Greatest HBCU Football Players of All Time

Some of the best football players in history played at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities — more commonly known as HBCUs — are an integral part of higher education in America. They’ve also produced some of the greatest football players in history.

They are legends who built the NFL into what it is today, but before they went on to win Super Bowls, bring home Most Valuable Player trophies, and make the Hall of Fame, they first made their names as stars on HBCU teams.

These are the greatest HBCU players of all time.

30. Doug Williams, Grambling State

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Born: Aug. 9, 1955 (Zachary, Louisiana)

Position: Quarterback

High school: Chaneyville High School (Zachary, Louisiana)

NFL career: 9 seasons (1978-82, 1986-89)

Teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1978-82), Washington Redskins (1986-89)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1988), Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (1988), NFL All-Rookie Team (1978)

Bottom Line: Doug Williams

Amy Sancetta / AP Photo

Doug Williams is best known for his short stint with the Washington Redskins at the end of his career, when he led the franchise to a Super Bowl win in 1988 and was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

Williams also was the first Black quarterback drafted in the first round and turned around a moribund Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise with three playoff appearances in his first five NFL seasons.

Then, he bounced to the upstart USFL after a contract dispute with Buccaneers owner Hugh Culverhouse before closing out his career in the NFL.

29. Claude Humphrey, Tennessee State

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Born: June 29, 1944 (Memphis, Tennessee)

Position: Defensive end

High school: Lester High School (Memphis, Tennessee)

NFL career: 14 seasons (1968-81)

Teams: Atlanta Falcons (1968-78), Philadelphia Eagles (1979-81)

Career highlights: Eight-time NFL All-Pro (1969-74, 1976, 1977), six-time Pro Bowl (1970-74, 1977), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1968), All-American (1967)

Bottom Line: Claude Humphrey

Claude Humphrey playing against the Rams

AP Photo

Claude Humphrey dominated at Tennessee State before the Atlanta Falcons made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 1968 NFL draft. He spent the first decade of his career there, making all eight of his NFL All-Pro squads and all six of his Pro Bowls.

Humphrey played in the Super Bowl once, with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1980, when he led the team with 14.5 sacks and finished his career with an unofficial total of 126.5 career sacks. He was finally inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014 on the senior ballot.

28. Elvin Bethea, North Carolina A&T

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Born: March 1, 1946 (Trenton, New Jersey)

Position: Defensive end

High school: Central High School (Trenton, New Jersey)

NFL career: 16 seasons (1968-83)

Teams: Houston Oilers

Career highlights: Eight-time Pro Bowl (1969, 1971-75, 1978, 1979), two-time NFL All-Pro (1975, 1979)

Bottom Line: Elvin Bethea

Ed Kolenovsky / AP Photo

Elvin Bethea dominated at North Carolina A&T, then for almost two decades in the NFL, becoming the first player from North Carolina A&T to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Bethea made eight pro Bowls in his career and was a two-time NFL All-Pro thanks to his ability to get to the quarterback. His 16 sacks in 1973 are still the record for the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise.

27. Lem Barney, Jackson State

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Born: Sept. 8, 1945 (Gulfport, Mississippi)

Position: Cornerback

High school: 33rd Avenue High School (Gulfport, Mississippi)

NFL career: 11 seasons (1967-77)

Teams: Detroit Lions

Career highlights: Seven-time Pro Bowl (1967-69, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976), two-time NFL All-Pro (1968, 1969), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1967)

Bottom Line: Lem Barney

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Lem Barney was a three-time All-SWAC pick at Jackson State. He was an All-American as a senior in 1966 as both a cornerback and as a punter, when he averaged over 42 yards per punt and picked off 11 passes.

