A comeback was not to be in the fourth annual Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl.
Alabama State pass rusher Treqwan Thomas, named the game's Defensive Most Valuable Player, made sure of that, logging four crucial sacks for Team Robinson on the way to a 17-14 victory over Team Gaither at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans.
The bowl, which showcased the top NFL draft-eligible players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, came down to the wire after an initial 14-0 lead by Team Robinson fell into peril late.
Florida A&M quarterback Daniel Richardson, the eventual Offensive Most Valuable Player, was responsible for the early lead, carving up the Team Gaither defense for 110 yards and a second-quarter touchdown on 9-of-12 passing. His 9-yard TD pass to Fort Valley State wide receiver DeJuan Bell came with just over two minutes left in the first half, building on a lead opened up by Florida Memorial running back Walter Wilbon III, who ran for just 17 yards on five carries but took one early for 10 yards into the end zone.
Team Robinson found most room through the air, with Wilbon's 17 rushing yards actually leading the squad on the day. Grambling State quarterback Myles Crawley also performed well for the victors on the big stage, completing 6 of 10 passes for 90 yards. However, Team Robinson was held to just a field goal the rest of the way as Team Gaither staged a comeback.
That comeback attempt began in earnest in the waning seconds of the second quarter, when Savannah State cornerback Jhaydon Sullivan intercepted a deep Team Robinson pass and returned it 58 yards yards to the opponent's 6-yard line, setting up a Team Gaither TD connection between QB Draylen Ellis and WR Jalal Dean (both from Tennessee State) to make it 14-7 at halftime.
Ellis was by far Team Gaither's best signal-caller Saturday, using the turnover-to-TD spark to go 11 of 21 for 127 yards, 2 TDs and an INT. His connection with his Tennessee State teammate, Dean (six catches for 62 yards and two TDs), was evident, and in the fourth quarter he found him again for 24 yards and then a 10-yard score during a second scoring drive to make it a three-point game with 7:19 remaining.
Team Gaither subsequently forced a punt, and Ellis immediately started marching with 21- and 15-yard passes to Shaw WR Ah'shaan Belcher. Then came Thomas and the Team Robinson defense.
After the D forced an incompletion on first-and-10 at Team Robinson's 37-yard line, Thomas came roaring around the edge to secure his fourth and final sack, which put Ellis and Team Gaither in desperation mode, needing to burn their final timeout before a third-and-17 play with 1:39 left on the clock.
Ellis danced for time as best he could but threw to a smothered target, resulting in a tipped pass collected by Thomas' Alabama State teammate, Amon Scarbrough, for a game-sealing interception.
Team Robinson kneeled out the game. With victory secured, the only thing left was to hand out the MVP trophies.
"A blessing just to be here, get this opportunity," Richardson told NFL Network's Mike Yam upon receiving his offensive MVP award. "Shoutout to the offensive line. Can't do it without them. The guys, you know, receivers and the running backs and tight ends making plays. One thing I remember coach said. He said, 'Put on for your city, put on for your family and put on for your school.' That's what I did today."
Thomas, who chalked up his tremendous four-sack performance to simply doing his job, spoke about what will resonate with him when he looks back on this week and how he'll help others in the future.
"This is special," he told Yam. "Going back, just help my guys get here. Show them the work. I ain't gonna lie. I'm speechless right now. Just tell the boys, do the work. Do the work, put in the grind, bro, and you can be here, too."
Beginning in 2022, the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl is simply the exclamation mark on a weeklong celebration of Black culture and history, which included the HBCU Combine and a career fair for HBCU students.
There is a rich history with HBCU students making a mark in the NFL. At the start of the 2024 season, 22 such players made an NFL 53-man roster. Those included valuable contributors such as the Miami Dolphins' Terron Armstead, the San Francisco 49ers' Javon Hargrave and the Green Bay Packers' Emanuel Wilson.
Although the 2024 NFL Draft did not produce any HBCU draftees, Jackson State cornerback Isaiah Bolden did join the New England Patriots the draft prior.
Saturday's showcase, perhaps the most scintillating in the bowl's four-year history, will aim to improve on those numbers.
