Week Three of the 2022 season brought veterans to the fore in the HBCU NFL Report.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff product Terron Armstead is the most senior HBCU player in the league. He plays in his tenth season. Armstead is this week’s top offensive player.
South Carolina State’s Javon Hargrave, playing in his seventh season in the NFL, takes home this week’s top defensive honor.
Punter Jamie Gillan, like Armstead a product of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, wins the special teams award for the second straight week. Gillan is in his fourth season.
HBCU NFL Report: The vets shine
All three of this week’s honorees are with their second teams.
Armstead spent his first nine years starring with the New Orleans Saints. He signed a huge contract with Miami after last season. At New Orleans, he was selected the Saints’ Man of the Year in 2019. He earned three Pro Bowl selections (2018-2020). The Saints selected the 6-5, 304-pound specimen out of UAPB in the third round of the 2013 Draft.
Considered one of the league’s premier left tackles, he is now doing the same for Miami. The Dolphins are one of only two undefeated teams through three weeks of the 2022 season.
Hargrave, the ‘Grave Digger’
Well, guess who plays for the other undefeated team, the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles? That’s right, Hargrave, the 6-2, 305-pounder who spent his first four years starting at Pittsburgh. The Steelers took him in the third round of the 2016 draft.
His was a huge signing with the Eagles in 2020. He earned his first Pro Bowl designation last season.
Gillan is nicknamed ‘The Scottish Hammer’ for his kicking prowess. He signed as a free agent out of UAPB with Cleveland in 2019. After three years with the Browns, he was signed as a free agent by the New York Giants this season. Through three games, Gillan is averaging 49.5 yards per punt, sixth best in the NFL.
HBCU NFL Update: Shaquille Leonard
All-pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard of the Indianapolis Colts has gone through five full practices over the last week. He was still not active for Indy’s surprising 20-17 big win over previously undefeated Kansas City.
Colts’ head coach Frank Reich said “But obviously the player’s the one who’s got to play. And only he truly knows how it feels. So, we watch tape and we can see when you look at tape from last year or the year before versus tape now, and you watch him move, we’re doing that. And it’s not the same. We need it to look the same.
“From our standpoint, we need that tape to look like what it looked like when you were relatively healthy.”
HBCU NFL REPORT: PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
For games of September 22 – 26, 2022
OFFENSE
— #72 TERRON ARMSTEAD, LT, New Orleans (9th season, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF) – Started for Dolphins at left tackle in 21-19 win over Buffalo. Miami rushed for 41 yards and two TDs and passed for 186 yards and one score as they moved to 3-0. QB Tua Taogovailoa was sacked once as was back-up Teddy Bridgewater. Armstead logged all 43 (100%) offensive snaps.
Armstead smiles and acknowledges the crowd after Sunday’s big 21-19 victory over Buffalo.
Defense
— # 97 JAVON HARGRAVE, DT, Philadelphia (7th season, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE) – Started at defensive tackle for the Eagles in 24-8 win over Washington finishing with two solo tackles, one a sack of QB Carson Wentz for -7 yards, his first sack of the season. It came one play after teammate Fletcher Cox also sacked Wentz. Hargrave also recovered a fumble by Wentz when he was strip sacked by two Eagles. He was in on 41 plays on defense (53%).
Special Teams
— #6 JAMIE GILLAN, P, New York Giants (5th season, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF) – Gillan punted three times for 135 yards (45.0-yard average with 35.7-yard net) in 23-16 loss to Dallas. Gillan had a long punt of 55 yards and one land inside the Dallas 20. Gillan, who also had a touchdown saving special teams’ tackle, was in for eight (28%) special teams’ plays.
OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
OFFENSE
— #71 TYTUS HOWARD, OG, Houston (4th season, ALABAMA STATE) – In 23-20 loss to Chicago, Howard started at right tackle as Titans rushed for 92 yards and a TD and passed for 245 and another score while giving up just one sack. Howard recovered one fumble and played 57 snaps on offense (97%) and four snaps on special teams (14%).
— #12 KHADAREL HODGE, WR, Atlanta (5th season, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M) – In 27-23 win over Seattle, Hodge did not have a stat. He played on 11 offensive snaps (19%) and 12 special teams’ snaps (48%).
— #69 JA’TYRE CARTER, OL, Chicago (1st season, SOUTHERN) – Carter was inactive in 23-20 win over Houston.
— #78 TRENT SCOTT, OT, Pittsburgh (5th season, GRAMBLING STATE) – Did not play in 29-17 loss to Cleveland Thursday.
— #60 NICK LEVERETT, OL, Tampa Bay (2nd season, NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL) – Did not play in 14-12 loss to Green Bay.
DEFENSE
— #90 GROVER STEWART, DT, Indianapolis (6th season, ALBANY STATE) – In 20-17 win over Kansas City, Stewart had two tackles, one solo and one assist, while playing 40 defensive snaps (63%) and nine snaps on special teams (39%).
— #23 JOSHUA WILLIAMS, CB, Kansas City (1st season, FAYETTEVILLE STATE) – In 20-17 loss to Indianapolis, Williams did not have a stat while playing 11 (48%) special teams’ plays.
— #27 BOBBY PRICE, CB, Detroit (3rd season, NORFOLK STATE) – In 28-24 loss to Minnesota, Price did not register a stat while playing 22 (79%) special teams’ snaps.
— #40 DARRYL JOHNSON, DE, Seattle (4th season, NORTH CAROLINA A&T) – In 27-23 loss to Atlanta, Johnson had two assisted tackles. He got in on 20 defensie plays (33%) and 19 special teams’ plays (76%).
— #41 MARKQUESE BELL, S, Dallas (1st season, FLORIDA A&M) – Bell had one solo tackle on his only play on defense during the Cowboys’ 23-16 win over the NY Giants. He logged the one play on defense (1%) and 13 on special teams (45%).
— #64 RODERICK PERRY, DT, Cleveland (2nd season, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE) – Inactive in 29-17 win over Pittsburgh.
— #47 DE’SHAAN DIXON, DE, Jacksonville (1st season, NORFOLK STATE) – Inactive in 38-10 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
— #14 COBIE DURANT, CB, LA Rams (1st season, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE) – In Rams’ 20-12 win over Arizona, Durant was inactive.
— #56 QUINTON BELL, OLB, Atlanta (2nd year, PRAIRIE VIEW A&M) – Was not active in 27-23 win over Seattle.
— #53 SHAQUILLE LEONARD, LB, Indianapolis (5th season, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE) – Was inactive in 20-17 win over Kansas City.
SPECIAL TEAMS
— #80 CHESTER ROGERS, WR/KR, Cleveland (6th season, GRAMBLING STATE) – Rogers, who was with Houston in the preseason and placed on injured reserve and released before the season started, was signed by Cleveland on Sept. 13, two days before Thursday’s game against Pittsburgh. Rogers returned two punts in the 29-17 win over the Steelers for 11 yards (5.5-yard average) with a long return of 7 yards. He also hauled in two punts on fair catches. He played on nine special teams’ snaps (32%).
— #23 TRENTON CANNON, RB/KR, Tennessee (5th season, VIRGINIA STATE) – The Titans announced last week that Cannon is lost for the season with a knee injury.
LISTENING PARTY!!
(Above) Veteran Miami offensive tackle TERRON ARMSTEAD (#72, ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF) in a Dolphins’ offensive huddle during Sunday’s 21-19 win over Buffalo. Armstead played all 43 offensive snaps as Miami stayed unbeaten at 3-0.