Bay Area Panthers QB Felix Harper’s diving game-winning touchdown against the San Diego Strike Force, a.k.a, “The Panther Pounce” capped an enthralling Saturday of Indoor Football League action. The Alcorn State alum led a 15-point comeback to keep the defending champions undefeated. The touchdown was also a capstone moment in one of professional football’s most intriguing developments of the year, the increased presence of HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) Quarterbacks in the IFL.
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Success Has to Start Somewhere
Black Quarterbacks have come a long way in the NFL, with the prejudices that long hindered them seeming like a distant memory. However, the NFL has seemingly forgotten about quarterbacks from HBCUs during this renaissance. The last quarterback drafted by an NFL team was Tarvaris Jackson from Alabama State in 2006. He was also the last HBCU quarterback to start an NFL game in 2011.
Spring Football Leagues have also overlooked HBCU talent. Prairie View graduate Jawon Pass only attempted 20 throws in three games for the San Antonio Brahmas. He unceremoniously shared time with Kurt Benkert in his only start for the team, with Benkert getting the credit from the media for the win despite Pass having much better stats. Prairie View’s Jalen Morton and Alabama A&M’s Aqeel Glass also saw limited playing time in the USFL.
Despite the struggles at the NFL and higher Spring Football levels, HBCU quarterbacks are thriving in this young IFL season. Bowie State alum Ja’Rome Johnson is at the forefront with 606 passing yards and 14 touchdowns and 218 yards, six yards per carry, and nine touchdowns on the ground. Johnson has already collected two Offensive Player of the Week awards and is an MVP frontrunner on the undefeated Vegas Knight Hawks.
Bay Area Looks to Defend Their Title with Dynamic HBCU Duo
A duo of HBCU quarterbacks have also shined for the defending champion Bay Area Panthers. Alcorn State alum Felix Harper and Elizabeth City State’s Daquan Neal have combined for over 500 passing yards and nine touchdowns. The pair have also accumulated 207 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.
Finally, backup quarterbacks from HBCUs have also admirably filled in. Arkansas Pine-Bluff’s Skylar Perry led the Green Bay Blizzard’s powerful running game to victory with 64 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in his only start. Former Tennessee State and Grambling quarterback Geremy Hickbottom also started a game for the Duke City Gladiators.
Success in the Indoor Football League may not seem like much, but it is crucial for ensuring HBCU quarterbacks get a look in the NFL. The IFL is now a key developmental league. The league had a player personnel deal with the XFL in 2023 and has had many household names from the Spring Football circuit on rosters.
HBCU quarterbacks can parlay IFL success into an opportunity in the UFL. The success puts them closer to breaking the glass ceiling that has long confined HBCU quarterbacks. HBCU quarterback success in the Indoor Football League may not be a direct path to the NFL, but it can be a rung on the ladder to the largest football league in the world.
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