Reflections on Black excellence and the NFL’s role in driving generational impact

It was at the site of the HBCU Week and college fair in Wilmington, Delaware, where the spotlight shines on our nation’s excellent Historically Black Colleges and Universities each fall.

Youngsters were talking with HBCU admissions counselors. Students making professional connections. Successful businesspeople recruiting for interns.

Black excellence, all around me.

That was the backdrop when Ashley Christopher, CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, made a bold statement: “We want this to be huge. As big as the Super Bowl.” Experiencing what her organization had accomplished in its first years — the generational impact it was beginning to make — we were firmly aligned.

The NFL was in. We committed to partnering with the foundation, providing high school students with $10,000 scholarships to attend the HBCU of their choice. The latest round of applications just closed on February 15.

You may be asking, “Why is the NFL investing in HBCU scholarships that have nothing to do with football?”

It’s because the National Football League, as a highly visible sports and entertainment entity, has a responsibility to the Black community.

Despite the work that still must be done to have more Black representation at the head coach level, the league does have a platform to effect change for players and others within the spectrum of competitive athletics.

But creating, curating and elevating opportunities for Black people broadly — men and women from all walks of life — is equally important.

We’ve ramped up those efforts over the past decade. In my opinion, the results my colleagues have worked so hard to achieve are second to none.