This article is one in a series of features produced in partnership with the Southwestern Athletic Conference, exploring the history of the SWAC from its founding in 1920 to the present day. The series will run during the months of April and May.
With the 2026 NFL Draft coming up, it is a great reminder to HBCU fans that many of the game’s greatest players come from our institutions.
This can especially be said about the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), with a laundry list of names that were not only great but changed the course of the NFL’s history for the better.
Of the 506 former SWAC players who made it to the NFL, 303 were taken in the NFL Draft, including 21 players selected in the first round. In addition, 14 former SWAC players have been immortalized as members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The GOAT from the Delta
One man who stands out above the rest, who many consider to be the greatest the game has ever seen, is former Mississippi Valley State star wide receiver Jerry Rice.
Starring for the Delta Devils from 1981-1984, Rice was a focal point in the “Satellite Express” offense orchestrated by Hall of Fame head coach Archie Cooley.
Alongside dynamic quarterback Willie “Satellite” Totten, Rice and MVSU rewrote the FCS record book with some marks still standing to this day. These include receiving yards per game in a season (168.2; 1984) and receiving touchdowns in a season (27; 1984).
Selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the 16th overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft, Rice went on to have a storied 19-year career filled with accomplishments.
He won three Super Bowls, was a 13-time Pro Bowler, a 10-time First Team All-Pro, and a two-time Offensive Player of the Year. He still holds nearly every receiving record, including career receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns (the latter two he holds for the regular season and playoffs). Rice has been immortalized not only by his many Hall of Fame inductions but also by the Jerry Rice Award, given to the season’s top freshman.
Sweetness, Air McNair, and the signal-callers who made history
Another former SWAC star with an FCS award named in his honor is Walter Payton, a former Jackson State running back.
The namesake of the FCS award for the season’s top offensive player ruled Jackson State’s backfield from 1971-1974, playing alongside fellow future Pro Football Hall of Famers Robert Brazile and Jackie Slater. He helped lead Jackson State to a share of the SWAC championship in each of his first three seasons, including in his junior year, when he was named Black College Player of the Year.
Payton rushed for nearly 3,600 yards in his college career, averaging 6.1 yards per carry. He was named an All-American in each of his final two seasons.
Being selected in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears, Payton played 12 seasons for the franchise, becoming the league’s all-time leading rusher at the time of his retirement. This included the 1977 season in which he became the first HBCU player to win NFL MVP, rushing for a leading 1,852 yards and scoring 14 rushing touchdowns.
The second HBCU player to win NFL MVP arguably had the most storied college career of any SWAC football player, that being none other than Alcorn State quarterback Steve “Air” McNair.
McNair was named the SWAC Player of the Year in each of his four seasons with the Braves, becoming the second HBCU player to win the Walter Payton Award in 1994.
It was during the 1994 campaign that he set a then-record for passing yards in a season (4,863) and scored 44 passing touchdowns. His record-breaking season led to him finishing third in Heisman trophy voting, becoming the first FCS player to finish that high in the award’s history.
McNair parlayed his historic season into the 1995 NFL Draft, being selected third overall by the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans).
In 11 seasons playing for the Titans and two with the Baltimore Ravens, the Braves quarterback compiled 31,304 passing yards and 174 passing touchdowns, putting up a 91-62 record as a starter. He helped lead the Titans to their first (and to date only) Super Bowl appearance in 1999, coming within a yard of beating the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXIV.
In 2003, McNair was named Co-MVP along with Peyton Manning, leading the NFL in passer rating (100.4) and yards per completion (12.9). He is one of nine quarterbacks in NFL history to record at least 30,000 career passing yards and 3,000 career rushing yards.
Another former SWAC quarterback who knows what it’s like to make history in the NFL is Grambling State standout Doug Williams. After finishing fourth in Heisman voting as a senior in the 1977 season, Williams embarked on a career in the NFL, being drafted with the 17th overall pick in the 1978 Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In 1979, his second season in the NFL, the former Tiger helped lead the Buccaneers to a 10-6 record, marking their first winning season and their first playoff appearance in franchise history.
He then guided the Bucs to their first-ever playoff win, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-17 to advance to the NFC Championship game. Nine years later, now a member of the Washington Redskins (now known as the Washington Commanders), Williams made history once again, becoming the first black quarterback to win the Super Bowl.
He helped lead Washington to a 42-10 win in Super Bowl XXII over the Denver Broncos, finishing with a then-Super Bowl record 340 passing yards and four touchdowns, being named the game’s MVP. Williams’ impact continues to be felt as co-founder of the Black College Football Hall of Fame alongside Grambling State alum and fellow former NFL quarterback James “Shack” Harris.
With all the great offensive talent to be found in the SWAC, there are nearly twice as many great defensive players who have firmly placed their imprint in the league’s history.
The defensive dominators who defined eras
Former Southern All-American Mel Blount starred as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steel Curtain defense from 1970 to 1983, helping contribute to what was the most accomplished team in a decade.
The Steelers won four Super Bowls in the 1970s, making them one of only two teams to do so in a single decade. Blount was named to five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro First Teams, including in 1975 when he became the first HBCU player to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Another former Southern defensive back who ranks among the best at his position in NFL history is Aeneas Williams.
Playing for the Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams (now Los Angeles Rams), Williams fielded eight Pro Bowl selections and three All-Pro First Teams in his 13-year career.
His 46 career interceptions as a member of the Cardinals are second in franchise history, including a team-leading six returned for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, Texas Southern alum Michael Strahan established himself as one of the game’s greatest pass rushers in his 15-year career with the New York Giants. Strahan amassed 141.5 career sacks, finishing fifth all-time in NFL history at the time of his retirement (currently in sixth).
This includes 22.5 sacks in 2001, which stood as the NFL’s single-season record until it was broken by Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Myles Garrett in 2025.
The next generation carries the torch
Former SWAC stars continue to make an impact in the NFL today, with 19 currently reigning on active rosters.
This includes historic Jackson State recruit Travis Hunter, who entered the league following a historic senior season in college. Hunter’s commitment to Jackson State in 2021 made him the highest-rated recruit ever for any HBCU program.
Following Deion Sanders to the University of Colorado, he continued to make history, becoming the first FCS transfer to ever win the Heisman trophy. Hunter is now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he was selected second overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, making him the highest selected SWAC player.
His college teammate, Shedeur Sanders, made an impact in his rookie season with the Cleveland Browns, becoming the franchise’s first Pro Bowl quarterback selection since 2007.
As we prepare for the start of the 2026 NFL Draft, we prepare for the opportunity for another SWAC star to add to the legacy of the conference on the big stage.