Barney took the NFL by storm as a rookie in 1967, when he led the league in interceptions, interception return yards and interceptions returned for touchdowns on his way to being named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

26. Bob Hayes, Florida A&M

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Born: Dec. 20. 1942 (Jacksonville, Florida)

Died: Sept. 18, 2002 (age 59, Jacksonville, Florida)

Position: Wide receiver

High school: Matthew Gilbert High School (Jacksonville, Florida)

NFL career: 11 seasons (1965-75)

Teams: Dallas Cowboys (1965-74), San Francisco 49ers (1975)

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1971), three-time Pro Bowl (1965-67), three-time NFL All-Pro (1966-68)

Bottom Line: Bob Hayes

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There are players on this list who had better football careers than Bob Hayes. There are none who were faster.

Hayes starred at Florida A&M before he starred in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys, but he truly rose to fame as a track star. “Bullet Bob” won two Olympic gold medals at the 1964 Olympics in the 100-meter dash and the 400-meter relay before he won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys.

He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009 — seven years after his death from prostate cancer at 59 years old.

25. Leroy Kelly, Morgan State

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Born: May 20, 1942 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Position: Running back

High school: Gratz High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

NFL career: 10 seasons (1964-73)

Teams: Cleveland Browns

Career highlights: NFL champion (1964), six-time Pro Bowl (1966-71), five-time NFL All-Pro (1966-69, 1971), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team

Bottom Line: Leroy Kelly

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Leroy Kelly was the man who stepped in for Jim Brown after he retired from the NFL in 1965 and reeled off six straight Pro Bowl appearances and five NFL All-Pro selections in the next six seasons.

Kelly, a Philadelphia native who played college football for Morgan State in Baltimore, led the NFL in rushing yards twice and led the league in rushing touchdowns three consecutive seasons from 1966 to 1968.

24. Rayfield Wright, Fort Valley State

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Born: Aug. 23, 1945 (Griffin, Georgia)

Position: Offensive tackle

High school: Fairmont High School (Griffin, Georgia)

NFL career: 13 seasons (1967-79)

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1971, 1977), six-time Pro Bowl (1971-76), six-time NFL All-Pro (1971-73, 1974-76), NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year (1972), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team

Bottom Line: Rayfield Wright

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Rayfield Wright was one of the most athletic offensive tackles in NFL history. At 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, he was nicknamed “Big Cat” for his instinctive skills.

Wright played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys, won two Super Bowls and played in the Super Bowl three more times.

He started off his college career as a basketball player at Fort Valley State, not a football player, until head coach Stan Lomax pushed Wright to join the football team as a sophomore.

23. Robert Brazile, Jackson State

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Born: Feb. 7. 1953 (Mobile, Alabama)

Position: Linebacker

High school: Vigor High School (Pritchard, Alabama)

NFL career: 10 seasons (1975-84)

Teams: Houston Oilers

Career highlights: Seven-time Pro Bowl (1976-82), six-time All-Pro (1976-81), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1981), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (2018)

Bottom Line: Robert Brazile

Ed Kolenovsky / AP Photo

Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 240 pounds, Robert Brazile was Walter Payton’s teammate at Jackson State and could have played linebacker in any era in NFL history. He also had one of the greatest nicknames. Ever. “Dr. Doom” terrorized opposing offenses for 10 NFL seasons and was a six-time All-Pro and seven-time Pro Bowl selection.

Brazile is often credited for being the first outside linebacker to define how the game was played in a 3-4 defense while rushing the passer, although sacks weren’t an official NFL statistic until his last three seasons.

22. Steve McNair, Alcorn State

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Born: Feb. 14, 1973 (Mount Olive, Mississippi)

Died: July 4, 2009 (age 36, Nashville, Tennessee)

Position: Quarterback

High school: Mount Olive High School (Mount Olive, Mississippi)

NFL career: 13 seasons (1995-2007)

Teams: Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1995-2005), Baltimore Ravens (2006-07)

Career highlights: NFL Most Valuable Player (2003), NFL All-Pro (2003), three-time Pro Bowl (2000, 2003, 2005), Heisman Trophy finalist (1994), Walter Payton Award (1994)

Bottom Line: Steve McNair

John Russell / AP Photo

Steve McNair could have gone to any number of elite colleges coming out of high school. The only problem was they all wanted him to play running back. McNair bet on himself and went to FCS Alcorn State to play quarterback.

