For decades now, young Black football players have been hit with the narrative that they have to go to one of the more mainstream universities-if they hope to catch the eye of NFL scouts. Clearly that does not apply to former South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard. Drafted in the second round of this year’s draft, by The Indianapolis Colts, Leonard led the entire league in tackles and had the most by a rookie since 1985 (Duane Bickett). Hailing from Mullins, SC, this 23-year-old played a major part in the seemingly out of nowhere resurgence of what had been a really bad Indianapolis Colts Defense (and team overall). The unheralded, and largely unknown, Leonard finished the regular season with an astonishing 163 tackles, seven sacks, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two interceptions. Add to that list of accomplishments, a game-winning interception in primetime-that vaulted his team to the playoffs. Darius Leonard set The Colts All-Time Record for most tackles in a season-and all of this in just 15 games. If he does not win this year’s Defensive Rookie Of The Year Award, then a crime will have been committed.
At South Carolina State, Darius Leonard shined from the moment he stepped on the field. As a redshirt freshman, he led SC State in tackles, earned All-Conference Honors the following season; and finished as the 2016 MEAC Defensive Player Of The Year.  His senior year numbers were similar to the prior year; but with more QB Sacks; and he would be invited to The NFL Combine. Going into the draft, NFL Scouts questioned his aggressiveness and strength-which at this point makes one question their qualifications Lol. As a result, he received a 2nd to 3rd round grade-and 35 other players were drafted in front of him. But this was nothing new to him, as he had previously been overlooked by the college team he wanted to play for most-Clemson.
Not alone in the struggle, there are multiple other HBCU-Rooted Players making an impact in the league nowadays. And based on the success of players like Darius Leonard and Tarik Cohen, hopefully more and more players from HBCUs will get more love in the coming years. Honestly, it would be even better if more high schoolers forced the hands of the scouts by choosing HBCUs over the more mainstream path. We have the power to break the current power structure almost overnight! 
https://www.nfl.com/prospects/darius-leonard?id=32462018-0002-5598-185a-4784aff66bfa

For those who haven't yet seen it, Academy Award-Winning Writer/Director extraordinaire Jordan Peele quietly dropped the trailer for his upcoming horror flick "Us" on Tuesday December 25th. The film stars Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, as a family (Adelaide & Gabe Wilson) trying to enjoy a beachside vacation with their children and friends. This turns out to be far from a vacation, as The Wilsons will soon find themselves being terrorized their own doppelgängers (The Tethered). The concept of The Tethered centers around the duality of self, and how we can at times be our own worst enemy, turned all the way up to its highest magnitude. This definitely looks to make for a chilling piece of art, that will hopefully continue to elevate the standing of Black Cinema and open doors for more to come in the future. "Us" is set for a March 2019 release.

​According to The Football Database website, 115 players from Tennessee State University have been drafted to the NFL/AFL since 1961. And with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie recently announcing his retirement from The NFL, I began to feel a slight sense of mourning for a long-forgotten legacy of TSU Greats that made an impact in The National Football League. Few recognize or remember a time when the option for black athletes to play at the collegiate level was at Historically Black Universities exclusively. Schools like Grambling, Tennessee State University, Southern University, Florida A&M, Alcorn State, and others put a product on the field that other universities feared. If you look at the list of Black NFL Hall Of Famers, pay attention to what schools they were drafted out of! As the barriers of segregation began to be dismantled, larger universities began to raid these programs, and things would never be quite the same. Still, it is imperative that we continue to keep telling our story. If we do not no one else will…

Few know this, but Ed “Too Tall” Jones actually came to TSU to play basketball. By his junior year though, Jones had transitioned to football and would earn All American Honors each of those two seasons before being selected 1st Overall in The 1974 NFL Draft by The Dallas Cowboys. After playing in two Super Bowls, Jones left to pursue a boxing career (impressively scoring a 6-0 record w/ five of those victories by knockout). In 1980, Ed “Too Tall” Jones returned to The Cowboys with a vengeance. With amazing size and speed, struck fear in opposing offenses right on up to his retirement in 1989. For his career, Jones totaled 1032 tackles, 19 fumble recoveries, and three interceptions. Quarterback sacks were not tracked as a stat, until the later part of his career; so while his is said to have sacked QBs 106 times-he is only officially credited with 57.5. Ed “Too Tall” Jones was a three time All Pro, played in three Pro Bowls, and three Super Bowls (winning one at Super Bowl XII). He is a member of The NFL Hall Of Fame, Black College Football Hall Of Fame, and Tennessee Hall Of Fame.
http://edtootalljones.com/bio/nfl-professional-career/
http://www.tsutigers.com/football/news/2015-16/6075/ed-too-tall-jones-will-be-john-merritt-classic-honoree/
http://tshf.net/halloffame/jones-edward-too-tall/​

