PHOTO | TALLADEGA COLLEGE

Talladega College, which won Black college national championships in 1920 (above) and 1921, has authorized President Billy Hawkins to hire a consultant to determine the feasibility of reviving the program, which was shut down in 1941.

The toast of Black college football in the early 1920s is exploring a 21st century comeback.

Talladega College’s board of trustees authorized President Billy Hawkins to hire a consultant to determine the feasibility of reviving the school’s football program.  The trustees voted for a feasibility study on April 30.

Talladega, a private school in Alabama, won Black college national championships in 1920 and 1921 but shuttered the sport in 1941 with the outbreak of World War II. The Tornadoes now compete in the NAIA.

“The year 2021 marks the 100-year anniversary of our historic back-to-back championship win,” Hawkins said in a statement. “Given the success of our academic and athletic programs; the recent growth and transformation of the college; and the myriad benefits of having a football program, now may be the time to revive our team. This could be great for the college, the community, and central Alabama. However, our decision will be based upon the findings of a formal feasibility study.”

Hawkins has previous experience bringing football back to a college campus. As president of Texas College, he oversaw the revival of a program that had been dormant for 40 years.

“We are now moving forward with a true feasibility study,” said Talladega Vice President for Student Affairs Jeffery Burgin Jr.,” who led the preliminary probe to weigh campus interest in bringing the sport back. “Adding a football program will affect community members so we want to hear their opinions. We also want to gage the opinions of our alumni and other stakeholders.”

Even without football, Talladega still fields one of the best HBCU marching bands in the nation in the Marching Tornadoes, a mainstay at band showcases as well as major parades. Bringing football back would add another level of pageantry on campus.

“The band would love to actually march at home games, and many students are excited about the possibility of attending football games on campus,” said Shakayah Midgette, a 2021 graduate and student representative to the board of trustees. “School pride has increased a great deal, and I believe a football team would help it to increase even further. Football would attract new students as well as sponsors.”

Said athletic director Kevin Herod: “The possibility of adding football would only enhance our athletic program and bring new opportunities to the campus, the community, and the overall collegiate experience for our students.”

Talladega has undergone numerous upgrades in recent years, including the launch of its first-ever graduate program and construction of a 45,000-square-foot residence hall; the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center; and the Dr. William R. Harvey Museum of Art, which houses Hale Woodruff’s renowned Amistad Murals. The 2020-2021 academic year was Talladega’s third consecutive year for record enrollment increases.

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