Last week, representatives for the franchises of the National Football League (NFL) met in Kansas City, Missouri to select from a pool of the brightest college stars as part of their annual draft. After all was said and done, only one player was selected from an HBCU — Jackson State University’s Isaiah Bolden, who was picked by the New England Patriots in the seventh and final round on Saturday (April 29).
via: NBC News
Sanders, now the head coach at Colorado, tweeted on Saturday that he’s “ashamed” of the 31 teams that did not select a single HBCU player during the draft. Only the Patriots used a draft pick on a player from an HBCU school, taking former Jackson State cornerback Isaiah Bolden at No. 245.
“We had 3 more draft worthy players at JSU,” Sanders tweeted.
On one hand, teams are looking for the best possible players, wherever they can find them. On the other hand, if teams aren’t devoting sufficient resources to scouting HBCU schools and players, who will they be able to make reliable projections when comparing players from so many different schools at once?
Opportunities will come via undrafted free agency. And players from HBCU schools will have a chance to compete, and to thrive — as did Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, Mel Blount, Steve McNair, Shannon Sharpe, Michael Strahan, and more.
So proud is you @isaiahbolden23 You deserved to be drafted much higher but I'm truly proud of u. I know how much u want this. I'm ashamed of the 31 other @nfl teams that couldn't find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players & we had 3 more draft worthy players at JSU. pic.twitter.com/BfEm3zIGPH
— COACH PRIME (@DeionSanders) April 30, 2023
