NFL back gives perspective on uphill battle for HBCU players in draft

NFL running back Emanuel Wilson knows what it feels like to chase a roster spot from the HBCU level without hearing his name called on draft weekend.

The former Johnson C. Smith and Fort Valley State star weighed in after HBCU Gameday's story on Uar Bernard. The International Player Pathway prospect was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles after participating in the NFL HBCU Showcase.

Bernard's selection was unusual. He had not played college football at an HBCU. He had not played college football anywhere. Still, his athletic traits were enough to get him selected in the seventh round.

That reality came during another difficult year for HBCU draft hopefuls. No player who finished his college career at an HBCU was drafted in 2026. That made it the third time this decade that HBCU football was shut out on draft weekend.

Emanuel Wilson knows the hard road

Emanuel Wilson's perspective matters because he has lived the other side of the process.

He began his college career at Johnson C. Smith, where he rushed for 1,040 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019. He later transferred to Fort Valley State and became one of the top backs in Division II football. He finished his college career with 3,246 rushing yards and 37 rushing touchdowns.Still, Wilson went undrafted in 2023.

That did not end his NFL story. He made his way to the Green Bay Packers and rushed for 1,083 yards and seven touchdowns over three seasons. The Seattle Seahawks signed him in March 2026 after his run in Green Bay.

So when Wilson talks about what HBCU players face, it comes from more than opinion.

Resources remain part of the NFL conversation

Wilson said HBCU talent still gets overlooked because of the division or school where players compete. His message was simple: "Talent is talent."

But the strongest part of his response centered on resources. Wilson wrote that he was once told by a coach that the only reason he made a team was because "they felt bad" that he did not have the same resources as Division I players.

Wilson said he was not sure whether the comment was a joke. Either way, it still did not sit well with him.

That is the part that cuts through the noise.

The NFL has more ways than ever to find players. There are pro days, showcases, all-star games, analytics, film databases and private workouts. Yet HBCU players are still fighting old questions about competition, exposure and infrastructure.

Carson Vinson's 2025 selection out of Alabama A&M proved the door is not closed. He was the first HBCU player drafted since Isaiah Bolden, who came out of Jackson State in 2023.

But Wilson's journey shows another truth. Some HBCU players may have to make the league first before the league fully believes what they already showed.

The post NFL back gives perspective on uphill battle for HBCU players in draft appeared first on HBCU Gameday.

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 11:48 AM.