Michael Strahan, Elvin Bethea among SWAC, MEAC greats to be honored before Super Bowl LI

HOUSTON,Texas -- Members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame that attended historically black colleges and universities, including Michael Strahan of Texas Southern, Ken Houston of Prairie View A&M and former Oilers great Elvin Bethea, will be recognized at NRG Stadium prior to Super Bowl LI as part of the NFL's new alliance with the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Houston, who played for the Oilers from 1967-72 as part of a 14-year NFL career, and Strahan, who played for the Giants team that won Super Bowl XLII, will be among the former SWAC players who will be honored on the field prior to the Feb. 5 championship game. Bethea, who played from the Oilers from 1968-83, attended college at North Carolina A&T.

Former Chiefs defensive back Emmitt Thomas of Angleton, who attended Bishop College, also will be among the group of honorees that includes Super Bowl veterans such as Jerry Rice, Art Shell, Mel Blount and Willie Davis and Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams.

The Super Bowl recognition is part of the new NFL/HBCU alliance known as the Strength of HBCUs, Impacting Pro Football Since 1948, which commenced at Saturday's Celebration Bowl in Atlanta. The relationship included a football careers forum for SWAC and MEAC athletic administrators.



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