McNair walked away with the FCS career record for career yards with 16,283 and as a senior threw for 5,377 yards and rushed for 904 yards on the way to winning the Walter Payton Award. McNair then played 13 seasons in the NFL and was named NFL MVP in 2003.

McNair died in 2009 at just 36 years old, the victim of a murder-suicide in Nashville.

21. John Stallworth, Alabama A&M

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Born: July 15, 1952 (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

Position: Wide receiver

High school: Central High School (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)

NFL career: 14 seasons (1974-87)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers

Career highlights: Four-time Super Bowl champion (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979), three-time Pro Bowl (1979, 1982, 1984), two-time NFL All-Pro (1979, 1984), NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1984)

Bottom Line: John Stallworth

Ray Stubblebine / AP Photo

John Stallworth grew up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but was passed over by his hometown University of Alabama, which wouldn’t have a Black player on its roster until 1971.

Instead, Stallworth became a standout at HBCU Alabama A&M, where he was a two-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection and a fourth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974.

Stallworth was one of four future Hall of Famers taken by the Steelers in 1974 alongside fellow wide receiver Lynn Swann, linebacker Jack Lambert and center Mike Webster. Only Swann was a first-round pick.

20. Aeneas Williams, Southern

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Born: Jan. 29, 1968 (New Orleans, Louisiana)

Position: Cornerback/safety

High school: Fortier High School (New Orleans, Louisiana)

NFL career: 14 seasons (1991-2004)

Teams: Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (1991-2000), St. Louis Rams (2001-04)

Career highlights: Four-time NFL All-Pro (1994, 1995, 1997, 2001), eight-time Pro Bowl (1994-99, 2001, 2003), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team

Bottom Line: Aeneas Williams

Morry Gash / AP Photo

Few players in NFL history have had as much of a knack for coming up with big plays as Aeneas Williams, who scored 12 defensive touchdowns in his career on nine interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Somehow, Williams didn’t make the Pro Football Hall of Fame until his third year on the ballot.

Williams didn’t even receive a scholarship to Southern — or anywhere else — and planned on getting his degree in accounting until he made the team as a walk-on. He was a starter by the fifth game of the season, then led the nation in interceptions as a senior.

19. Michael Strahan, Texas Southern

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Born: Nov. 21, 1971 (Houston, Texas)

Position: Defensive end

High school: Westbury High School (Houston, Texas)

NFL career: 15 seasons (1993-2007)

Teams: New York Giants

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (2007), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (2001), six-time NFL All-Pro (1997, 1998, 2001-03, 2005), seven-time Pro Bowl (1997-99, 2001-03, 2005), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team

Bottom Line: Michael Strahan

Michael Strahan celebrating on a big play

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Michael Strahan came from Texas Southern to the NFL and became one of the greatest pass rushers in football history, including an NFL single-season record 22.5 sacks in 2001.

Strahan did the most he could at Division I-AA Texas Southern in the early 1990s, where he was named Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Year twice and SWAC Player of the Year twice.

Strahan closed out his career in epic fashion, leading the Giants to a Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots following the 2007 season in one of the biggest upsets in sports history.

18. Harry Carson, South Carolina State

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Born: Nov. 26, 1953 (Florence, South Carolina)

Position: Linebacker

High school: Wilson High School (Florence, South Carolina)

NFL career: 13 seasons (1976-88)

Team: New York Giants

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1986), nine-time Pro Bowl (1978, 1979, 1981-87), six-time All-Pro (1978, 1981, 1982, 1984-86), Pro Football Hall of Fame (2006)

Bottom Line: Harry Carson

Ray Stubblebine / AP Photo

Harry Carson is one of the most respected defensive players and teammates in the history of the NFL, something that started during his career as a four-year starter at South Carolina State for head coach Willie Jeffries.

Carson was so well-liked by those around him that when the Giants faced the Broncos in the Super Bowl, he walked out to face nine Broncos captains thinking he was one of three, but head coach Bill Parcells and his teammates decided to send Carson out by himself as a show of respect.

