January 4, 2022 (Atlanta, GA) – The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced its 13th Class today – the Class of 2022. Seven inductees were selected from a list of 29 Finalists who had been determined earlier by the BCFHOF Selection Committee.
The Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 includes: Ben Coates (TE, Livingstone College), Donald Driver (WR, Alcorn State University), John “Big Train” Moody (RB, Morris Brown College, 1939-1941), Roscoe Nance (Contributor, Tuskegee University), Nate Newton (OL, Florida A&M University), William “Billy” Nicks (Coach, Morris Brown College and Prairie View A&M University) and Sammy White (WR, Grambling State University).
Votes were tallied from the 10-member Selection Committee, comprised of prominent journalists, commentators, and historians, as well as former NFL General Managers and executives, and from members of the BCFHOF to determine the Inductees.
The Class of 2022 will be inducted during the Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony & Juneteenth Celebration, Presented by the Atlanta Falcons on June 18, 2022. The ceremony takes place at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Class of 2022 will make their first public appearance at the inaugural HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 19, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
For more information please visit www.BlackCollegeFootballHOF.org.
CLASS OF 2022
BEN COATES (Player)
Tight End … Livingstone
College (1987-1990) … Finished his college career with 103 receptions, 1,268 yards
and 18 touchdowns … Selected by the New England Patriots in the 1991 NFL
Draft … New England Patriots (1991-1999) … Five-time Pro Bowler … Two-time
All-Pro … Baltimore Ravens (2000) … Super Bowl XXXV Champion … Born August 16,
1969.
DONALD DRIVER (Player)
Wide Receiver … Alcorn State
University (1995-1998) … Finished his college career with 88 receptions for
1,993 yards … Five-time “Athlete of the Year” … Selected by the Green Bay
Packers 7th round of the 1999 NFL Draft … Green Bay Packers (1999 -
2012) Four-time Pro Bowler … Super Bowl XLV Champion … Green Bay Packers
franchise leader for receptions and yards … Born February 2, 1975.
JOHN “BIG TRAIN” MOODY (Player)
Running Back … Morris
Brown College … Black College National Champion (1940) … Moody accumulated 290 total points and set a record
for black college football players which stood until 1948 … All-American … Born 1917 … Died 1995.
NATE NEWTON (Player)
Offensive Lineman …
Florida A&M University (1979-1982) … All Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
tackle (1980) … Washington Football Team (1983) … Tampa Bay Bandits (1984-1985)
… Dallas Cowboys (1986-1998) … Six-time Pro Bowler (1992-1996, 1998) … Two-time
All-Pro … Carolina Panthers (1999) … Born December 20, 1961.
ROSCOE NANCE (Contributor)
The
Clarion Ledger's first Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) reporter, the
paper's first black sportswriter and a journalist later known around the
country as the dean of black college sportswriters 1978–1985 … USA Today Sports
Writer 1986-2007 … Founding Member of and President of the SWAC Alumni
Association … Born December 8, 1948 … Died January 9, 2020.
WILLIAM “BILLY” NICKS (Coach)
Coach … Morris
Brown College 1930-1935, 1937-1939, 1941-1942; Prairie View A&M University
1945-1957 and 1952-1965 … His record at Morris Brown was 65–21–13 … His 1941 team was
named "Black College National Champions" by Pittsburgh Courier … His
career record at Prairie View A&M University was 126–36–8, the winningest
coach in school history … Nicks led the Panthers to five black college national
titles and six Southwestern Athletic Conference titles … Born
August 2, 1905 … Died November 2, 1999.
SAMMY WHITE (Player)
Wide Receiver …
Grambling State University (1972-1975) … First-team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection (1973) and (1975). As a senior, White
caught 37 passes for 802 yards and 17 touchdowns… Selected by the Minnesota
Vikings in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft … Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year … UPI NFL-NFC Rookie of the Year award … Two-time Pro Bowl selection in
1976 and 1977… Minnesota Vikings (1976–1985)… 128 career games, 393 receptions,
6,400 receiving yards, and 50 touchdowns.… Born March 16,
1954.
About the Black College Football Hall of Fame
The Black College Football Hall of Fame was established in October 2009 to honor the greatest football players and coaches from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Its trustees are football legends Mel Blount, James Harris, Willie Lanier, Art Shell and Doug Williams. The Black College Football Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Shack Harris & Doug Williams Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax-exempt organization.
The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) soon will have a permanent home at the Pro Football Hall of Fame (PFHOF) to tell the story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
About the HBCU Legacy Bowl
The HBCU Legacy Bowl, presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame, is a postseason all-star game showcasing the best NFL draft-eligible football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It will be broadcast live on NFL Network. More than a football game, the week-long celebration of Black culture and history will provide invaluable exposure for HBCU students.
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