Athletes from Black colleges take advantage of other pro leagues when NFL fails to call

By Mia Berry

North Carolina Central University alum Davius Richard hoped to be the first quarterback from a historically Black college and university drafted into the NFL in nearly two decades earlier this year.

As each round passed in the 2024 NFL draft without Richard hearing his name called, several United Football League teams reached out to him. In July, he signed with the Houston Roughnecks for the 2025 season.

In the last three years, only one player from an HBCU has been selected in the NFL draft, so players such as Richard have found opportunities in other pro football leagues around the world to continue their careers.

“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to continue my football career,” Richard told Andscape. “Houston was really the biggest contender as far as the most persistent as far as getting information. Ultimately during the draft they said they was gonna call me and sign me. So later on that day, or later on the next day. The GM called me later on that night, gave me the rundown and told me they planned on signing me.”

After Richard suffered a lower leg injury at the HBCU Legacy Bowl in February, rehabbing and continuing his football career was his top priority.

Richard remembers watching a few games earlier this year during the UFL’s inaugural season. The Houston Roughnecks finished the 2024 season with a league-worst 1-9 record, but Richard sees playing for the team as a chance to showcase his skills.

“Just at the quarterback position, I can definitely see my skill set translate into the league extremely well,” Richard said. “[Houston] tries to put their players in the best position, and I feel like that’s what I’m getting at Houston.”

Richard said he feels better than ever and believes the process of recovering from his injury has made him mentally stronger. Until the UFL season starts in February 2025, Richard is keeping his body in shape and his mind sharp.

Despite playing in a different league, he said, his goals remain the same.

“No matter what league, whether it’s the [Canadian Football League], UFL or NFL, at the end of the day you get paid to do what you love to do. … You can use it as a steppingstone, so you do great in the spring and hopefully you’ll get a call when training camp or rookie minicamp starts in May,” Richard said. “Everybody’s goal is to get to the NFL. Your path may be different, but the goal is still the same.”

North Carolina A&T University alum Tairiq Stewart’s journey from college football player to pro football player took him to another country.

Stewart, a 6-foot-6 offensive lineman, wasn’t selected during the 2024 NFL draft but received a rookie minicamp invite from the New England Patriots. When the Patriots didn’t offer him a formal contract, Stewart traveled up north to play for the Edmonton Elks in the Canadian Football League.

The way football is played in Canada is different from its American counterpart. In Canadian football, teams have three downs per possession instead of the four most American players are accustomed to, and with one less down, the game moves a lot faster because two plays can signal the shift between offense and defense. Stewart said that when players line up there also is an extra yard of space between the offense and the defense, so the offense has to make up the additional yard.

Although it has been an adjustment for Stewart, he has found his footing in the CFL. After spending a season with the Elks, Stewart signed with the Saskatchewan Roughriders in September.

Since moving to Canada, Stewart has learned how prevalent HBCU players are in the CFL; there are currently 12 in the league. Players who don’t make NFL rosters after summer training camps are often sought out by CFL coaches.

“This is the second-best league in terms of football in the world,” Stewart said. “I’m among those elite athletes, so regardless, I am completing my task of being a professional athlete. We got some HBCU guys throughout the league and they’re actually stars. They shine in their roles. So if I was talking to a person attending an HBCU right now or just a person playing college football in general, HBCU or not, this is a better league to play in.”

Playing abroad has come with some challenges for Stewart. While enthusiastic about the opportunity to continue his football career, he misses his family. He also said the soul food and Caribbean cuisine in Canada isn’t comparable to the offerings in the United States.

With the impending birth of his son later this year, Stewart hopes to find his way back to the United States.

“I want to put the league on notice because ultimately I want to get back to America. I want to play in the NFL,” Stewart said. “I want to play in the UFL, but ultimately I want to play in the NFL because that’s where I belong. I’m an NFL player. I need to earn opportunities to showcase myself.”

Like Stewart, former Prairie View A&M University defensive end Myles McHaney IV‘s lifelong dream of playing pro football took him abroad. McHaney signed with the Galo Futebol Americano league in Brazil in July.

“I was excited to have the opportunity to go to Brazil. It is an opportunity of a lifetime to be able to live in another country and play professional football,” McHaney said. “I wasn’t worried about living in Brazil. I actually love learning about other cultures and seeing different parts of the world. I am happy to meet new people and build new friendships with my teammates. This is a true learning experience for me.”

McHaney credits Prairie View A&M coach Bubba McDowell and Marlon Watson, Prairie View A&M’s special teams coordinator and defensive line coach, for helping him gain more attention from NFL scouts and pro teams outside of the United States. The head coach of his current team, Johnny Mitchell, played for the NFL for six seasons. Mitchell has coached in Brazil for many years and offered McHaney the chance to play.

“He [Mitchell] knows how the game goes, so this has been a blessing having somebody here like this to pass the knowledge along to me as I continue my journey,” McHaney said.

McHaney has been playing in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, for a few weeks and is slowly getting acclimated. The biggest barrier for McHaney is that he doesn’t speak Portuguese, the official language of Brazil, so he has been relying on a translation app on his phone to communicate. His coach and some of his teammates speak English to further help him bridge the language barrier.

McHaney also has been getting used to his new country off the field.

“I am adjusting to my new home. I did some hiking the other day with some teammates,” McHaney said. “I have eaten at some new restaurants. My teammates treated me to dinner one night. I am getting into a routine of working out every day, eating healthy and of course going to practice.

“I am getting to know my coaches and teammates. I am looking forward to getting a bike so I can ride all over and see the city of Belo Horizonte.”

The style of football in Brazil isn’t different from American football, but McHaney’s practice schedule is different: The team practices at night instead of in the morning. He is learning team traditions such as players linking their arms before coming out to the field on game day.

He believes his skill set makes him an asset to the team.

“I want to continue to get stronger and to become a better player,” McHaney said. “I am versatile. I can play many positions, and I will play wherever my coach feels he needs me and where I can benefit my team the most. My goal is to help my team win the championship.”

He said there is a great sense of camaraderie on the team. He plans on being in Brazil until the season ends in December, but he is still hopeful about playing in the United States.

“My ultimate goal is to play for the NFL. I hope by playing professional football in Brazil that this will help get me recognized by more coaches and teams in the UFL and the NFL,” McHaney said.

“I love football, and I want to play as long as I can. This has been a lifetime dream of mine. I am very thankful and blessed to be playing football in Brazil.”