Before becoming one of the most feared pass rushers in NFL History, Richard Dent was a three-time All American at TSU. Arriving on campus in 1979, young Richard Dent excelled with 158 tackles, 39 sacks, and six fumble recoveries. Drafted in the 8th round of the 1983 NFL Draft, Dent shined brightly despite being surrounded by one of the most impressive gathering of talent on what would become the greatest defense of all time. As part of that legendary 1985 Chicago Bears Squad, Dent would record 17 sacks and two interceptions. That season The Bears would get their first and only Super Bowl Victory; and Richard Dent was honored as Super Bowl XX MVP (only four other defensive players have ever been selected as Super Bowl MVP). Dent continued to dominate for several more seasons and won another ring with The San Francisco 49ers in 1994. Retiring in 1997, Richard Dent had amassed a total of 677 tackles, 137.5 sacks, 37 forced fumbles, 13 fumbles recoveries, and eight interceptions. He was a four time All Pro and made it to four Pro Bowls. Post-retirement, Richard Dent has been inducted into The NFL, Black College Football, Tennessee, and Georgia Halls Of Fame.
https://www.profootballhof.com/players/richard-dent/
https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/college/2014/11/05/dent-inducted-black-college/18542009/
https://tshf.net/halloffame/dent-richard/​

Defensive End Claude Humphrey was selected in the 1st Round (3rd Overall) by The Atlanta Falcons in the 1968 AFL/NFL Draft. Hailing from Memphis, TN, Claude Humphrey would play at TSU from 1964 until 1967. In 1968, he would be named Defensive Rookie Of The Year by The Associated Press.
After a brief retirement, Claude Humphrey was traded to The Philadelphia Eagles for two fourth round draft picks. And in 1980, his 14.5 sacks would help lead The Eagles to The Super Bowl.
A six-time Pro Bowler & five times 1st Team All Pro, Humphrey is credited with a total of 122 sacks over his career (a statistic not tracked until after he had retired; so he may actually have more). He would go on to be inducted into The NFL Hall Of Fame in 2014. He is also in The Tennessee Hall Of Fame, Georgia Hall Of Fame, and Atlanta Falcons Ring Of Honor.
https://www.profootballhof.com/players/claude-humphrey/#statsContent
https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/titans/2014/01/31/tsu-great-claude-humphrey-keeps-hall-of-fame-dream-alive/5083113/

​In 1974, young Joe Gilliam Jr. briefly broke the unwritten rule that barred Black Men to play quarterback in The NFL. Like most other myths used to support White Supremacist Propaganda, the idea implied was that Black Men were not smart enough to play the field general position. A couple of Black QBs broke through the barrier, due to injuries to the other QBs in front of them; but “Jefferson Street” Joe earned the starting nod during the preseason and was the first Black Quarterback to go into the season as the starter. Even more impressive, he had unseated former 1st round pick and future Hall Of Famer Terry Bradshaw. Expectations were extremely high-only outmatched by the venom of racist fans fearing that once again their positioning was being threatened. Gilliam endured harassment and death threats, including an infamous call from a stranger telling him everywhere that he had been (and what time) that day. The implication being that he could have killed him whenever he wanted to. Joe’s play suffered, and by week six he had been benched. At some point during that season, Joe fell victim to the lure of narcotics and would be out of the league the following year. Though he never started another game, “Jefferson Street” Gilliam would still be the face to inspire the next generation of Black Quarterbacks in The NFL. He was a Hero and A Martyr.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/remember-when-joe-gilliam-takes-terry-bradshaws-starting-qb-job/

Though his career was shortened due to injury, Cleveland Elam still made his presence felt while playing Defensive Tackle for The San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. As part of The 49er’s infamous “Gold Rush” Defensive Line, Elam racked up 14.5 quarterback sacks in 1976 & 17.5 the following year. Having been selected in the 4th Round of The 1975 NFL Draft, Elam would earn Pro Bowl Honors in both 1976 and 1977.
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Cleveland-Elam

