Former University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff offensive tackle Mark Evans’ play during college reminded many people of another Pine-Bluff offensive tackle: Terron Armstead, who was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 2013. Evans’ prowess and size, at 6-feet-4 and nearly 300 pounds, put him next in line to make the jump from the historically Black college to the NFL.
When Evans and Armstead finally connected and built a relationship after Evans’ junior year, it felt natural that the seasoned veteran would reach back and guide the young prospect at his alma mater. Fewer than 30 players from historically Black colleges and universities made an NFL roster last season.
The relationship between the UAPB alums is one of many mentorships between veteran and young HBCU players in the league. Veterans advise younger players on how to stand out and make NFL teams, bonding over the shared experience of coming from smaller schools and having to work their way up.
Before Armstead mentored Evans, Saints offensive tackle Willie Roaf, who was from Pine Bluff, Arkansas, mentored Armstead.
“I feel like it’s most important for veterans [and] people that have gained some life in this league to do your duty, give it back to your younger players,” Armstead said. “The next generation is your community, so I take that very seriously.
“With Mark and all his ties and layers of connectivity between us, it’s a no-brainer. He’s somebody that I [would’ve] sought out to help him out, whether he was asking for it or not.”
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When Evans was preparing for the 2023 NFL draft and had questions about what to look for in an agency and where to work out, he knew Armstead was only a phone call or text away.
A season ago, in 2023, Evans signed as an undrafted free agent with the Saints, the same team that drafted Armstead. Although Armstead was with the Miami Dolphins by the time Evans entered the league, the two discussed the college-to-NFL transition and life off the football field.
“We talk about a lot of stuff, about footwork and things I can use to incorporate in my own game,” Evans said. “I can really lean on him and he actually knows this particular [position]. I take his advice … because somebody that did come from your school, that’s playing the same position, doing all the right things and on track to becoming a future Hall of Famer, why wouldn’t you want to use that resource?”
Relying on veteran players to help make the transition to the pros was instrumental to former South Carolina State University defensive back Cobie Durant when the Los Angeles Rams selected him in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.
Going from Orangeburg, South Carolina, to Los Angeles was a culture shock for the rookie, who gained access to a large training staff and resources he didn’t have in college.
“In the beginning because I was so used to that HBCU lifestyle and not really, like, having much and not being used to everything that was around me … I had to ask [training staff] to stay on me about going to get treatment,” Durant said. “Doing those types of things at the practice, [getting] pre- and post-practice treatment, and working on my mobility. Just making sure that I’m putting in the time to take care of my body.”
Durants credits Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Shaquille Leonard and Buffalo Bills safety Rafael Bush, both South Carolina State alums, as his mentors when he entered the league, answering questions about how to be a pro athlete and how to stay focused on the things he could control.
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Durant said he’s planning to host a camp in Orangeburg later this year to give back to his former teammates and community. He has an open-door policy when it comes to players from HBCUs and smaller schools who reach out to him via social media.
“I just want to see the guys who want to put the work in just to get that shot. I let them know that it’s a business at the end of the day. You only control what you can control,” Durant said. “[I tell them] just attack each and every day like the team is gonna cut. You just gotta go hard every day, no days off.”
He even built a relationship with former Florida A&M University wide receiver Xavier Smith, who signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent in May 2023 and recently signed a reserve/future contract with the Rams for the upcoming season. Smith experienced a similar culture shock as Durant did while trying to distinguish himself and stand out during a summer training camp filled with players from Power 5 colleges.
Last season Smith also had a familiar face on the Rams training staff in Kenneth “K.J.” Black, then an offensive analyst for the Rams who was previously Smith’s co-offensive coordinator at Florida A&M.
“We kind of look out for each other, telling each other our experiences and what we were going through. We helped each other keep our head above water,” Smith said. “We all try to keep in contact to make sure everybody’s still levelheaded and is still pushing toward the end goal.”
Black, a former quarterback at Prairie View A&M University, took a special interest in the HBCU players on the Rams’ roster, making sure they were up to speed and advocating for them.
