The HBCU Combine is giving it another shot. One year after the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic cost HBCU NFL prospects to miss a chance to get noticed, a new one is set to begin.
The HBCU Combine will be held on April 9th-10 that the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Last year’s event was scheduled to take place in Miami at the end of March.
“We are fully committed to exploring ways to enhance player evaluation for professional football teams and giving every deserving player the opportunity to have his talent assessed by pro scouts,” said Phillip Blackwell, Executive Director of the HBCU Combine.
All on-field drill and tests that are performed during the HBCU Combine will be administered and performed to NFL Regional Combines specifications. Fusion Sport’s SMARTSPEED timing system will be used to electronically time the 40-yard dash and short shuttle drill.
The HBCU Combine Recognition Dinner will be held at the Hilton Birmingham the evening of April 9th for participants and invited guests which will highlight the legacy of HBCU football. The featured speaker will be Darryl Orlando Ledbetter, award-winning Atlanta Falcons Beat Writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution, who is an HBCU graduate.
Stephen A. Smith, ESPN commentator and Winston-Salem State graduate, will also participate in the Recognition Dinner and has provided a travel assistance grant to each participating player to help defray their transportation costs incurred to attend this special two-day event.
The HBCU Combine will take place as part of the schedule of events during the Birmingham Coaching Clinic presented by UAB Football. The Legion Pavilion at the University of Alabama-Birmingham will be the site for on-field performance assessments.
The event will consist of eight defensive backs, seven defensive linemen and six linebackers on defense. On offense there will be two quarterbacks, a pair of running backs, eight wide receivers, two tight ends and six offensive linemen.
Here is the roster of players that will be partaking in the event.
