Jewelry retailer Zales will present two academic scholarships to students from universities represented in today’s fourth annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Sports Illustrated reports that two $5,000 scholarships will be awarded to students from Morehouse College and Virginia Union University. Awardees are selected in conjunction with the schools based on their academic achievement and pursuit of a retail or entrepreneurial-focused field of study. The two recipients will be presented with their scholarships at the Sept. 3 game.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the BCFHOF again as we celebrate the great athletes and coaches who are part of this year’s Hall of Fame Classic, to recognize the hard-working students who have earned these academic scholarships, and to meet potential future team members,” Kecia Caffie, president of Zales told Sports Illustrated. “The Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic game and its events are a time-honored tradition. We proudly present those playing in the game with this distinct pendant to remember this special moment in their college experience.”
The BCFHOF was created in 2009 by two ex-HBCU football players, Doug Williams and James Harris. Both played at Grambling State University. Harris became the NFL’s first full-time starting Black quarterback in 1969; Williams was the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl in 1988. The two also share a foundation, the Shack Harris and Doug Williams Foundation, which annually presents the Black College Football Hall of Fame Game.
Since the inception of the Black College Football Hall of Fame, there have been over 100 inductees, which include the two aforementioned players as well as NFL legends Mel Blount, Willie Lanier, and Art Shell (the NFL’s first Black head coach), who all serve as trustees.
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