Photo by Joshua Heron/Cronkite News: Jayden Wooden, who earned All-Conference honors as a senior safety at Morgan State in 2022, talks to athletes during Arizona’s first HBCU Football Camp at Higley High School in Gilbert, Arizona, on Saturday.
By Joshua Heron/Cronkite News
GILBERT – An elderly woman wearing a pink and green Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority hat to evade the scorching sun sat behind the shaded fence at Higley High School last Saturday morning, alongside other spectators donning apparel from other historically Black colleges and universities to witness a spectacle rarely experienced in the desert.
High school football recruits from the class of 2025 arrived earlier in the morning and grabbed their uniform for the day – a T-shirt that read, “Arizona’s First HBCU Football Camp.”
For the next three hours, 35 players showed off their skills to HBCU representatives from Howard University, Morgan State University, North Carolina A&T University, Alabama A&M University, and Lincoln University.
The scouts, hopeful that one of the athletes present would become the future of their respective programs, watched the athletes participate in warmups, a 40-yard dash, positional drills, and seven-on-seven passing drills.
“With camps that just started, you are looking for prospects to come out,” said Howard running backs coach Da’Vaun Johnson. “I believe that is exactly what happened (Saturday) at the camp. It had success with simply the amount of kids that showed up, and I know for sure it will grow.”
Given the smaller group size, every participant received solid reps, training, and exposure. Consequently, scouts couldn’t miss the linebackers diligently diving for tennis balls during drills, offensive linemen moving their feet at great pace, or wide receivers competing for receptions. The participants received extra motivation before workouts began to prepare mentally for the unique task at hand.
Centennial High School graduate Jayden Wooden, a former Morgan State safety, shared his testimony about attending an HBCU as a Peoria native.
“I wanted to let these kids know that there is no experience like an HBCU, from the culture to the community,” Wooden said. “You can’t get those personal experiences at predominantly white institutions. That’s my main thing – the Black cultural experience on the West Coast is lacking, and it’s important to bring that to light. It’s important to preach what an HBCU can offer.”
Former Howard athletes Vince Buckles and Britney Buckles brainstormed the idea to organize the camp seven months ago to address the lack of recruiting from HBCUs in Arizona. Britney received inspiration from watching her son, Xavier, play football at Williams Field High School.
“It’s important that we scout talent out west because these guys need opportunity just like kids in our wheelhouse,” said Alabama A&M recruiting coordinator Bobby Turner. “Unless you’re exposed to something, you sometimes won’t get an opportunity because that’s not the norm. So us getting out here to the desert gives these students an opportunity but also allows us to build our brand from an HBCU athletic and academic standpoint.”
Turner admitted that limited resources create a challenge for HBCU coaches to travel west for recruiting efforts. Over the last three decades, 16 of the 19 land-grant HBCU universities have been underfunded by $13 billion, according to Inside Higher Ed. Lincoln University, North Carolina A&T, and Alabama A&M are land-grant HBCU universities.
Britney said that some HBCU representatives pointed to the lack of finances as their reason for not attending the inaugural HBCU football camp. As a result, her next goal is to build a non-profit organization to fundraise travel costs for smaller HBCUs to send their coaches to scout players at the camp in the future.
Desert Edge High School quarterback Elijah Sherbin-Fox recognizes the value of HBCUs evaluating talent in Arizona. Entering his senior year, Sherbin-Fox is drawing interest from Temple University and Marshall University.
“Just learning from high-level coaches at this camp on things like my footwork or stepping into my throws was good,” Sherbin-Fox said about the feedback he received Saturday. “I definitely appreciate these HBCU camps.”
“I’m not opposed to going to an HBCU. I’d go if I had the opportunity to. It’ll definitely be a blessing to be a part of and put on for Black culture.”
The HBCU culture is gravitating, from its signature marching bands to fashion and community. On Saturday, one individual would not be stopped from seeking out the camp founders, with his heart filled with appreciation for the cultural significance the event had on the community.
Tyronne Stowe and Rick Cunningham, teammates for the Phoenix Cardinals from 1992-93, sat on a lone bleacher for the duration of the camp and reminisced on their playing days and the performances of their sons at the camp.
Stowe believes his son, Zach, will benefit from playing for an HBCU after he graduates from Hamilton High School next year.
“There’s a lot of history at HBCUs, and I want him to connect to that history,” Stowe said. “My son is mixed, but we as a people are not, and we want him to serve as a picture of how that reality works. It’ll make for a good blend of security with his gift and talent.”
The HBCU camp exposes young football players and families to opportunities beyond the desert borders. Players and coaches alike such as Morgan State defensive pass game coordinator Omarr Smith remain hopeful the camp continues.
As the camp reached a close, Britney had a bright smile as she made rounds on the field to speak with scouts and volunteers before sharing her sentiments on the camp’s future.
“Oh yeah, absolutely, for sure we are coming back,” she said.