Carson was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

17. Emmitt Thomas, Bishop College

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Born: June 3, 1943 (Angleton, Texas)

Position: Cornerback

High school: Angleton High School (Angleton, Texas)

NFL career: 12 season (1967-78)

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), four-time NFL All-Pro (1969, 1971, 1974, 1975), five-time Pro Bowl (1968, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975)

Bottom Line: Emmitt Thomas

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Emmitt Thomas played for tiny Bishop College, which closed in 1988, and made the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 1967. He then helped lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win in 1969.

Thomas was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame by the senior committee in 2008 and won two more Super Bowl titles as an assistant coach with the Washington Redskins.

16. Shannon Sharpe, Savannah State

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Born: June 26, 1968 (Chicago, Illinois)

Position: Tight end

High school: Glennville High School (Glennville, Georgia)

NFL career: 14 seasons (1990-2003)

Teams: Denver Broncos (1990-99, 2002-03) Baltimore Ravens (2000-01)

Career highlights: Three-time Super Bowl champion (1997, 1998, 2000), five-time NFL All-Pro (1993, 1995-98), eight-time Pro Bowl (1992-98, 2001), NFL 1990s All-Decade Team

Bottom Line: Shannon Sharpe

Jack Dempsey / AP Photo

The younger brother of former NFL wide receiver Sterling Sharpe, Shannon Sharpe was an NCAA Division II All-American at Savannah State before the Denver Broncos took a flyer on him with a seventh-round pick in 1990.

Shannon Sharpe took that sliver of an opportunity and ran with it, helping lead the Broncos to two Super Bowl victories, then joining the Baltimore Ravens and leading them to a Super Bowl win.

Considered one of the greatest tight ends of all time, Sharpe has another successful career as the co-host of “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed” on Fox Sports.

15. Larry Little, Bethune-Cookman

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Born: Nov. 2, 1945 (Groveland, Georgia)

Position: Offensive guard

High school: Booker T. Washington High School (Miami, Florida)

NFL career: 14 seasons(1967-80)

Teams: San Diego Chargers (1967-68), Miami Dolphins (1969-80)

Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1972, 1973), seven-time NFL All-Pro (1971-75, 1977, 1978), five-time Pro Bowl (1969, 1971-74), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team

Bottom Line: Larry Little

Toby Massey / AP Photo

At 6-foot-1 and 265 pounds, Larry Little was essentially the Nate Newton of his era — a human bowling ball who helped lead the Miami Dolphins to back-to-back Super Bowl titles, including an undefeated season in 1972.

Little was one of two future undrafted Hall of Famers on the Dolphins’ offensive line alongside center Jim Langer.

The five-time Pro Bower and seven-time NFL All-Pro went on to be a college football head coach for almost two decades, first at his alma mater Bethune-Cookman, then at North Carolina Central University.

14. Richard Dent, Tennessee State

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Born: Dec. 13, 1960 (Atlanta, Georgia)

Position: Defensive end

High school: Murphy High School (Atlanta, Georgia)

NFL career: 15 seasons (1983-97)

Teams: Chicago Bears (1983-93, 1995), San Francisco 49ers (1994), Indianapolis Colts (1996), Philadelphia Eagles (1997)

Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1985, 1994), Super Bowl MVP (1985), four-time NFL All-Pro (1984, 1985, 1988, 1990), four-time Pro Bowl (1984, 1985, 1990, 1993)

Bottom Line: Richard Dent

Richard Dent celebrating with Bears teammates

David Boe / AP Photo

Richard Dent’s career was defined by his play in the 1985 season with the Chicago Bears — a team that went 15-1, won the Super Bowl and had arguably the greatest defense of all time. Dent led the NFL in sacks in 1985 and won another Super Bowl in 1994 with the San Francisco 49ers.

Dent finished his career with 137.5 sacks and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2011, but he didn’t mention Mike Ditka or Buddy Ryan in his acceptance speech. They were his head coach and defensive coordinator with the Bears, respectively, but they had contentious relationships.

