The Greatest HBCU Players in Pro Football History

Much like the Negro Leagues, which gave Black baseball players opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have had when baseball was segregated in the first half of the 20th century, HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) gave Black people not only the opportunities for higher education that they wouldn’t have at more segregated schools, but also athletic inroads that would have been closed to them.

Not that HBCUs were automatic stepping stones to the NFL, which had a Black player ban from 1934 through 1945, and several limiting biases for decades after. The “positions of intelligence” — quarterback, center, linebacker, and safety — were not generally open to Black players, no matter how good they proved to be in college.

Things started to really change in the 1960s. As the country was undergoing its own civil right revolution, pro football was, as well. The American Football League, founded in 1960, couldn’t afford prejudice if it wanted to stock its teams’ rosters with the best possible players to compete with the NFL. And more enlightened coaches and executives like Vince Lombardi in Green Bay, and the Rooney Family in Pittsburgh, understood that the best players were the best players, regardless of race, creed, and color.

The Kansas City Chiefs were ahead of the game with super-scout Lloyd C. A. Wells, a Texas Southern University graduate who had a special skill for finding the best HBCU players and bringing them to head coach Hank Stram’s attention. Similarly, Bill Nunn, a writer and editor for the Pittsburgh Courier, had a pipeline to great HBCU players that he brought to the Rooneys and head coach Chuck Noll. These players took a historically moribund franchise (the Steelers had exactly one playoff season from 1933-1971) and turned it into one of the most impressive dynasties in sports history.

Now that pro football teams and major colleges have actually accepted that Black players can do all the smart stuff as well (progress!), HBCUs aren’t quite as impactful as they used to be, but they’re still part of the picture, and the history/legacy is so important. You could build an alternate Hall of Fame with this list of the 25 best players in HBCU history, and win a few Super Bowls with the Honorable Mention guys.

Pro football wouldn’t be what it is without the influence of HBCUs, and here are the 25 best pro football players who came from those schools.

1. WR Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State

San Francisco 49ers, 1985-2000/Oakland Raiders, 2001-2004/Seattle Seahawks, 2004. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2010 class. Selected with the 16th overall pick in the first round of the 1985 draft. 13-time Pro Bowler, 10-time All-Pro. 1987 NFL PFWA MVP, 1988 Super Bowl MVP, 1993 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1980s Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1990s Team, NFL 100 All-Time Team.

2. RB Walter Payton, Jackson State

Chicago Bears, 1975-1987. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1993 class. Selected with the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 1975 draft. 9-time Pro Bowler, 5-time All-Pro. 1977 NFL AP MVP, 1977 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year, 1977 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, 1985 NFL Newspaper Ent. Assoc. MVP, 1985 NFL Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year), Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1970s Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1980s Team, NFL 100 All-Time Team.

3. DE David “Deacon” Jones, South Carolina State/Mississippi Valley State

Los Angeles Rams, 1961-1971/San Diego Chargers, 1972-1973/Washington Redskins, 1974. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1980 class. Selected with the 186th overall pick in the 14th round of the 1961 draft. 8-time Pro Bowler, 5-time All-Pro, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1960s Team, NFL 100 All-Time Team.

4. OT Art Shell, University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Oakland Raiders, 1968-1981/Los Angeles Raiders, 1982. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1989 class. Selected with the 80th overall pick in the third round of the 1968 draft. 8-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro. Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1970s Team, NFL 100 All-Time Team.

5. OT Jackie Slater, Jackson State

Los Angeles Rams, 1976-1994/St. Louis Rams, 1995. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2001 class. Selected with the 86th overall pick in the third round of the 1976 draft. 8-time Pro Bowler.

6. LB Willie Lanier, Morgan State

Kansas City Chiefs, 1967-1977. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1986 class. Selected with the 50th overall pick in the second round of the 1967 draft. 8-time Pro Bowler, 3-time All-Pro, NFL 100 All-Time Team.

7. OG Larry Little, Bethune-Cookman

San Diego Chargers, 1967-1968/Miami Dolphins, 1969-1980. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1993 class. Undrafted free agent. 5-time Pro Bowler, 5-time All-Pro, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1970s Team.

