Three HBCU Players Get NFL Combine Invitations

ORANGEBURG, South Carolina -- The National Football League released the list of players invited to the 2018 Scouting Combine. A total of 336 participants are set to attend the event, which will take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 27 through March 5. Three of those players came from HBCUs.

South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard (camp# LB25), Southern University defensive back Danny Johnson (camp# D819) and North Carolina A&T offensive lineman Brandon Parker (camp# OL30) were able to leverage their performances from the Senior Bowl into Combine invitations.



The 6-3, 229-pound Leonard, a two-time MEAC defensive player of the year and a first-team selection on the 2017 STATS FCS All-America Team, totaled a school-record 394 tackles in his career. Leonard racked up a game-high 14 tackles at college football's premier All-Star game and earned Most Valuable Player on Defense in the Reese's Senior Bowl held last month in Mobile, Alabama.

The NFL Scouting Combine is a week-long showcase, where college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general managers, and scouts.

Athletes attend by invitation only with the implication that an athlete's performance during the combine can affect their draft status and salary, and ultimately their career.



SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION