Black College Football Player of the Year Award watch list announced

As we inch closer to the return of HBCU football with the 2021 fall season set to kick off next Saturday, the Black College Football Hall of Fame has announced its Black College Football Player of the Year award watch list.

The watch list contains 56 players from 27 different colleges including 30 defensive players and 26 offensive players.

Three defensive players selected to this watch list were also selected to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list including reigning award winner Southern defensive lineman Jordan Lewis.

Should a defensive player win the award, it would be the first time that has happened since the award was first handed out in 2015 truly honoring the memory of the award’s namesake Pro Football Hall of Famer Deacon Jones.

Four of the offensive players selected were also selected to the FCS’ Walter Payton Award watch list including reigning Black College Football Player of the Year winner Alabama A&M Bulldogs quarterback Aqeel Glass.

Should Aqeel Glass win the award this season, he would become just the second player to win the award in back-to-back seasons (Amir Hall QB, Bowie State).

According to conference, the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has the most selections with 20 followed by the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) each tied with 12, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has 11 and the Big South has one.

The SIAC is the only majority HBCU conference that has not had a player win the Black College Football Player of the Year award.

The Norfolk State Spartans have the most selections of any team with five overall followed by the UAPB Golden Lions and the Southern Jaguars who each have four.

The South Carolina State Bulldogs and the Alabama State Hornets each have three players listed. There are 15 schools with two players featured on the list including the reigning CIAA champion Bowie State Bulldogs, reigning SIAC champion Miles Golden Bears, and reigning SWAC champion Alabama A&M Bulldogs.