Four Former HBCU Players to Play in Inaugural USFL Championship Game
By Keisha J Kelley
July 3, 2022
The day has finally arrived for the Inaugural 2022 USFL Championship. For the first time in history of football in the modern era, a pro football league championship will be decided on Canton's soil on Sunday. The match up will take place at 7:30 PM EST on FOX. The match up will be the Birmingham Stallions (9-1) vs the Philadelphia Stars (6-4)
The USFL, who is owned by the National Spring Football League Enterprises Co, LLC (Fox Sports), has been a great opportunity to many former HBCU athletes including Chris Rowland, WR (Tennessee State), Antwan Owens, DL (Jackson State), Peyton Ramzy, WR (Tuskegee) and Bryan Mills, CB (NCCU) , all who will play in tonight's inaugural championship game in Canton, Ohio.
Rowland , who signed with the Atlanta Falcons as an UDFA in 2020, was also on the practice squad for the 2021 season for the Tennessee Titans before landing on the roster of the USFL, Philadelphia Stars, where he was drafted March 10, 2022. Rowland quickly made headlines in his debut with the Stars as he tied Jojo Ward of the Houston Gamblers for the most catches in the league with seven. Rowland was third in the league in receiving yards with 74.
Owens had a great season for Jackson State. He finished the season with a team-high 91 tackles (43 solo, 48 assisted), 10.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, three pass breakups, one QB hurry, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Mills, First-team All-MEAC in 2019, went undrafted in 2019, but signed with the Seattle Seahawks May 1, 2021. He was waived during training camp in August. However, he made practice squads for the New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, and Minnesota Vikings before being drafted the 7th pick of the 10th round by the Birmingham Stallions.
Ramzy, who was drafted round 16 by the Birmingham Stallions, played all 10 games his junior season at Tuskegee in 2018. While at Tuskegee he tied for second on the team with 19 receptions and was also ranked second team with 429 yards receiving. He was also ranked first on the team in yds per catch with 22.58. In 2019, he had a season high of 108 reception yards, longest reception (43), and 2 receiving TDS. He also had 2 tackles.
Although each of these guys played for different schools, they all share one common denominator, they are all products of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Each one of them will dare say that their university was the best and we won't dare argue with them. HBCU is the glue that keeps them bonded. Tonight however, the four will divide and only one team will conquer. Will it be the Birmingham Stallions or will it be the Philadelphia Stars? Grab your Sunday dinner and meet us later to see who will hoist the championship trophy and have bragging rights until season two, which is set to have another season in 2023 with no league expansion, continuation of the hub model, and two to four locations, housing all teams.