Anthony Pleasant spent 14 seasons, playing Defensive Lineman in The NFL. Drafted in the third round, by The Cleveland Browns, in 1990, Pleasant had been a staple of the Big Blue Defense and 1989 AP All-American. No other D-Lineman has been drafted since then. Pleasant would go on to play for the Ravens, Falcons, Jets, and 49ers-before earning two Super Bowl rings with The New England Patriots (2001 & 2003). Over his career, Pleasant is credited with 531 tackles, 58 sacks, 13 forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. That included six forced fumbles in one season!! Anthony Pleasant briefly served as an assistant coach with The Kansas City Chiefs & Houston Texans. It is unclear what he is doing now.
http://www.tsutigers.com/football/news/2012-13/2955/100-moments-pleasant-becomes-a-pro/​

​The last NFL Star to come out of TSU, DRC was a little over 1/3 of the way through his 11th season when he retired. Drafted with the 16th pick in the 2008 Draft, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie picked up 30 interceptions (six of them returned for touchdowns) and seven forced fumbles. Cromartie played in two Pro Bowls, was a major free agent acquisition on the ill-fated Philadelphia Eagles “Dream Team,” and played in two Super Bowls (winning on his second trip, in 2016, with The Denver Broncos). At TSU, he was a three-time All OVC First Team Selection and FCS All American in 2007. He also excelled on The Big Blue Track Team. 

Eldridge Dickey led Tennessee State University’s Football Team, as a three-time HBCU All-American at quarterback, to its first undefeated season in history, and a National Black College Football Championship (1966). In 1968, he made history as the first Black Quarterback selected in the 1st Round of The AFL/NFL Draft by The Oakland Raiders. Unfortunately, there was still a movement in place that refused to allow any Black Man to play such a coveted field general position. As a result, Dickey would never actually play a single regular season down at QB. Like so many others, before and after him, he would be switched over to play Wide Receiver.  Like another much-heralded TSU quarterback, that would come along shortly thereafter, Dickey would eventually turn to drugs as a coping mechanism. One can only wonder what he could have been…
Eldridge Dickey died in 2000. He would be inducted into The Tennessee Sports hall Of Fame in 2014.
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Eldridge-Diersckey
https://theundefeated.com/whhw/eldridge-dickey-first-black-quarterback-drafted-tennessee-state-in-the-first-round-nfl/

Having played a vital role on the undefeated (10-0) TSU Tiger Team that won the 1973 Black College Football National Championship, Mike Hegman would later be a part of the legendary “Doomsday Defense” of The Dallas Cowboys. Selected in the 7th Round of The 1975 NFL Draft, Hegman had not played a down of football until his senior year of high school and was only a junior when drafted to the league. Hegman would go on to enjoy a 12 year career, in which he would see victory in Super Bowl Xll; and provide one of few bright spots in a losing effort at Super Bowl XIII the following year.  Mike Hegman retired in 1988.
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Mike-Hegman

​While Golden Tate may have not may not have made the impact in the pros that some of his peers have made; but his legacy is too strong to be left out of this post. In 1983, Golden Tate took the records for receiving yards and receptions in a season. He also became the only TSU Tiger to gain more than 200 receiving yards twice in one year. Golden Tate would go on to be selected in the 5th Round of the NFL Draft; but yet his contribution to the football world rolls right into to 2018. Golden Tate is the father of current Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver Golden Tate ll (previously of The Seattle Seahawks & Detroit Lions). 

Former Big Blue Wide Receiver Mike Jones may not have made as big of an impact as his peers mentioned in this post; but his story is impressive nevertheless. A two-time All American at TSU, Jones went on to play six seasons in The NFL, scoring 11 touchdowns along the way. After his playing career was over though, he would go on to coach in NFL Europe. As a receiver’s coach he would see action in four out of the next six World Bowl Championship Games (winning two with The Rhein Fire), before going on to three more as The Frankfurt Galaxy’s Head Coach. Of those three seasons, he would win in 2006 (he was also named Coach Of The Year).  Mike Jones returned home to TSU, as Offensive Coordinator, from 2010 until 2014. It is unclear where he is currently employed.
http://www.tsutigers.com/football/roster/2010-11/4497/mike-jones/

Back in December of 2016, Cam Newton was benched for the first series of the game, as punishment for an alleged “dress code violation” as punishment. That punishment only lasted for ONE PLAY; as Derek Anderson immediately threw an interception on the first play. Carolina Panthers Head Coach Ron Rivera could have stood on whatever measure of principles he thought mattered and extended the punishment; but he knew that this would be the very definition of insanity. 
But this week, Derek Anderson (who has only thrown the ball 6.7 passes in the past three years) will be the starting QB for The Buffalo Bills. Oh, and of those 67 passes, five of those were intercepted. He did throw for two touchdowns; but ummm yeah. Another career backup, that’s a backup for a reason, is being sent out to start a game while Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned…
A few weeks ago, I wrote about some teams that I felt should consider at least adding Brother Kap to their roster. Let’s take a look at the state of affairs, as week seven begins... 

