NFL Players: From HBCUs To Pro Football (Part One)

I watched the 2009 Draft on April 25-26, 2009.  The inspiration to study the number of draftees from Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) came upon me.

The first HBCU of the ongoing study is Texas Southern University (TSU), in Houston, Texas. 

Approximately sixty NFL players have come from TSU.  The percentage breakdown is listed:

32 percent played in 1960+

32 percent played in 1970+

22 percent played in 1980+

14 percent played in 1990 to present

The trend seems to be declining.  The peak years of producing players who were drafted by the NFL are 1960 through 1979.

There is a ten percent drop from 1970 to 1980.  An eight percent drop is evident from 1980 to 1990. 

Cortez Hankton was drafted in 2003; Oliver Celestin was drafted in 2004.

Two players out of the sixty had longer careers than the others. They were Kenny Burroughs with 12 years, and Michael Strahan who played 15 years.

W. K. Hicks played nine years and Homer Jones played 7 years. 

Warren Wells would have had seven years; however, he responded to a mandatory military draft and is the only one with a career gap, according to my research.

Of the sixty NFL players nine of them walked the halls of Texas Southern University during the time I was a student.  There names are

B. W. Cheeks

John Douglas

Willie Ellison

Charlie Frazier

W. K. Hicks

Winston Hill

Homer Jones

Andy Rice

Art Strahan

Warren Wells

A more complete list is provided:  

Adams, Julius (1971 - 1987) 
Allen, Nate (1971 - 1979) 
Askson, Bert (1971 - 1977) 
Baker, Keith (1985 - 1985) 
Baker, Mel (1974 - 1976) 
Baylor, Ray (1974 - 1974) 
Bone, Warren (1987 - 1987) 
Branton, Gene (1983 - 1985) 
Briggs, Greg (1995 - 1997) 
Burrough, Ken (1970 - 1981) 
Calloway, Ernie (1969 - 1972) 
Celestin, Oliver (2004 - 2008) 
Cheeks, B.w. (1965 - 1965) 
Colbert, Darrell (1987 - 1988) 
Courville, Vince (1987 - 1987) 
Cox, Arthur (1983 - 1991) 
Crowe, Larry (1972 - 1975) 
Dean, Fred (1978 - 1982) 
Douglas, John (1967 - 1969) 
Ellison, Willie (1967 - 1974) 
Ford, Jim (1971 - 1972) 
Frazier, Charlie (1962 - 1970) 
Hankton, Cortez (2003 - 2006) 
Hart, Harold (1974 - 1978) 
Hepburn, Lonnie (1971 - 1974) 
Hicks, W.k. (1964 - 1972) 
Hill, Winston (1963 - 1977) 
Hines, Jimmy (1969 - 1970) 
Holmes, Ernie (1972 - 1978) 
Holmes, Jack (1978 - 1982) 
Holmes, Mike (1974 - 1976) 
Hopkins, Roy (1967 - 1970) 
Johnson, Kevin (1995 - 1997) 
Johnson, Nate (1987 - 1987) 
Jones, Boyd (1984 - 1984) 
Jones, Homer (1964 - 1970) 
Lyday, Allen (1984 - 1987) 
Maxie, Brett (1985 - 1997) 
Mays, Dave (1976 - 1978) 
Mitchell, Leroy (1967 - 1973) 
Moore, Will (1995 - 1998) 
Muhammad, Calvin (1982 - 1987) 
Mumphord, Lloyd (1969 - 1978) 
Paul, Harold (1974 - 1974) 
Perkins, Willis (1961 - 1963) 
Philyaw, Charles (1976 - 1979) 
Pollard, Bob (1971 - 1981) 
Porter, Willie (1968 - 1968) 
Pough, Ernie (1976 - 1978) 
Rackley, David (1985 - 1985) 
Rice, Andy (1966 - 1973) 
Sorey, Jim (1960 - 1962) 
Strahan, Art (1965 - 1968) 
Strahan, Michael (1993 - 2007) 
Thomasson, Leon (1987 - 1987) 
Wells, Warren (1964 - 1970) 
White, Alberto (1994 - 1996) 
White, John (1960 - 1961) 
Young, James (1977 - 1979) 

Note:  If you know of a player who should be added to the list, please add him in the comment section.