ATLANTA (December 14, 2023) – The Black College Football Hall of Fame revealed its Class of 2024 where Howard University former standout Antoine Bethea was among the seven inductees selected for this year's stellar class. The announcement came Thursday afternoon.
During his outstanding collegiate career at The Mecca (2002-05), Bethea earned numerous honors, including All-American honors from Urban Radio Network Sheridan Broadcasting Network and NFL Draft Report.
In 2006, Bethea was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. In his rookie season, he helped the franchise win its first championship since 1971 by defeating the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI (41). From there, he went on to play 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with three Pro Bowl appearances.
In 2015, Bethea was inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame. Two years later (2017), he was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Black College Football Pro Player of the Year Award, presented by the NFLPA. The honor is given to the most outstanding professional football player from a Historically Black College and University (HBCU).
The other members of this year's class include Joe "747 Adams (Tennessee State University), Waymond Bryant (Tennessee State University), Kevin Dent (Jackson State University), Richard Huntley (Winston-Salem State University), Lemar Parrish (Lincoln University) and Coach Eddie Hurt (Morgan State University).
"This Class of 2024 is a great showcase of the some of the incredible football talent that has been produced from Historically Black Colleges and Universities," said Black College Football Hall of Fame Co-Founder and 2011 Inductee Doug Williams. "The Black College Football Hall of Fame serves to honor those who paved the way for the game today and these men did just that."
The seven inductees were selected from a list of 28 finalists who had been determined earlier by the BCFHOF Selection Committee. Votes were tallied from the nine-member Selection Committee, comprised of prominent journalists, commentators and historians, as well as former NFL General Managers and executives and members of the BCFHOF.
The Class of 2024 will be honored at the 15th Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by the Atlanta Falcons on June 8, 2024 in Atlanta.
They will also be recognized at halftime of the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 24, 2024 at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, which will be broadcast live on NFL Network at 4 p.m. (ET) / 3 p.m. (CT).
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com, the BCFHOF website at www.blackcollegefootballhof.org. or the HBCU Legacy Bowl website at www.HBCULegacyBowl.com.
