Thibodeaux, a defensive end for Oaks Christian School in Los Angeles who is college football's most sought-after recruit, had supposedly narrowed his list to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans prior to his visit to the FAMU campus this weekend. He left Tallahassee buzzing about his experience.
On July 29, he tweeted a collage of photos of him wearing the Rattlers uniform with a caption that read, "I had an unbelievable time at #FAMU." A day earlier, he tweeted, "I’m loving #FAMU
If Thibodeaux accepted a scholarship to FAMU, it would send shockwaves throughout the football hierarchy. Not since the days of Walter Payton and Shannon Sharpe has the NFL had a bona fide future Pro Bowler from a historically black school playing in the league. Nowadays, it's unheard of for a player of Thibodeaux's level to even visit a school like FAMU. In fact, the NFL has taken steps to diminish the chances that a student-athlete from a historically black college or university can snag a spot on a team's roster.
None of the 32 NFL teams holds pro days at historically black schools anymore. The message NFL owners are sending is clear: The only way to get into the pros is by attending a Division I university or college, where a majority of the student population, the faculty, the administration, and the coaching staff is white. If the high-school student-athletes don't play for the Nick
Thibodeaux, whose number of Twitter followers exploded when he announced his FAMU visit, is so talented that the NFL couldn't ignore him if he played for the Rattlers. He is still a first-round Top 10 pick no matter which college football program he joins. And he would inspire more black high-school football players to follow his lead.
That would force the NFL to be more inclusive of historically black schools. If not, the owners are sending a clear message: We don't want rebels or any of that black-power shit.
Follow Luke on Twitter: @unclukereal1.