Football at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, better known as HBCUs, has a storied history filled with great players.
Here's a look at the greatest individual seasons by HBCU players at the I-AA/FCS level.
There were a few prerequisites for a player to make this list. Only seasons from 1978 and on were used since that is the first year of I-AA/FCS play.
Unfortunately, that excludes all-time greats like Walter Payton, Doug Williams, Deacon Jones, Ed "Too Tall" Jones and many more.
That being said, let's get right to the list of the greatest individual seasons in HBCU football history.
The greatest individual seasons in HBCU football history 1978: Isaiah "Ike" Williams, Florida A&M We'll start with 1978, the first season of the I-AA. The year takes us to Tallahassee, Florida, where Florida A&M Rattler Williams ran for a school-record 1,274 rushing yards. Not only did Williams break records, but he also led FAMU to win the first-ever I-AA national championship.
1980: Everson Walls, Grambling State Two years later, Grambling State was home to a fantastic individual season. In 1980, Everson Walls had a magnificent senior season, intercepting 11 passes. The 11 picks were a I-AA record.
1984: Jerry Rice and Willie Totten, Mississippi Valley State 1984 is the year of the next greatest HBCU season, this time coming from arguably the greatest one-two punch in HBCU history.
Mississippi Valley State's 1984 team featured quarterback Willie Totten and wide receiver Jerry Rice. Yes, NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
The duo broke numerous I-AA records, with the Delta Devil offense averaging a startling 59 points per game. Together, the two led Mississippi Valley State to a 9-2 record.
Here are the season stat lines for the two standouts. Jerry Rice finished with 103 catches, 1,682 receiving yards, and 27 touchdowns. Rice would finish 9th in Heisman voting in 1984.
Willie Totten finished 1984 with 324 completions, 4,572 passing yards and 56 passing touchdowns.
1990: Aeneas Williams, Southern In 1990, Southern's Aeneas Williams tied the I-AA interceptions record, picking off 11 passes.
1991: Ricky Jones, Alabama State In 1991, Alabama State's Ricky Jones accounted for 2,453 yards of total offense, leading Alabama State to an 11-0-1 record and the Black college national championship.