Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) football didn’t just show up at the 2026 HBCU Legacy Bowl. They showed out. On a national stage built to elevate HBCU talent, three of the most recognizable faces from Brick x Brick with JCSU Football — quarterback Kelvin Durham, wide receiver DeAndre Proctor, and safety Daryl “TJ” Taybron — turned all-star week into a springboard toward the NFL.
And they did it with their head coach calling plays. Maurice Flowers, fresh off a CIAA championship season and a 10–2 record in Charlotte, served as co-head coach of Team Gaither. His squad walked away with a 27–23 win over Team Robinson in a game that set event records for total yards (619) and combined points (50).
But this wasn’t just about a win. It was about validation.
The Same Play. A Bigger Stage.
Midway through the third quarter, the chemistry that powered JCSU’s championship run resurfaced.
Kelvin Durham rolled right and fired a back-shoulder touchdown to DeAndre Proctor for an 8-yard score that gave Team Gaither a 20–13 lead.
It looked familiar.
It was the same back-shoulder pass Durham and Proctor used to beat Livingstone College and punch their ticket to the CIAA Championship Game months earlier.
Durham, a 6-foot-3 pocket passer who accounted for 36 total touchdowns in 2025 (26 passing, 10 rushing), didn’t force throws all week. Instead, he showed poise. He controlled the huddle. He delivered when it mattered.
Proctor did what he has done all season — win at the catch point.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound All-American hauled in the touchdown and added a 26-yard reception where he found open grass after the catch, flashing the spatial awareness scouts crave.
By week’s end, NFL.com listed Proctor among the seven “2026 NFL Draft Prospects Who Impressed” during Legacy Bowl week.
NFL Media Analyst Charles Davis went even further.
“Teams in need of strong, fast and physical receivers should be taking another look at Proctor,” Davis noted. “His style of play reminds me of Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields.”
That’s no longer “small-school sleeper” talk.
That’s legitimate draft conversation.
NFL Scouts Were Watching — Closely
Reports from Legacy Bowl week indicated strong interest from multiple NFL franchises. As event hosts, the New Orleans Saints spent considerable time evaluating DeAndre Proctor, particularly noting his route precision and toe-tap ability in the red zone. Meanwhile, Denver Broncos scouts tracked offensive prospects like Kelvin Durham, continuing the organization’s recent pattern of evaluating and signing HBCU talent.
At the same time, representatives from the Baltimore Ravens and New York Giants were seen meeting with defensive standouts following Team Gaither’s practices, where Daryl “TJ” Taybron drew praise for his communication and leadership in the secondary.
Taybron’s Quiet Impact
While the touchdowns made headlines, Daryl “TJ” Taybron handled his business the way he always has — steady, vocal, and physical.
The four-year starter and first-team All-CIAA safety helped anchor a defense that allowed just 23 points and secured a late-game fumble to seal the win.
He may not generate the same buzz as Proctor, but NFL teams value defensive backs who command the secondary.
Taybron fits that mold.
Maurice Flowers’ Full-Circle Moment
For Flowers, the week meant more than X’s and O’s.
Growing up, he watched Doug Williams and Shack Harris break barriers at quarterback. He has called them the “blueprints” for his coaching philosophy. Being handpicked by those same legends to coach in the game they founded felt surreal.
“We owe it to people like Doug and Shack who have fought tooth and nail to get a great game like this,” Flowers said. “To take advantage of this opportunity.”
After the win, he credited “the foundation laid by the legends” for his players’ moment.
For a coach who just led JCSU to its first NCAA Division II playoff appearance, the Legacy Bowl became another confirmation that the Golden Bulls’ rise isn’t accidental.
It’s structural.
From Charlotte to the League
Johnson C. Smith football has already shifted its identity.
A CIAA championship.
A school-record 10 wins.
A national profile that stretches beyond Charlotte.
Now the program’s stars are pushing toward Sundays.
Proctor sits firmly in the conversation as one of the top HBCU prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. Durham projects as a high-priority undrafted free agent with late-round upside. Taybron continues to build momentum as a physical, high-IQ defensive back.
They didn’t just attend the Legacy Bowl.
They elevated it.
And in doing so, they elevated themselves.
Brick x Brick — And What Comes Next
For viewers of Brick x Brick with JCSU Football, the ‘Hard Knocks’ of HBCU, none of this feels surprising.
The cameras captured the grind.
The development.
The belief before the wins.
Now, as the series transitions into a feature-length CIAA championship episode and producers explore distribution opportunities on larger platforms, the players it spotlighted are stepping into bigger arenas of their own.
In New Orleans, in Charlotte, and now in NFL Draft meeting rooms, the message remains the same:
JCSU football belongs.
And if Legacy Bowl week proved anything, it’s that the Golden Bulls’ stars aren’t done climbing.