This post was originally published on Seattle Medium
Shaun
I think we should encourage athletes to attend HBCUs. For one, representation matters: seeing top quality talent and coaches that look like you play heavily into getting a player to commit to the coaching philosophy. Secondly, there is the commitment to the player. I believe HBCUs have the players’ best interest at heart. Finally, there is the legacy builder opportunity at an HBCU. I believe that the athletes will have a chance to play at an HBCU and display their talents, and not be behind a deep depth chart that would regulate good talent to the sideline. I am inspired by the talent of coaches that are at HBCUs like Jackson State and Grambling State University, and I believe that you will see more HBCU talent in the NFL in the future.
Iryna
I think that we should encourage our students to consider HBCUs regardless of their athletic interests. The schools can provide much more than a springboard for future athletic endeavors. But I agree that those wishing to participate in college athletics should look at HBCUs. If there is a school with a good program you are interested in joining, it should not matter what type of school it is if it can help you succeed.