Excitement was in the air at the second annual National HBCU Elite 100 Student-Athlete Signing Day. This special event was hosted by The Athlete’s Foot (TAF), partnered with HBCU Elite 100, created by Jahi Rawlings, Founder & CEO Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League Inc, at The Athlete’s Foot on Lee Street in Atlanta, GA. The highlight of the weekend was the student-athletes committing their signatures to paper and partaking in their official signing in front of family members, VIPs, and community members. The joyous gathering was complimented with light refreshments, music, and a media photo call.
Participants of the National HBCU Elite 100 Student-Athlete Signing Day weekend include, Xavier Griffith representing Clark Atlanta Men’s Basketball, Cedric Taylor III representing Morehouse Men’s Basketball, Perry Smith Jr. representing North Carolina Central University Men’s Basketball, Jalal McKie representing North Carolina A&T Men’s Basketball, Myori Pruitt representing Clark Atlanta Women’s Basketball and, Haley Dalton representing Winston-Salem State University Women’s Basketball (not in attendance).
The celebratory weekend kicked off with an exclusive, intimate dinner to celebrate the athletes and their achievements. The next day, the student-athletes participated in the signing, then headed to an official signing photo shoot at Cam Kirk Studios and also attended the Atlanta United Soccer game. The weekend concluded with the signees visiting the Black entrepreneurial entities in Atlanta with stops at, The Closette, and Trap Museum to name a couple.
The National HBCU Elite 100 Student-Athlete Signing Day student-athletes were introduced to some of Atlanta’s most prominent names in philanthropy and sport, including photographer and Impact Council Member Cam Kirk, Mel @mxlanni and Simran @simity of Made for the W, and given the opportunity to chat about their next step in their academic and professional careers.
Jahi Rawlings, Founder & CEO of Atlanta Entertainment Basketball League Inc, shares, “To host a national HBCU signing day for a group of elite student-athletes trailblazing a path for generations to come to attend and play collegiate sports at HBCU is amazing and monumental. They truly deserve this experience, and we are glad to be a part of it.”
The Athlete’s Foot focuses on celebrating the next generation of HBCU superstars and allowing them to celebrate their achievements and success within their sport. Darius Billings, Vice President, Marketing and Community Engagement, states, “It is an honor to celebrate these student-athletes as they embark on furthering their education at an HBCU. The experience at an HBCU is unlike no other, and to be able to play sports and get a first-class education is a huge accomplishment.”
Event details provided by Stacey Manasco, Talent Resources at The Athlete’s Foot.