Two of the best to ever do it on the gridiron in A.W. Mumford stadium now are Pro Football Hall of Fame Defensives Backs Aeneas Willaims and Mel Blount. Both men are known for playing their position at a high level in their era when, at the time, it was hard for HBCU athletes to go pro, especially for football players. They overcame obstacles and opened many doors of opportunity for the future generation of HBCU athletes. Hall of Famer inductee of 1989 and five-time Pro Bowler Mel Blpunt was a prototype cornerback during his era of play throughout the 1970s. Standing at six foot three and two hundred five pounds, he was an absolute powerhouse at his position, dominating against any receiver that lined up in front of him. Blunt was one of the most explosive and speedy defensive backs for his size in the league. Considered one of the best cornerbacks to ever play in the NFL, he was also known for his physical style of play when the pass interference rule was more lenient. This made his presence known on the field, putting fear in his opponents who lined up against him. The NFL changed the rules on pass coverage and named it the Mel Blount Rule. Aeneas Williams, on the other hand, had a different Journey to the League. Williams was a diamond in the rough, who was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Aeneas’s football journey started at Alcee Fortier High School, where he had an undefeated season, won the district 10-4 championship, and proceeded to the class 4A semifinals. He was then selected as an all-district strong safety that season. Although his career started at Southern University, he did not receive a scholarship upon graduating from high school. He concentrated on his academics until his junior year after being encouraged by an old close high school teammate he decided to join the Jaguar’s program as a walk-on. Soon making the starting lineup and then the travel team after playing a few games Williams made an impact. The next season, Aneas was named to the All-SWAC team after leading the conference with seven interceptions. After staying on the team as a graduate student to improve his draft stock, Williams made All-SWAC again and tied the division for most interceptions. The Then-Pheonix Cardinals were impressed by Aneas’s numbers when they selected him in the third round of the 1991 NFL Draft. He established himself quickly as a rookie, tying the NFC lead for interceptions. The eight-time pro bowler had accomplished many accolades throughout his tenure with the Cardinals despite not playing for one of the best teams in the league. He was recognized as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. Aeneas was known as one of the best shutdown corners of all time. Two of the best to ever do it in college and the pros will always be remembered as two of the G.O.A.Ts.
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Once A Legend, Always A Legend
February 14, 2024
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