Doug Williams: After All Of The Work 'No One Is Standing On The Tables' In NFL War Rooms For HBCU Players

Absolutely no NFL team drafted an HBCU player in the 2024 NFL Draft, should we be surprised?

Doug Williams / Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

NEW ORLEANS — HBCU football fans may be dismayed and disillusioned after the 2024 NFL Draft. However, for Doug Williams and James "Shack" Harris, it's a solemn and pivotal moment for the HBCU and NFL legends. 

It's time for HBCU coaches, athletic directors, and SIDs to work together and speak out against this slight, which could ultimately hamper the recruitment efforts for football talent at their respective institutions.  

It's also a fallacy to believe the National Football League would acknowledge or apologize for omitting HBCU football talent in the 2024 NFL Draft.  

HBCU alumni, fans, advocates, or anyone else must stop believing the NFL will police itself and "Do The Right Thing." There hasn't been a public record of a team owner bemoaning not drafting an HBCU player, so why should they continue to expect it?  

Davius Richard / Davius RIchard, HBCU Legends

"We have given all of the teams access and information about the players," Williams told HBCU Legends. "No one is in the draft room standing on the table for our guys. I don't think they speak up. It's almost like they're afraid to mention an HBCU player or something."

To say Doug Williams and James "Shack" Harris are disappointed about this year's draft is a mere understatement. Williams noted at least six to seven HBCU players had draft potential in the 6th or 7th rounds.

The scouts are the ones to put grades on the players. We have to look at the measurements. "One guy, is the running back from Alcorn State, Jarveon Howard. 5-10 with a 36-inch vertical, 10-8 broad jump. And he rushed for over 2,000 yards in the past two years. He had everything. The scouts got to have the courage to write a guy up and let them know that he can be drafted without giving him an undrafted grade." 

Alcorn State running back Jarveon Howard (0) gets taken down by Jackson State linebacker Jurriente / Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA

Following the draft, Howard signed an undrafted free-agent contract with the Green Bay Packers. Several other players also joined the league with UDFA deals.

"Consider this: the draft measurements and statistics of players like Sundiata Anderson, John Huggins, Jarveon Howard, and Davius Richard are not to be dismissed. They are strong indicators of potential that could easily justify a team using a 6th or 7th-round draft pick on at least one HBCU talent.

Consider this: The draft measurements of players like Sundiata Anderson, John Huggins, Jarveon Howard, and Davius Richard should not be dismissed. They are strong indicators of potential that could easily justify a team using a late-round draft pick on at least one HBCU talent.

During the draft, the front-office executives, head coaches, and heads of scouting departments are the key decision-makers for the 32 NFL teams and have significant influence inside the draft's war rooms.  

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detroit Lions Executive Vice President and General Manager / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Eight NFL general managers are black: 

• Andrew Berry - Cleveland Browns, 
• Brad Holmes - Detroit Lions,
• Terry Fontenot - Atlanta Falcons, 
• Martin Mayhew - Washington Commanders, 
• Ryan Poles - Chicago Bears, 
• Kwesi Adofo-Mensah - Minnesota Vikings and 
• Ran Carthon - Tennessee Titans. 

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans talks to the media at / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Six NFL head coaches are black: 

• Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris
• New England Patriots: Jerod Mayo
• Las Vegas Raiders: Antonio Pierce
• Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Todd Bowles
• Houston Texans: DeMeco Ryans

These are a few men HBCU fans hope would champion draft process fairness. Yet, in 2024, after failing to pick an HBCU player, social media had many people scratching their collective heads and asking the tired question, WHY?

Billion-dollar entities are making multi-million dollar business decisions. They will never align themselves with "fairness."  

Before the 2024 Reese's Senior Bowl, executive director Jim Nagy told HBCU Legends that Virginia State defensive back Willie Drew was the "ONLY" HBCU player considered draft-worthy. As shocking as it may seem, Nagy's conversations with influential personnel people have merit.   

Now may be the time for the coaches within the HBCU football, Black Coaches Association, and National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches to speak out against what occurred this weekend in the National Football League. 

Doug Williams and James "Shack" Harris have done their jobs. For three years, these men have blazed the trail for HBCU football players to be spotlighted and gain exposure to NFL team executives and scouts.  

Roger Goodell has been instrumental in transferring the HBCU Combine to the HBCU Legacy Bowl week of events. The NFL Network has also broadcast the game. The question is whether the commissioner can wield more influence, as he did when hiring black head coaches.

The bottom line. It's time to take control of the process. The HBCU head coaches, athletic departments, and sports information directors must increase their marketing efforts for their athletes. For instance, most don't connect with the NFL and alert the local black media in their area about the players, draft information, or set up interviews to spotlight their talent. We must do a better job.

The onus remains with the NFL. How to attack the issue will be about the collective who believe in HBCU talent, ensuring our young players will no longer be overlooked.