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Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Jackson State quarterback driven to cement HBCU legend status
BIRMINGHAM, AL - HBCU football is no stranger to stars, but few embody the spirit of their school quite like Jackson State quarterback Jacobian Morgan. After transferring home to Mississippi from Syracuse University in 2023, Morgan quickly found his place under new head coach T.C. Taylor. By 2024, he had led Jackson State back to the SWAC Championship and a dominant win in the Celebration Bowl. Now, entering the 2025 season as the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and a Walter Payton Award Watch List member, Morgan is ready to carry the offense-and the HBCU legacy-on his back. From Syracuse to StardomMorgan's journey back to Jackson was both strategic and personal."I'm a loyalty guy," he said. "Even though I left Syracuse - that's something I didn't want to do - but I just knew it was best for me. And then I had T.C. Taylor, one of the best people I have in my life. I knew I made the right decision."That decision paid off quickly. Morgan not only found his rhythm on the field, but his connection with Taylor helped him unlock his potential as a leader."Year one, you seen the blueprint," Morgan said. "Year two, we knew we had a great game plan… just believing in coach-it got us to a championship."Leading a Legacy Program Taylor, entering his third year at the helm of Jackson State, didn't shy away from putting the pressure on Morgan. "This is the year that we have to turn the football over to Jacobian Morgan," Taylor said. "He shared that load with Irv Mulligan last year. So now this time it's on him… but he doesn't have to go out there and be Superman each and every snap." That balance-responsibility without burden-is something both coach and quarterback embrace. For Morgan, the goal is simple. "I just want to be a legend [at Jackson State]," he said. "I don't want to just move around, go from school to school… I want to be a stable guy." Bright Lights and Big Moments Morgan's breakout season in 2024 included clutch performances in high-stakes games. But an early loss to Grambling State turned out to be a turning point. "That loss… it was a lesson," Morgan said. "It taught us who we are… to stay humble, stay grounded, and don't take no team lightly. That game there was definitely a pivotal point. I feel like it was a great reason why we won the Celebration Bowl and the SWAC Championship."Morgan shined on the biggest stage, delivering a standout performance at the Celebration Bowl that boosted his national profile."You want to put on your best ball right there," he said. "Display for the scouts out there that may want to recruit you to the league. That right there was a blessing… to get it done for Jackson State was amazing." Staying Home, Building History While many quarterbacks with Morgan's trajectory might test the transfer waters or declare early for the draft, he's staying reason? Home."I love this city. I love Jackson. I love the team and everything they bring," he said. "Coming home and having everybody at every game-you're going to get love from the fans, from the stands, family. You see your fam out there, they happy, and it makes them smile. So that's why I do it."Taylor sees that loyalty as the foundation for even greater things."Relationships are right," Taylor said. "They believe in me and our culture at Jackson State." The Road Ahead Despite returning as champions, neither Morgan nor Taylor is coasting into 2025. Taylor knows the Celebration Bowl win is just a stepping stone."We talk about tradition at JSU. JSU has a winning brand," he said. "These guys are still hungry. We talk about running it back-and that's what they've been doing each and every week since the end of May."For Morgan, the mission is clear: take Jackson State back to the mountaintop, and do it with purpose."We're going back for sure," he said with a smile. With Jacobian Morgan under center, Jackson State isn't just chasing another title-it's building a legacy rooted in homegrown pride, HBCU tradition, and unwavering belief. The post Jackson State quarterback driven to cement HBCU legend status appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
HBCU stars react to viral ‘Step Brothers' photo
BALTIMORE - Max U'Ren and Walker Harris have helped shape one of the most consistent programs in HBCU football this decade. The two North Carolina Central University (NCCU) veterans-U'Ren at linebacker and Harris at quarterback-have played key roles in a program that's lost just four conference games over the last four seasons. But their recent viral moment had nothing to do with football. Step Brothers Moment Goes Viral In anticipation of MEAC Football Media Day, NCCU posted a promotional photo featuring U'Ren and Harris striking a pose inspired by the cult comedy Step Brothers. The image quickly gained traction online. "I'll say that photo wasn't even supposed to-it wasn't supposed to come out the camera," U'Ren said. "We didn't know it was coming off the camera. I was just scrolling on Instagram on Friday, and it popped up on my timeline. As soon as I saw it, it spread like wildfire." Harris, entering his second year as a starter, explained that the photo was actually his idea. "We took those probably back in February or March at the end of a photo session," Harris said. "I told Max, 'Let's go take a Step Brothers picture.' I definitely didn't think it would be posted like that-especially not for media day. But I thought it was awesome." He added, "I thought the comments were hilarious. We're honored to represent North Carolina Central University." Both players-white student-athletes from nearby Winston-Salem and Wake Forest-joined NCCU in 2021. At the time, the program was rebuilding from a 3-8 campaign in 2019 and a pandemic-induced shutdown in 2020. Under head coach Trei Oliver, the program surged, culminating in a 2022 HBCU national championship