The showcase also offers a chance for prospects to compete against and be around fellow HBCU athletes looking to continue their careers. For Howard defensive lineman Noah Miles, that experience has been just as beneficial as performing for NFL scouts because of the bond he’s built with players who have been introduced to the game in different ways.

“It’s a great experience, because not many people go through this and not many people can talk to other people across the world who are going through the same situation you’re going through,” Miles said. “I feel like that’s more important than numbers.”

Still, Miles, who ended his career at Howard with 92 tackles and 16 sacks, is doing everything he can to get a spot on a training camp roster. He participated in Howard’s pro day just three days before the HBCU showcase, so he wasn’t sure how his numbers would look. He was actually pleased with the results, despite his body not feeling “one hundred percent.”

But that’s not out of character for Miles, who said he would bring motivation to an NFL team. For example, a coach told him early in his career that he had slow hands, so he dedicated a portion of his workout routine to improve his striking and hand strength. That work included everything from lifting weights to strengthening his fingers and forearms in a giant paint bucket full of rice.

The results showed up on the stat sheet. His improvements in his hand speed led to him being more disruptive and amassing 23 tackles for loss. Last season, Miles had 5.5 stops behind the line of scrimmage in the first five games and finished with eight in 12 games.

“We put offseason work in all the time, and it really just molded me into who I am to this day,” Miles said.

Perhaps the most important takeaway of the weekend for prospects is that it is possible for them to achieve their goals of being in the NFL. Many players with HBCU ties have gone on to have fruitful professional careers, whether it’s through the draft or earning a spot on a 53-man roster in training camp. One of the greatest HBCU players, Super Bowl-winning quarterback Doug Williams, was at the showcase watching prospects. Williams was the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, helping Washington claim its second Lombardi Trophy.

Though it’s been nearly 40 years since his final game with Washington, Williams is still regarded as one of the most influential HBCU players in college football and NFL history. His opinion also has significance for younger players like Bowie State defensive lineman Jamal Jones, who got a personal call from Williams before the HBCU Legacy Bowl.

“He’s just always making sure he checks in with everybody, but I feel like he’s really taking the time to make sure that I’m good and make sure that I know the expectations of what’s coming up,” Jones said.

Like many prospects, Jones said he hopes he can come back to the Commanders’ facility, whether that be for their team-run local pro day or rookie minicamp. It would be an opportunity they have waited for their entire lives, and none of them would take it for granted.

“It’s a testament to all the effort that I put in,” Onwuazor said. “I pretty much sacrificed a lot of stuff in my first two years in college to be able to get good enough to be able to hold my own and to contribute to get better. So, I’m really grateful for that, and I put it all just to the blessing God has given me.”