him as much as anything.

Hopefully this will be the first of many webseries here at Gameday, but this project will need support to reach it’s full potential. You can donate via Go Fund Me, or buy a “So Hard To Be A Ram” shirt.

It should be a fun ride. Be sure to subscribe to our Youtube channel, follow us on Facebook and of course check HBCUGameday.com for updates.

The post So Hard To Be A Ram: Why Are You Here? appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

The incredible choreography and and acrobatics of an HBCU Dance Team can be mesmerizing as they add motion to the music during each performance.

From promoting social awareness to incorporating large scale props and acrobatics the “Queens in Motion” of HBCU Dance can put on a show that rivals any drum line, band major, or horns section.

The post “Queens in Motion” an ode to HBCU dance teams appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

In Part 1 of Beyond the Yard: In Depth with Tarik Cohen we learn about Tarik’s life before becoming the all-time leading rushing leader in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference history, Tarik Cohen was just another kid from Bunn, North Carolina.

In Part 2 of Beyond the Yard: Tarik Cohen, we travel to Bunn High School where despite putting up big numbers, Cohen was overlooked because of his size.

In Part 3 of Beyond the Yard: Tarik Cohen, we join Tarik from the moment Tarik Cohen stepped foot on the campus of N.C. A&T he made an immediate impact. Now Cohen looks to prove all his doubters wrong again as he prepares for the NFL Draft.

Shot and Edited by Wali Pitt

Presented by HBCU Gameday and HBCU Live

Narrated By Tolly Carr

Still Photography by Steven J. Gaither

Soundtrack by Timeless Beats

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Produced by Wali Pitt

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Produced by Wali Pitt

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