13. Charlie Joiner, Grambling State

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Born: Oct. 14, 1947 (Many, Louisiana)

Position: Wide receiver

High school: W.O. Boston High School (Lake Charles, Louisiana)

NFL career: 18 seasons (1969-86)

Teams: Houston Oilers (1969-72), Cincinnati Bengals (1972-75), San Diego Chargers (1976-86)

Career highlights: Three-time Pro Bowl (1976 1979, 1980), two-time NFL All-Pro (1976, 1980)

Bottom Line: Charlie Joiner

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Charlie Joiner was a three-time All-SWAC pick at Grambling State for legendary head coach Eddie Robinson before carving out an 18-year career in the NFL.

Joiner played for three teams but arguably had his best years teamed up with quarterback Dan Fouts on the San Diego Chargers.

Joiner retired in 1986 as the NFL’s career leader in receptions, receiving yards and games played. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.

12. Roosevelt Brown, Morgan State

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Born: Oct. 20, 1932 (Charlottesville, Virginia)

Died: June 9, 2004 (age 71, Columbus, New Jersey)

Position: Offensive tackle

High school: Jeffersonville High School (Charlottesville, Virginia)

NFL career: 13 seasons (1953-65)

Teams: New York Giants

Career highlights: NFL champion (1956), nine-time NFL All-Pro (1956-63, 1965), nine-time Pro Bowl (1955-60, 1962, 1964, 1965), NFL 1950s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Roosevelt Brown

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Roosevelt Brown was one of the most dominant offensive tackles in NFL history, playing the entirety of his career with the New York Giants.

While Brown was on the NFL’s 1950s All-Decade Team, you can make a good argument that he should have been on the one for the 1960s as well — he made five All-Pro teams and four Pro Bowls in the decade.

Brown also was named to the NFL’s most elite team of all time, the 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

11. Willie Brown, Grambling State

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Born: Dec. 2, 1940 (Yazoo City, Mississippi)

Died: Oct. 21, 2019 (age 78, Tracy, California)

Position: Cornerback

High school: Taylor High School (Yazoo City, Mississippi)

NFL career: 9 seasons (1970-78)

Teams: Oakland Raiders (1970-78)

Career highlights: Three-time Super Bowl champion (1976, 1980, 1983), four-time Pro Bowl (1970-73), four-time NFL All-Pro (1970-73), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Willie Brown

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The amazing thing about Willie Brown’s NFL career is he was actually an AFL All-Pro for five seasons before the first year of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

Brown’s career almost never got off the ground when he was cut from his first training camp with the Houston Oilers as a rookie, but he found a home with the Raiders and helped lead them to three Super Bowl wins.

10. Willie Lanier, Morgan State

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Born: Aug. 21, 1945 (Clover, Virginia)

Position: Linebacker

High school: Maggie L. Walker (Richmond, Virginia)

NFL career: 11 seasons (1967-77)

Team: Kansas City Chiefs

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1969), six-time Pro Bowl (1970-75), eight-time All-Pro (1968-75), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team, Pro Football Hall of Fame (1986)

Bottom Line: Willie Lanier

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Willie Lanier played in another era of football best defined by his hitting style, which mainly consisted of him trying to put the crown of his helmet through your sternum.

Lanier was one of two Hall of Famers in the Kansas City linebacker corps during that time, alongside Bobby Bell, but it was Lanier who led the defense from his middle linebacker spot.

In 11 seasons, Lanier was an eight-time All-Pro and helped lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win in 1969.

9. Art Shell, Maryland State

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Born: Nov. 26, 1946 (Charleston, South Carolina)

Position: Offensive tackle

High school: North Charleston Bonds-Wilson High School (Charleston, South Carolina)

NFL career: 15 seasons (1968-1982)

Teams: Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1968-82)

Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1976, 1980), four-time NFL All-Pro (1974, 1975, 1977, 1978), eight-time Pro Bowl (1972-78, 1980), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Art Shell

Art Shell during a game against the Colts

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Art Shell was a star at Maryland State — now Maryland-Eastern Shore — before he played his entire career with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, winning two Super Bowls and making eight Pro Bowls.

