ATLANTA – The Black College Hall of Fame inducted five players and one legendary coach Saturday night at the College Football Hall of Fame.
Jaquay Nunnally, Jewell Jay “Sky” Walker, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Henry Dyer, Rashean Mathis, and Fred “Pop” Long received their jackets and stood alongside other inductees from prior years. While Nunnally and Mathis starred at Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman when the schools were members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, their schools are now members of the Southwest Athletic Conference.
Jacksonville drafted Mathis in the second round out of Bethune-Cookman University in 2003. The defensive back helped his college teammate and defensive backfield-mate Nick Collins follow him into the NFL two years later. Mathis started at corner for the Jaguars as a rookie and held the spot for 10 years. Rodgers-Cromartie credited him for being drafted so highly.
The Tennessee State product was drafted sixteenth overall in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. The Florida native played 12 years for six franchises before retiring in 2019.
Howard University landed a gem when Jay “Sky” Walker transferred from Long Beach State. The gunslinger led the Bison from the bottom of the MEAC to an undefeated season and Black College National title in his senior season. New England drafted the Howard University star in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft -six years earlier and one slot below Tom Brady. Walker left politics behind and began a career in sports broadcasting, elevating from sideline reporter to commentator. He may become the first member of the Black College Hall of Fame to have two designations should he be inducted alongside broadcaster Charlie Neal.
When Legendary Head Coach Billy Joe installed his potent Gulf Coast offense at FAMU he had the perfect two stars to make it go in quarterback Patrick Bonner and wide receiver Jaquay Nunally. Patrick Bonner’s arm helped Nunnally break the school records for catches and yards with 109 for 1,504 yards in 1998. His exploits didn’t stop there when Bonner’s graduation paved the way for Quinn Gray to lead the attack. Gray helped Nunnally enter the record books multiple times over. Nunnally owns or shares the school record for most receptions in a game (16) and season (96), most yards in a game (289 yards), most career yards receiving (4,245), most career touchdowns (38), and most games with 100 yards (9). His induction on Saturday brings the total number of Rattlers in the Hall of Fame to seven.
Even at 80 years young, former Grambling State and NFL running back Henry Dyer looked imposing. Dyer has the distinction of being the Tigers’ and Coach Eddie Robinson’s first documented 1,000-yard rusher. The perennial All-SWAC rusher led the nation in scoring (110 points) before being drafted in the fourth round of the 1966 NFL Draft by the Rams. For the record, 1966 was a good year for HBCU football players getting drafted into the NFL.
The only coach inducted in this year’s class was Fred “Pop” Long. Before Eddie Robinson showed up, Pop Long was collecting wins and SWAC championships regularly. Between 1920-1960, Long led Wiley College to 11 SWAC titles and three Black College National Championships. The former Negro Leagues baseball star (Detroit Stars) helped get the long-running State Fair Classic off the ground in 1925.