At the risk of turning a fake "Coli know it all" on my recent posts, I just can't not comment on this topic, but I'm going to leave it alone after this.
I would love to sit and talk to Jemele Hill or anyone here that really truly believes the things they write on this HBCU/PWI sports topic, when they don't know or speak to the real athletes or parents. It comes off to me as pandering or fishing for daps, because it's cool to say what people should or shouldn't do - but never followed up by feasible, economic ways that “symbol” can and will actually help.
Who am I?
I played football at an HBCU.
A lot of my friends are coaches - a few at HBCUs, most at PWI or NFL. We all played some level of pro football, most NFL, some at VERY high level careers.
I loved my HBCU. I ended up there just like every other player on my team - I got kicked out of my JUCO, I had plans to go to a D1 prior. Either that, or my teammates just were not good enough in HS, but nobody would’ve chose that school over FSU or USC, etc.
Anyway, I love my school so much, I just was asked to speak to the team last week during camp - I give back in time, money, resources, and giving the team (who is VERY GOOD, and sent a couple to NFL over past 10 yrs) some motivation.
With all that being said - stop this argument.
Basketball-wise - I can actually see it happening, if a group of guys go.
Football - NO.
Right now, myself and a few of my guys mentor the NUMBER 1 RATED WR in the Class of XXX (can’t be specific because I have said to much on other posts before and will not make those mistakes again.)
He is an amazing kid. Tough background. Poor as hell. Going to be a top-2 round pick barring injury or trouble.
I could never in my right mind or heart tell him to go to my HBCU over the school he committed to for the sake of Jemele Hill or some “black people looking good” idea.
You know what looks good? The family structure and generational wealth some of my friends have. The communities they have built, even winning NFL Man of Year awards for doing so. The ability to create opportunities and hire people we grew up with, things that you see Lebron doing, but lots of former players are doing in real life.
I remember NCC (the coach quoted in article). I have been there. Facilities are not touching anything at a top program.
Think more linear. The schools do not have the budgets to hire the amount of quality strength and medical staff (not to mention medical and rehabiitaion equipment, which one item alone can cost 100k) to even nurse your injuries. They usually have to hire 1 or 2 top people and use students. I still have injureis from playing at my top HBCU that would’ve been fixed with more staff.
HBCUs can only pay a certain salary coach wise, because they do not have the budget. No one on this board is taking 100k less to do MORE WORK, and STILL BE AWAY FROM THERE FAMILIES AND KIDS. That would be asinine, unless you already were secure like Andrew Luck or something. The staff have a few full-time coaches, and the rest part time, who work other jobs to survive.
The travel is like minor league baseball.
Someone above laughed at working out in top notch facilities and eating amazing food - like that does not or should not matter to a KID and his PARENT. Live in real life brother. And that stuff DOES MATTER, and it does help. Its almost like saying just drive a jalopy because it gets you from point a to point b like a Benz - but most people who can afford a Benz, take the Benz. That is not a hard concept to understand.
Lastly, the top kids are 100% getting paid, and their mothers are too. And they are getting money when they are facing eviction, deaths in families etc. Thats just a fact. And it aint all BLUE CHIPS either - some of these recruiters genially like the kids they are recruiting, and when that kid calls and says my mom has no car or gas money can you please help me….what do you do? You have a bag of money that you know could help this kid have a good day.
Why the hell are we so pressed about FB & BB? I dont care if HBCU missed that boat to being elite there, because there are 100 other things that HBCUs can be elite at, and are.
Some of the top doctors I know went to Howard. Some of the top professionals i know went to Hampton. Etc Etc. They dont need football to be great, and that should not be the narrative, nor what makes a school great.
Please enlighten me to why this matters? I feel just as happy for the kids at MD that beat HU 79-0 as I do for the kids at HU that have schollys and may still win MEAC, because if all those UMD kids played at HU, the HU kids would be playing…..where again?