8. DL Willie Davis, Grambling State

Cleveland Browns, 1958-1959/Green Bay Packers, 1960-1969. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1981 class. Selected with the 181st overall pick in the 15th round of the 1956 draft. 5-time Pro Bowler, 5-time All-Pro. Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1960s Team.

9. CB Ken Riley, Florida A&M

Cincinnati Bengals, 1969-1983. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2023 class. Selected with the 135th overall pick in the sixth round of the 1969 draft. One-time All-Pro.

10. CB Willie Brown, Grambling State

Denver Broncos, 1963-1966/Oakland Raiders, 1967-1978. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1984 class. Undrafted free agent. 9-time Pro Bowler, 5-time All-Pro. AFL Hall of Fame 1st team All-1960s Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1970s Team, NFL 100 All Time Team.

11. QB Steve McNair, Alcorn State

Houston Oilers, 1995-1996/Tennessee Oilers, 1997-1998/Tennessee Titans, 1999-2005/Baltimore Ravens, 2006-2007. Selected with the third overall pick in the first round of the 1995 draft. 3-time Pro Bowler. 2003 NFL AP MVP (Co-MVP with Peyton Manning).

12. CB Mel Blount, Southern University

Pittsburgh Steelers, 1970-1983. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1989 class. Selected with the 53rd overall pick in the third round of the 1975 draft. 5-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro. 1975 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1980s Team, NFL 100 All Time Team.

13. TE Shannon Sharpe, Savannah State

Denver Broncos, 1990-1999/Baltimore Ravens, 2000-2001/Denver Broncos, 2002-2003. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2011 class. Selected with the 192nd overall pick in the seventh round of the 1990 draft. 8-time Pro Bowler, 4-time All-Pro. Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1990s Team.

14. DE Michael Strahan, Texas Southern

New York Giants, 1993-2007. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2014 class. Selected with the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 1993 draft. 7-time Pro Bowler, 4-time All-Pro. 2001 NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year, Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-2000s Team.

15. Safety Ken Houston, Prairie View A&M

Houston Oilers, 1967-1972/Washington Redskins, 1973-1980. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1986 class. Selected with the 214th overall pick in the ninth round of the 1967 draft. 12-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro. Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1970s Team, NFL 100 All-Time Team.

16. DL Junious “Buck” Buchanan, Grambling State

Kansas City Chiefs, 1963-1975. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1990 class. Selected with the first overall pick in the first round of the 1963 AFL draft. Selected with the 256th overall pick in the 19th round of the 1963 NFL draft. 8-time Pro Bowler, 4-time All-Pro. AFL Hall of Fame 2nd team All-1960s Team, NFL 100 All-Time Team.

17. FB/LB Marion Motley, South Carolina State

Cleveland Browns, 1946-1953. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1968 class. Undrafted free agent. 1-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro. Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1940s Team, NFL 100 All Time Team.

18. CB Emmitt Thomas, Bishop College

Kansas City Chiefs, 1966-1978Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2008 class. Undrafted free agent. 5-time Pro Bowler, 1-time All-Pro. 

19. DE Richard Dent, Tennessee State

Chicago Bears, 1983-1993/San Francisco 49ers, 1994/Chicago Bears, 1995/Indianapolis Colts, 1996/Philadelphia Eagles, 1997. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2001 class. Selected with the 203rd overall pick in the eighth round of the 1983 draft. 4-time Pro Bowler, 1-time All-Pro. 1985 NFL Super Bowl MVP.

20. DB Aeneas Williams, Southern University

Phoenix Cardinals, 1991-1993/Arizona Cardinals, 1994-2000/St. Louis Rams, 2001-2004. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 2014 class. Selected with the 59th overall pick in the third round of the 1991 draft. 8-time Pro Bowler, 3-time All-Pro. 1991 NFL All-Rookie Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame 2nd team All-1990s Team.

21. Roosevelt Brown, OT, Morgan State

New York Giants, 1953-1965. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1975 class. Selected with the 322nd overall pick in the 27th round of the 1953 draft. 9-time Pro Bowler, 6-time All-Pro. Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1950s Team, NFL 100 All Time Team.