“The learning curve is so steep, man, from HBCU to NFL just on information alone. Talent is not an issue, especially when it comes to the skill players. The talent is not where the gap is,” Black said. “The gap is the information that they have to retain and recall and just have to be able to run plays that maybe we haven’t run since August. There’s no reason for you not to know what’s going on or what a play is, and so they’ve had to really dive into the information. I wanted to make myself available for Xavier and Cobie.”
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After being mentored by numerous veterans from HBCUs and building relationships with players from his draft class, Smith is passing on his knowledge, hoping to continue the tradition of HBCU players looking out for the younger generation.
“We all know the journey that it takes to get to this point from an HBCU. So anytime you see a guy trying to make that leap, trying to take that next step, I just keep on encouraging them and making sure they know … just keep believing in yourself,” Smith said.
“I just keep pouring out my experiences to them so they have a head start and avoid some of the things that I had to go through. … If I pour into the younger generation, they will feel as though they have to do the same thing.”
Smith’s former Florida A&M teammate Isaiah Land looked to former Rattler Markquese Bell as a mentor and inspiration when preparing to transition into pro football. Land’s journey paralleled Bell’s: Both were highly touted HBCU players out of Florida A&M who went undrafted a year apart from each other and later signed with the Dallas Cowboys.
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While Land was finishing his senior year in college, Bell’s making the 53-player roster and playing for the Cowboys served as an encouraging example.
“He just kind of gave me a little confidence boost that I could do it because not a lot of people come from FAMU. … No matter how good you do coming from an HBCU, you never really know how much you match up to the big SEC guys [and] NFL prospects,” Land said. “So when I saw Bell, like, still being Bell at that level, it gave me confidence and let me know that I can be the same and be just as impactful in the NFL.”
During Land’s first NFL training camp with the Cowboys, having Bell in camp with him made him feel more comfortable, he said. Bell also helped Land during training camp in 2023 after Land switched positions to middle linebacker.
“I remember even in camp when I moved into [middle] linebacker I was low-key a little delayed learning the coverages and stuff like that from a linebacker standpoint,” Land said. “The coach would get on me. [Defensive coordinator] Dan Quinn used to always tell Bell to ‘get your guy caught up.’ So Bell used to be like, ‘Man, come to my room after practice and we’re gonna look at these plays.’”
Land, now a defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, still maintains a relationship with Bell. Land also has built a relationship with former Southern University offensive lineman Ja’Tyre Carter, who was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 2022. The two bonded over their experiences competing in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and they still joke about the Southern vs. Florida A&M matchups. They talk daily, uplifting one another and doing after-practice check-ins.
“HBCU [players] look out for each other no matter where you come from. If you went to an HBCU, you know how hard it is to make it to this point and stay at this point, so why not help out?” Carter said.
“People want to see more HBCU guys get drafted. All the top guys are always coming from a bigger school, so people want to see the HBCU guy make it because it’s a smaller school, and so [HBCU alumni] all want us to make it.”
Two years into his own pro career, he offers advice to younger guys who went undrafted like Land and Bell.
“If you don’t get drafted, that means your film got to speak for itself, so you always want to put good stuff on film,” Carter said. “I tell them you always want to work hard on the field and stay out of mess off the field as much as possible because when you come from a HBCU, anything could be detrimental to your draft status.”
Former Jackson State University cornerback Isaiah Bolden, the only HBCU player selected in the 2023 NFL draft, called his former college teammate James Houston, a linebacker for the Detroit Lions, for advice on becoming a pro football player.
After Bolden spent a year as the only HBCU player on the New England Patriots, the team signed other HBCU players this offseason, including corner Mikey Victor from Alabama State University and Florida A&M running back Terrell Jennings, as undrafted free agents.
Bolden has decided to guide the HBCU rookies currently on the roster.
“I’m definitely trying to give the guys some game on how to approach the game,” Bolden said. “And pass on my knowledge I learned from Coach Prime [former Jackson State coach Deion Sanders] to other guys, especially at my school at Jackson State. … I want to put them on game [about] how the league works and how to stay in the league.”