HBCU football has had a profound influence on the way football is played today, with many of the game’s greatest coaches and players continuing to make their presence felt over time.
In an interview with Steve Wyche on HBCUGo show “Huddle Up”, Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton talked about the influence of Archie Cooley in his offensive gameplan which he calls the “Cooley Package.”
“Anytime we can give credit to somebody, or even with our at the line calls, we use terms that resonate maybe with the play,” says Payton. “We got this one play that’s the GOAT play versus a certain defense, and we call it ‘Gretzky,’ he was the best ever. So, I think it helps them learn and I think there’s an interest in the history. Especially when you’re talking to a diverse room and I can look at them and say I was playing when this guy was setting all these records. Besides them responding, ‘You’re old, coach,’ many of these players have heard about the legend of [Archie] Cooley. Everyone knows about Jerry Rice and not many people would be able to tell you who Willie Totten was, but that’s the cool thing about what we do.”
.@Broncos Coach Sean Payton shares a special story with @wyche89 about what tools he learned from one of the greatest offenses in HBCU history.
Huddle up Sat. at 12PM EST/11AM CST to watch on HBCU GO! pic.twitter.com/oIx251Itph
— HBCUGO.TV (@HBCUGoTV) August 20, 2025
Cooley’s adaption of the West Coast Offense, known as Satellite Express, incorporated a five-wide receiver lineup in a no-huddle system.
To this day, Cooley’s 1984 Mississippi Valley State team still holds the FCS record for points in a season, averaging 60.9 points per game.