22. CB Everson Walls, Grambling State

Dallas Cowboys, 1981-1989New York Giants, 1990-1991New York Giants/Cleveland Browns, 1992Cleveland Browns, 1993Undrafted free agent. 4-time Pro Bowler, 1-time All-Pro. 1981 NFL All-Rookie Team.

23. WR Charlie Joiner, Grambling State

Houston Oilers, 1969-1971/Houston Oilers/Cincinnati Bengals, 1972/Cincinnati Bengals, 1973-1975/San Diego Chargers, 1976-1986. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1996 class. Selected with the 93rd overall pick of the fourth round in the 1969 AFL draft. 3-time Pro Bowler, 1-time All-Pro. 

24. CB Lem Barney, Jackson State

Detroit Lions, 1967-1977. Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1992 class. Selected with the fourth overall pick of the first round in the 1975 draft. 7-time Pro Bowler, 2-time All-Pro. 1967 NFL AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, Pro Football Hall of Fame team All-1960s Team.

25. WR Harold Jackson, Jackson State

Los Angeles Rams, 1968/Philadelphia Eagles, 1969-1972/Los Angeles Rams, 1973-1977/New England Patriots, 1978-1981/Minnesota Vikings, 1982/Seattle Seahawks, 1983. Selected with the 323rd overall pick in the 12th round of the 1968 draft. 5-time Pro Bowler, 1-time All-Pro. 

Honorable Mention

OT Winston Hill, Texas Southern
DT Roger Brown, Maryland Eastern Shore
DE Claude Humphrey, Tennessee State
DE/DT Coy Bacon, Jackson State
DB Donnie Shell, South Carolina State
CB Lemar Parrish, Lincoln University
RB Leroy Kelly, Morgan State
WR Bob Hayes, Florida A&M
LB Harry Carson, South Carolina State
DE Ed “Too Tall” Jones, Tennessee State
WR Harold Carmichael, Southern University
OL Nate Newton, Florida A&M
DE Robert Mathis, Alabama A&M
DE/LB Rich “Tombstone” Jackson, Southern University
DT Larry Brooks, Virginia State
OT/TE Rayfield Wright, Fort Valley State
WR Otis Taylor, Prairie View A&M
DT/DE Jethro Pugh, Elizabeth City State
OT Erik Williams, Central State
DE Elvin Bethea, North Carolina A&T
DE/DT/LB Carl Hairston, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
QB Doug Williams, Grambling State
LB Greg Lloyd, Fort Valley State
DE L.C. Greenwood, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
CB Albert Lewis, Grambling State
WR John Stallworth, Alabama A&M
OLB Robert Brazile, Jackson State
WR Jimmy Smith, Jackson State
LB Isiah Robertson, Southern University
OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
WR Donald Driver, Alcorn State
OT Howard Ballard, Alabama A&M
WR John Gilliam, South Carolina State
OG/OT Herbert Scott, Virginia Union University
OL Henry Lawrence, Florida A&M
DB Antoine Bethea, Howard University
RB Rickey Young, Jackson State
DE/DT Julius Adams, Texas Southern
DE Verlon Biggs, Jackson State
CB Rashean Mathis, Bethune-Cookman
WR Ken Burrough, Texas Southern
OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
DE Hugh Douglas, Central State HB/DB
Clem Daniels, Prairie View A&M
CB Johnny Sample, Maryland-Eastern Shore
DE Len Ford, Morgan State
WR John Taylor, Delaware State
CB Ashley Ambrose, Mississippi Valley State
RB/LB Tank Younger, Grambling State
DT Ernie Ladd, Grambling State
DB Jim Kearney, Prairie View A&M
TE Raymond Chester, Morgan State
RB Emerson Boozer, Maryland-Eastern Shore
WR Jake Reed, Grambling State
WR Homer Jones, Texas Southern
QB James Harris, Grambling State
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Tennessee State
DE/DT Jim Lee Hunt, Prairie View A&M
WR Sammy White, Grambling State
DB James Hunter, Grambling State
RB Willie Galimore, Florida A&M
CB Robert James, Fisk University
TE Ben Coates, Livingstone College