Shell became the head coach of the Raiders in 1989 and was only the second Black head coach in NFL history (Fritz Pollard was the first in 1921). Shell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

8. Ken Houston, Prairie View A&M

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Born: Nov. 12, 1944 (Lufkin, Texas)

Position: Safety

High School: Dunbar High School (Lufkin, Texas)

NFL career: 14 seasons (1967-80)

Teams: Houston Oilers (1967-72), Washington Redskins (1973-80)

Career highlights: 12-time NFL All-Pro (1968-79), 12-time Pro Bowl (1968-79), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Ken Houston

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Ken Houston was a ninth-round pick by the Houston Oilers in the 1967 AFL-NFL draft and became one of the greatest ballhawks in NFL history.

Houston intercepted 49 passes and recovered 21 fumbles in his career for 1,498 return yards and 12 touchdowns. Those are amazing numbers, considering he played offensive line and linebacker at Prairie View A&M, and also was on the swim team

Houston was a defensive backs coach for the University of Houston in the late 1980s before becoming a counselor for children’s hospitals.

7. Willie Davis, Grambling State

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Born: July 24, 1934 (Lisbon, Louisiana)

Died: April 15, 2020 (age 85 Santa Monica, California)

Position: Defensive end

High school: Booker T. Washington High School (Texarkana, Arkansas)

NFL career: 12 seasons (1958-69)

Teams: Cleveland Browns (1958-59), Green Bay Packers (1960-69)

Career highlights: Two-time Super Bowl champion (1967, 1968), four-time NFL champion (1961, 1962, 1965, 1966), five-time Pro Bowl (1963-67), six-time NFL All-Pro (1962-67), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team

Bottom Line: Willie Davis

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Willie Davis played his first two seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, then the rest of his career with the Green Bay Packers. All he did on the frozen tundra was win championships and terrorize quarterbacks.

Davis won six championships in the 1960s, four NFL championships and two Super Bowls. And he did this all while playing with legendary linebacker and fellow Hall of Famer Ray Nitschke right behind him.

6. Buck Buchanan, Grambling State

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Born: Sept. 10, 1940 (Gainesville, Alabama)

Died: July 16, 1992 (age 51, Kansas City, Missouri)

Position: Defensive tackle

High school: Parker High School (Birmingham, Alabama)

NFL career: 13 seasons (1963-75)

Teams: Kansas City Chiefs

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1970), NFL All-Pro (1971), two-time Pro Bowl (1970, 1971), six-time AFL All-Star (1964-69), six-time All-AFL (1964-69), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Buck Buchanan

Buck Buchanan stopping an opposing Dolphins player

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We can now truly appreciate Buck Buchanan’s greatness — mainly because it’s fun to imagine what someone who was 6-foot-7 and 270 pounds in the 1960s would do to an offensive line even in today’s NFL.

Buchanan dominated in college for Grambling State and legendary coach Eddie Robinson before making it to the AFL with the Kansas City Chiefs. Buchanan was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990 and the College Football Hall of Fame posthumously in 1996.

5. Jackie Slater, Jackson State

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Born: May 27, 1954 (Jackson, Mississippi)

Position: Offensive tackle

High school: Wingfield High School (Jackson, Mississippi)

NFL career: 20 seasons (1976-95)

Teams: Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams

Career highlights: Four-time NFL All-Pro (1983, 1986, 1987, 1989), seven-time Pro Bowl (1983, 1985-90)

Bottom Line: Jackie Slater

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One of the more dominant and underrated players in NFL history, Jackie Slater went from being a three-time All-SWAC pick to playing 20 seasons in the NFL blocking the blind side for several generations of quarterbacks.

Slater’s four All-Pro selections and seven Pro Bowl selections are truly a shame. Those numbers should be way, way up. However his son, Matthew, has made a name for himself as a gunner and special teams player for the New England Patriots and made nine Pro Bowls in that role.

