Gerald J Huggins II has built a distinguished career characterized by his unwavering commitment to excellence and proactive approach to player development. His tenure at various prestigious organizations such as DraftHBCUPlayers, Lincoln University PA, the Jim Thorpe Award, and the East/West Shrine Bowl has endowed him with an exceptional ability to identify and nurture football talent, develop strategic game plans, and forge strong relationships within the sports community.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Gerald Huggins's passion for football was evident early on. He played both Defensive and Offensive Line positions at Boys and Girls High School, where he graduated in 2011. Following high School, Huggins committed to Long Island University, where he redshirted during his freshman year in 2011. However, in 2012, he transferred to Virginia Union University (VUU), where he played on the defensive line and special teams for three years, starting in one of them.Â
In 2015, during the last semester of college, Huggins gained practical coaching experience by working with the then-Washington Redskins in their public relations department and an assistant D Line coach at Virginia Union. That same year, he earned his Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from Virginia Union.
After graduating, Huggins joined ESPN in 2016 as a production assistant and writer, where he contributed his talents to various projects, including writing the article "Back in the day: 40 years ago, Morgan State and Grambling played in Tokyo." His expertise in football writing also led him to contribute to platforms such as HBCU Gameday, Redskinswire, and Pantherswire.
Transitioning to the coaching arena, Huggins served as the Defensive Line Coach and Special Teams Coordinator at Canarsie High School in NYC from 2021 to 2022. His commitment to player development extended beyond the high school level, as he also established a defensive line training program in 2021, where he trained multiple Division 1 athletes.
In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Huggins took on the role of Lead Scout for DraftHBCUPlayers, where he has been a pivotal contributor since 2021. His scouting expertise further expanded in 2023 when he became the Linebacker Coach, Special Teams Coordinator, and Pro Liaison at Lincoln University, PA. That same year, he joined the East/West Shrine Bowl as a Scouting Assistant, initially scouting the Sun Belt Conference, and was quickly promoted to National Scout, where he now scouts the ACC and Sun Belt football conferences.
Huggins's impact on the football community extends to his involvement in award selection. He serves on the committee for the Aeneas Williams Award, which honors the best defensive back in FCS/HBCU football, and he is also a voter for the Jim Thorpe Award.
As an Analyst, Huggins regularly appears on various shows, including LockedOnHBCU and HBCU Nightly, where he highlights and evaluates HBCU prospects. In 2024, he played a crucial role in facilitating interviews for NFL scouts and prospects at the HBCU Combine.
Most recently, in 2024, Huggins became an Analyst/Writer for Sports Illustrated's FCS Football Central, where he continues to evaluate and highlight the best prospects in the FCS.
He is the son of the 2022 Morgan State Hall of Fame Linebacker Gerald Huggins Sr.