​The Buffalo Bills currently rank last in Total Offense, Passing Yards, Receiving Yards, and First Downs. Collectively, between Josh Allen and Nathan Peterman, The Bills have only THREE Touchdown Passes thru six weeks. Add nine INTs and an injured Josh Allen to the mix, and you what you get is one big mess. Prior to all of this, they ran Tyrod Taylor out of town in very disrespectful fashion. And now they want Derek Anderson to put down his clipboard, and throw some more interceptions…

As a resident of The State Of Tennessee, I’ve seen and heard a lot in regard to it’s lineage of quarterbacks. From McNair to Young to Mariota, and all the trash in between, it’s been a lot of good and a lot of bad. But never have The Titans been this impotent. Based on the callers to the various talk radio shows, the fans have largely lost all optimism that the once-heralded Marcus Mariota would lead the team to a brighter future. And to have been sacked 11 times this week, by a Ravens Team that does not include Ray Lewis or Ed Reed??? The Titans rank in the bottom three in Total Offense, Passing Yards, Receiving Yards, and First Downs. And Mariota still can’t stay healthy. Last year, it was reported that Colin Kaepernick actually reached out to The Titans requesting an opportunity to workout for a roster spot. Instead they chose Matt Cassel; and this year Blaine Gabbert. Don’t you think it may be time to return that call and reach back?  

​In my earlier piece, I questioned if The Cardinals understood the ramifications of going forward with an injury-prone Sam Bradford and an unexperienced Josh Rosen under center. Predictably, Sam Bradford went down to yet another injury. Josh Rosen did okay at first; but after being mauled by Denver 45-10 Thursday Night, it is clear that he may already be damaged goods. Last night Rosen threw the ball 39 times; but for only 194 yards. He threw one touchdown, versus three pics, for a QBR of 3.0. Horrible. Offensive Coordinator Mike McCoy was fired after the game; and Byron Leftwich will now be tasked with saving this kid’s career. As if reviving an offense that ranks in the bottom five in every statistical category so far this year. More specifically, the rank next to last in passing yards and total offense-while ranking dead last in third down conversion percentages at a lowly 23.1%. 

​Eli Manning threw the ball 43 times on Sunday; but could not throw a TD. He did throw an INT though. His teammates are publicly and privately expressing frustration over his play. For the season, he has only thrown six touchdowns-versus four interceptions and four fumbles. Colin may not be the shiny new toy in which a high 1st round pick this year would have been viewed as; but he would at this point be a breath of fresh air and new energy. Currently at 1-5, what do The Giants have to lose? In a pretty weak NFC East, it’s not to late to make a comeback? 

​Like The NY Giants, The Oakland Raiders throw the ball an awful lot to not be scoring many points. I don’t even have the patience to do the math on calculating the Yards Per Pass Average for the 142 yards gained off Derek Carr’s 23 completed passes. I know I haven’t been watching; but does anyone throw the ball downfield anymore? Like The Giants, The Oakland Raiders are in a weak division, that can still easily be won. Perhaps a little fresh energy would help energize the squad and muster a turnaround for a team that has fast become the laughingstock of the NFL.

On this day (October 12th) in 1932, the highly-accomplished and incomparable Richard "Dick" Gregory was born. He taught us, he made us laugh, and he made us healthier. He was a Civil Rights Movement Icon, Comedian, and Dietary Guru, that spent the bulk of his life teaching and inspiring the masses. In fact, he was still doing speaking tours right up to the day he passed away in August of last year at the age of 86. He was a lot of things to a lot of people; but for me it was his fiery lectures, of more recent times, that impacted me the most. So it is in that way that I choose to honor him here. This 2009 lecture drops a lot of heavy truths in regard to White Supremacy, Religion, Public Perception, Bill Cosby, 9/11, Practical Wisdom, and So Much More. Some of these truths he speaks will be uncomfortable for some; but who said that truth was supposed to be passive? Soak it up and share with others. Dick Gregory's spirit is still with us; and his message must live on through us...
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/20/dick-gregory-obituary