4. Mel Blount, Southern

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Born: April 10, 1948 (Vidalia, Georgia)

Position: Cornerback

High school: Lyons High School (Lyons, Georgia)

NFL career: 14 seasons (1970-83)

Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers

Career highlights: Four-time Super Bowl champion (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979), five-time Pro Bowl (1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1981), six-time NFL All-Pro (1975-79, 1981), NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1975), NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Mel Blount

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Mel Blount was the paragon of cornerback play in his era and probably would’ve defined it in any era. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Blount’s combination of size and speed made him an impossible matchup for other teams.

He was the star of the secondary for Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain defense in four Super Bowl wins and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

In an aside, few people have worn a cowboy hat as well as Blount.

3. Deacon Jones, Mississippi Valley State

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Born: Dec. 9, 1938 (Eatonville, Florida)

Died: June 3, 2013 (age 74, Anaheim Hills, California)

Position: Defensive end

High school: Hungerford High School (Eatonville, Florida)

NFL career: 14 seasons (1961-74)

Teams: Los Angeles Rams (1961-71), San Diego Chargers (1972-73), Washington Redskins (1974)

Career highlights: Two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1967, 1968), eight-time NFL All-Pro (1964-70, 1972), eight-time Pro Bowl (1965-70, 1972), NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, NFL 100th Anniversary Team

Bottom Line: Deacon Jones

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One of the most intimidating defensive players in NFL history, it’s a shame that sacks weren’t recorded during Deacon Jones’ NFL career. This was probably because Jones actually invented the term “sack” in the first place.

Jones’ devastating “head slap” move knocked many offensive linemen senseless during his career, and it’s interesting to note that it wasn’t just the “sack” that he invented. He also gave himself the name “Deacon” before his NFL career started.

Jones died in 2013 at 74 years old.

2. Jerry Rice, Mississippi Valley State

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Born: Oct. 13, 1962 (Starkville, Mississippi)

Position: Wide receiver

High school: Moor High School (Oktoc, Mississippi)

NFL career: 20 seasons (1985-2004)

Teams: San Francisco 49ers (1985-2000), Oakland Raiders (2001-04), Seattle Seahawks (2004)

Career highlights: Three-time Super Bowl champion (1988, 1989, 1994), Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (1988), NFL Most Valuable Player (1987), two-time NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1987, 1993), 11-time NFL All-Pro (1986-90, 1992-96, 2002), 13-time Pro Bowl (1986-97, 1998, 2002), NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 1990s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Jerry Rice

Martha Jane Stanton / AP Photo

Simply the greatest wide receiver in NFL history, Jerry Rice won three Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and hopped across the bay to win an AFC championship with the Oakland Raiders in the twilight of his career.

Rice still holds NFL career records for receptions, receiving yards, yards from scrimmage and touchdown receptions and led the NFL in receiving six times and receiving touchdowns six times.

At Mississippi Valley State, Rice was a two-time NCAA Division I-AA (now FCS) All-American.

1. Walter Payton, Jackson State

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Born: July 25, 1954 (Columbia, Mississippi)

Died: Nov. 1, 1999 (age 45, South Barrington, Illinois)

Position: Running back

High school: Columbia High School (Columbia, Mississippi)

NFL career: 13 seasons (1975-87)

Teams: Chicago Bears

Career highlights: Super Bowl champion (1985), NFL Most Valuable Player (1977), eight-time NFL All-Pro (1976-80, 1984-86), NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, NFL 1980s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th Anniversary Team, NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team

Bottom Line: Walter Payton

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Walter Payton was known as “Sweetness.” And that’s exactly how he played at Jackson State, then with the Chicago Bears.

Payton was one of the greatest running backs the NFL has ever seen. He rushed for at least 1,200 yards in 10 of his 13 seasons with the Bears, won NFL MVP in 1977 and a Super Bowl after the 1985 season. He was no slouch at catching passes out of the backfield, either, and finished his career with 4,538 receiving yards.

Payton died of a rare liver disease in 1999, at just 45 years old.