The HBCU Legacy Bowl and its adjoining combine give players like Jamarius Brown a chance to show NFL scouts what they have got.
The Southern University defensive back was one of about 50 players who participated in the combine in New Orleans on Monday. For Brown, a chance to display his skills in front of all 32 NFL teams was something he has been looking forward to.
“Sometimes you know you have the talent — you never really had the platform,” Brown said. “To be here is really big.”
Brown, who played safety at the SWAC HBCU, showed off an impressive 35.5 inch vertical leap in front of the NFL scouts.
“I want to prove that I’m able to be on this stage,” Brown told reporters on Monday. “That I have the talent to make it in the NFL and I want to hopefully be a big name that comes out of HBCU football.”
Jamarius Brown — like every other player at the HBCU combine — is also playing for more than just himself. He told reporters he was playing for Southern University assistant coach Sean Wallace, who is battling cancer.
“That’s a great coach. He gives us his all,” Brown said. “ He came out, even whenever he was sick, he still did what he could to be around us and give us some key things that we need to grow and be big in this ball game. I just want to do it for him.”