win over Jackson State, led by Deion Sanders, Travis Hunter, and Shedeur Sanders. Despite that high, the Eagles have fallen short of returning to the Celebration Bowl, missing out in the last two seasons due to losses to Howard and South Carolina State. According to U'Ren, the coaching staff emphasized how close the team came to its goal. "It was preached in the offseason-just how close we were the past two years," he said. "All our workouts have been focused on getting that extra half-yard, that first down, that final quarter we needed. It's been a theme all offseason." Harris echoed that mindset. "It's about the process," he said. "What are you doing daily to reach the goal of winning every game and making the Celebration Bowl? It's a grind, but it starts with being intentional." That journey continues Aug. 24, when NCCU faces Southern University in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on ABC. It's a return to where it all started for both players. "It's really cool for me personally," Harris said. "My first-ever college football game was the MEAC/SWAC Challenge back in 2021. To end my career with the same game feels awesome. I'm very excited about that. It's going to be a great game. We plan to put on a show." The post HBCU stars react to viral 'Step Brothers' photo appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU HC Ready to Defy Preseason Polls and Restore Glory
Shawn Gibbs isn't backing down. The first-year head coach of North Carolina A&T football may be inheriting a program picked dead last in the 2025 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) preseason poll, but don't expect any excuses from the man now at the helm of one of HBCU football's proudest traditions. "This is home," Gibbs said after being introduced as head coach in December. "We're not afraid to say it: we want to be the best. And we believe the CAA gives us a chance to show the world what HBCU football is really about." That quiet confidence isn't just coach-speak-it's rooted in the legacy he helped build. From 2015 to 2019, A&T dominated the HBCU football landscape. Under head coach Rod Broadway and later Sam Washington, the Aggies won four MEAC championships and took home four Celebration Bowl trophies in five years. Their ground game, powered by stars like Tarik Cohen, was elite-and Gibbs, as the team's running backs coach, helped engineer it. However, after leaving the MEAC for the Big South in 2021 and then the CAA in 2023, A&T's golden era faded. In a controversial move, the university parted ways with Washington. Choosing to go in a 'different direction' from the Rod Broadway coaching tree by hiring former NFL linebacker Vincent Brown. In two years under Brown, the Aggies won just two games and failed to notch a single CAA conference win-a far cry from their dominance just a few years prior. With Gibbs returning to Greensboro, the program is doubling back to the foundation that brought national success. Shawn Gibbs knows the CAA isn't the MEAC. But he also doesn't buy into the doom-and-gloom. "We get to play great teams week in and week out," he said at media day. "And we get to show ourselves in a region of the country that probably doesn't know much about HBCU football. So let's go do that." While the CAA was once considered an FCS juggernaut, recent exits by James Madison, Delaware, Richmond, William & Mary, and Villanova (in 2026) have thinned its ranks. Some now question whether A&T's move from the MEAC-where they were a dynasty-to a CAA that's losing prestige was worth it. That debate flared again after HBCU Gameday reported on the 2025 CAA preseason poll, where A&T landed at last at No. 14. The Facebook comments? Brutal, with some blaming HBCU Gameday articles for stoking a flame of discourse that they want extinguished. While many fans are still asking: Should A&T come home to the MEAC? Others want to move forward and make peace with their place in the CAA. But for now, Gibbs is focused on building-not debating. Shawn Gibbs made it clear that his mission isn't just to win games. It's to restore Aggie Pride as a way of life. "Aggie Pride is what's going to help these guys graduate, be great fathers and husbands, and leaders in the community," he said. "That is my purpose. My job is to win football games." Despite being underfunded compared to their CAA peers, Gibbs isn't fazed. "We've always had to find a way to be great with less," he said. "We're going to do the most with what we have-and we're going to get players who believe in what we're building." North Carolina A&T opens its season on August 30 at Tennessee State, another HBCU with a proud tradition, that plays football in a non-HBCU conference. It's a fitting place for this new era to begin. A&T might be at the bottom of the preseason poll-but with Gibbs back on Benbow road, you shouldn't bet on them staying there for long. The post HBCU HC Ready to Defy Preseason Polls and Restore Glory appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU makes history with its first female lead football announcer
Alabama A&M University has made history by naming Thai Floyd as the first woman to serve as the football team's full-time play-by-play announcer. Alabama A&M is an HBCU in Huntsville, Alabama, and competes in the SWAC. Floyd will call Bulldogs games throughout the 2025 season. A proud Florida A&M alumna, she brings years of experience as a broadcast journalist. Most recently, she worked as a digital media specialist for Alabama A&M athletics. According to her biography, Floyd has covered sports at every level. That includes high school, college, and professional events. Her work has appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia, HBCU Legends on Sports Illustrated, and ESPN's Andscape. She has also worked for ESPN+ and ESPNU as a sideline reporter and play-by-play commentator. Her assignments have included FBS bowl games and the Celebration Bowl. Floyd expressed her deep appreciation and sense of purpose for the