BALTIMORE, Md. (February 21, 2024) — Morgan State defensive back Jordan Toles, defensive back Jae'Veyon Morton, linebacker Lawrence Richardson, wide receiver Treveyon Pratt, and defensive end Noah Washington were selected to compete in this weekend's Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl.
The Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, presented by the Black College Football Hall of Fame is a postseason all-star game that showcases the top 100 NFL draft-eligible football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The game will be played on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Tulane University's Yoman Stadium in New Orleans, La., and broadcast live on NFL Network.
The HBCU Combine was also held on Monday (Feb. 19) at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center, which is the New Orleans Saints practice facility. The event was patterned after the NFL Combine.
Toles, an All-MEAC First Team selection, emerged as one of the league's best impact players during the 2023 season. A standout safety from Baltimore (St. Frances HS), Toles is an aggressive and physical player who finished the season as the Bears' second leading tackler with 66 stops to go along with three interceptions (T-No. 36 in FCS) and a blocked kick. Toles, a four-time MEAC Player of the Week and Aeneas Williams Award semifinalist, had one of his best career performances when he collected a career-high 14 tackles (9 solo) when the Bears squared off against Howard in their season finale.
Morton continued to be a playmaker for the Morgan defense as one of the best corners in the league. He started in every game (11) and his season totals include 26 tackles (17 solo), 9 pass breakups (No. 2 in MEAC), 2.0 tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Morton also recorded two picks for a Bears defense that ranked T-No 8 in turnovers gained (23).
Richardson had another solid campaign as one of the conference's premier linebackers and a bedrock in the Bears' defensive unit. The senior ranked third on the team with 50 total tackles with 4 TFLs and 1.5 sacks. He had a season-high 12 total stops in the Bears monumental win at No. 18 Richmond. Richardson wrapped the 2023 season with 12 tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup in a tough loss versus Howard.
Pratt completed the season as one of the top receivers in the league (ranked No. 6) with 357 yards on 25 receptions, including three touchdowns. He played his first college season at Savannah State in 2018 (9 rec., 221 yds) before playing at North Carolina Central in 2019 and 2021. While at NCCU, Pratt played in 17 games and combined for 25 receptions, 302 reception yards and two touchdowns.
Washington stood out as a dominant force on the field. The talented edge rusher from New Haven, Connecticut quickly made a name for himself in the conference as he registered 35 total tackles (19 solo) with two sacks for the year, including a team-high three fumble recoveries with three pass breakups. Williams put forth his best performance in the season finale against Howard, recording a season-high seven tackles and a sack.
The HBCU Legacy Bowl began in 2022. It was founded by a group of companies, including Allstate, the New Orleans Saints, the NFL, Adidas, Patrick Mahomes and his foundation, CocaCola, the Allstate Sugar Bowl, and more. Other NFL players joined in support of game: Jameis Winston, Bobby Wagner, and Terron Armstead are all listed as participating partners.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu
