This Saturday the nation’s top players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s) will take the field for the HBCU Legacy Bowl.
In the spirit of Black History Month, Doug Farrar of USA Today’s Touchdown Wire put together his list of the 51 greatest HBCU players to play in the NFL. And as you might expect, there was a strong Raiders representation in there.
In particular, there were five players featured on the list who once donned Silver & Black. Two of whom were original Raiders.
The first player on the list is the GOAT himself, Jerry Rice. He came out of Mississippi Valley State in 1985 and played four seasons with the Raiders from 2001-04.
The highest-ranking original Raider is Art Shell who came out of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1968 and spent his entire Hall of Fame career in Silver & Black. He came in at No. 3 on the list.
“Shell is on a very short list of the best offensive tackles in pro football history, and he also holds the distinction of being the second Black head coach in NFL annals — and the first in the modern era. (Fritz Pollard coached the Akron Pros in 1921 and 1925).
From 1971 through 1973, Shell was part of a Raiders offensive line that included four future Hall of Famers — Shell at left tackle, Gene Upshaw at left guard, Jim Otto at center and Bob Brown at right tackle. But it was Shell, among the ultimate combinations of technician and mauler, who set the tone.”
Coming in just outside the top ten at No. 11 is Grambling State’s own Willie Brown. Though Brown’s NFL career began with the Broncos, his Hall of Fame legacy came with the Raiders and after his career was over became a fixture in Silver & Black for the rest of his life.
“But it was the trade to the Oakland Raiders before the 1967 season that formed a perfect marriage between player and scheme. Brown was one of the best bump-and-run cornerbacks in AFL or NFL history, and the Raiders of the time were as aggressive with that particular technique as any team you’ll see in any era of pro football.
Over 12 years with the Raiders, he grabbed 39 regular-season interceptions for 277 return yards and two touchdowns, adding seven more interceptions for 96 return yards and three more touchdowns in 17 postseason games. Brown’s best-known play came in the Raiders’ win in Super Bowl XI — a 75-yard pick-six of Fran Tarkenton that iced Oakland’s 32-14 win.”
Flip that and you have Rich ‘Tombstone” Jackson, who began his career with the Raiders but played the best years of his career with the Broncos. The Southern University alum came in at No. 39 on the list.
Just making the list at No. 50 was Albert Lewis out of Willie Brown’s alma mater, Grambling State. Lewis played most of his career in Kansas City, signing with the Raiders in 1994 and spending the final five seasons of his career in Silver & Black.
The whole list is worth a look. If for no other reason than to serve as a reminder of just how much greatness has come from HBCU’s over the years.
