Underclassmen Maroon Tiger Players Embrace Challenge and HBCU Culture in Howard U Showdown

Three underclassmen players on the Morehouse College football team are more than ready to compete on Saturday (Sept. 17) against Howard University in a historic matchup at MetLife Stadium. Azola Martin, a sophomore defensive back from Detroit; Bradley Johnson, a sophomore defensive lineman from Las Vegas; and Myles Lee, a freshman running back out of Fresno, California are each prepared to lead the charge against a tough Division I opponent.

This classic HBCU football matchup began in 1923. Since then, these teams have competed 37 times, with Howard leading the series 25-10-2. Both teams, however, leave the past behind as they look forward to earning their first win of the 2022 college football season.

The Maroon Tigers (0-2) are eager to make a statement this weekend, despite their underdog status. The energy around Morehouse College’s campus is high going into this matchup. But no one is more driven than the younger players on the team.

For these players, taking the field as HBCU football players has changed their experiences as football players for the better. The speed and mentality of college football proved to be a steep learning curve. Most notably, competing with and against other Black players takes precedence over all other college football experiences.

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Lee, like many other Morehouse players, was one of the few Black players on his high school team in Fresno. Despite being the state with the fifth-largest Black population in the U.S., California notably does not have any HBCUs within its borders. As such, the freshman running back is ecstatic about the opportunity to play alongside his brothers.

“When you play the game with your people,