opportunity: This opportunity is a dream realized, and I'm deeply grateful to be trusted with it. To be the first woman to serve as the full-time voice of Alabama A&M football - and possibly the first to hold this role at any HBCU - is bigger than me. It's about legacy, representation, and reminding young Black girls that we belong in every room, every booth, every broadcast. She went on to honor one of her biggest inspirations: I've looked up to Tiffany Greene for over a decade - she's poured into me, inspired me, and paved the way. Now, I just hope to continue the work she started and be that same light for someone else. With this historic appointment, Floyd not only becomes a trailblazer for Alabama A&M in the SWAC, but also a powerful symbol of progress across the HBCU and sports media landscape. The post HBCU makes history with its first female lead football announcer appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU Great Hired to Restore Historic HS Football Program
T.W. Andrews High School in High Point, NC, is turning to a local HBCU legend from nearby Greensboro to bring back its football glory. The Red Raiders were once dominant in North Carolina high school football and are tapping into a pipeline of Aggie excellence in their push to reclaim elite status. The school announced hiring former North Carolina A&T standout Doug Brown as its new athletics director. Brown, a product of nearby Ragsdale High and a former All-MEAC receiver for the Aggies, will return to his hometown with championship DNA and a mission to restore a proud program. "I am honored to join Andrews High School in this role," Brown said. "As a native of this community and a product of Guilford County Schools. I'm passionate about creating opportunities for young people to grow, compete, and succeed." Brown's hire is more than symbolic-it's strategic. He brings big-game experience from both the high school and HBCU levels. Brown lit up scoreboards at Ragsdale before setting records at A&T. His Aggie resume includes 99 receptions, 1,684 yards, 10 touchdowns, and a MEAC championship under Hall of Fame coach Bill Hayes. His 202-yard performance against South Carolina State remains the single-game receiving record in Aggie history. In addition to his athletic legacy, Brown has stayed close to the program through the media. He's been a longtime contributor to Blue Death Valley, a leading North Carolina A&T fan site, where he served as co-host of the talk show "Inside the Valley." His media work gave him a platform to engage with alumni and offer insight into the program's trajectory, skills that now translate into leadership off the field. Doug Brown isn't coming alone, either. Joining him on staff as an offensive analyst is another Andrews and A&T legend: Marquell Cartwright. A 2-AA state champion and Mr. 2AA Football at Andrews, Cartwright was a walking highlight reel in high school. Rushing for 2,650 yards and 38 touchdowns in his senior year alone. He carried that momentum into college, where he stepped into Tarik Cohen's shoes and carved out his own HBCU legacy. Over his final two seasons at A&T, he tallied 2,149 rushing yards, 21 touchdowns, and an MVP performance in the 2017 Celebration Bowl. "I've always wanted to go back and help out however I can," Cartwright said of returning to Andrews. "It ain't no better place to get my first experience at than the place where it all started for me." The moves signal a culture shift at Andrews. Once a football factory that claimed four state championships and produced 11 NFL players, including Hall of Famer Ted Brown, the program has struggled with consistency in recent years. After a dominant stretch in the early 2010s, highlighted by title runs in 2013 and 2015, Andrews has faded from statewide prominence. But the ingredients for a comeback are all here. Andrews plays its home games at the 10,000-seat A.J. Simeon Stadium, the largest in High Point. Its history is decorated with legendary coaches and players, and its recent appointment of Mook Reynolds as head football coach solidifies the school's intent to rebuild the right way. Reynolds, a former 4-star recruit and two-time state champion at Northern Guilford. The Guilford County native starred at Virginia Tech under Frank Beamer and Bud Foster. Showcasing versatility and toughness at whip linebacker and defensive back. After an impressive college career, Reynolds turned to coaching, most recently serving as the defensive coordinator at Southeast Alamance. His unit allowed just 3.4 points per game last season. 'I am thrilled to join the T.W. Andrews community and bring my passion for football, leadership, and mentorship to the students and athletes here,' said Coach Reynolds. 'I look forward to building a strong and successful program that will not only develop talented football players but also foster character and discipline that will serve them on and off the field.' Like its HBCU counterparts at North Carolina A&T-which recently brought back running backs coach-turned-head coach Shawn Gibbs to lead its own resurgence-Andrews is leaning into its identity. The message is clear: championship culture starts with people who know what winning looks like. "We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Doug Brown to the Andrews family," said principal Darell Baker. "His experience as a high-performing student-athlete and his commitment to excellence both on and off the field make him the ideal leader." The pieces are falling into place with Reynolds leading the way, Cartwright bringing championship experience to the offense, and Doug Brown overseeing the vision. The Red Raiders are no longer just hoping to return to the top-they plan on it. And with HBCU football roots running deep through the halls of T.W. Andrews High School, this return to prominence might be the beginning of a new era in High Point. The post HBCU Great Hired to Restore Historic HS Football Program appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
