As HBCU players and coaches were a huge part of the reborn XFL’s successful 2023 campaign, the league is leaning toward giving Black College football players a chance to achieve their professional dreams.
On Monday, the league announced that its second annual HBCU Showcase will take place Saturday, June 17, at Clark Atlanta University. The first HBCU Showcase took place last summer at Jackson State University.
Reggie Barlow, who played and coached at Alabama State and Virginia Union before earning XFL Coach of the Year honors with the D.C. Defenders, sees the tryout camp as another unique and important piece of the league’s growth and development.
“Last year, the XFL did a great job of creating a distinct platform for players from HBCUs to showcase their talents in front of coaches from the League, giving them an equal opportunity to be seen and evaluated,” Barlow said in the press release. “I know firsthand the number of talented players that attend a historically Black school who aren’t able to continue their careers past the collegiate level. I’m humbled to be part of a League that gives players – and coaches – of all backgrounds an opportunity to continue their football careers.
“When the XFL says it’s a ‘league of opportunity,’ we mean it, and you can see it in the actions we take to offer equal opportunities to players across the country,” XFL Senior VP of Player Personnel Doug Whaley added. “This showcase at the historic Clark Atlanta University allows us to shine a spotlight on HBCU players and give them a chance to showcase their skills for our personnel evaluators.”
Over 100 players with HBCU roots played in the XFL this past season.
