The Green Bay Packers’ all-time leading receiving yards leader, Donald Driver, has been selected for induction to the Black College Football Hall of Fame. Driver is one of seven inductees in the Class of ’22. The other inductees are: Ben Coates, John “Big Train” Moody, Nate Newton, Sammy White, Roscoe Nance, and Coach William “Billy” Nicks.
The Black College Football Hall of Fame
The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHoF) was founded in 2009 to celebrate the players and coaches of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s). The BCFHoF’s first class was inducted in 2010. Jerry Rice and Walter Peyton were among the first inductees. Donald Driver joins Willie Davis as the only Green Bay Packers to be inducted. In order to be inducted, a person must have played or coached at an HBCU. In addition, to Rice, Peyton, and Davis, other inductees include Steve McNair, Michael Strahan, and Shannon Sharpe. For more information, visit their website here.
Donald Driver- Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University was founded in 1871. It was founded using the first Black land grant college in the history of the United States. Notable alumni of Alcorn State include Medgar Evers, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Frazier, and Steve McNair.
Donald Driver played at Alcorn State from 1996-1998. He had a modest career, catching just 88 passes for 1,993 yards and 17 touchdowns. Driver did not garner much attention from NFL teams. However, Ron Wolf drafted Driver with a seventh round pick in 1999.
Interestingly, it was not football in which Donald Driver most excelled while in college. As a high-jumper, Driver qualified for the Olympic Trials in 1996. He earned All-Conference Honors during his senior track season.
Donald Driver: Green Bay Packers Legend
Donald Driver started his NFL career with the Green Bay Packers in 1999. For the first three seasons of his career, he did not play a huge role in the offense. Between 1999 and 2001, Driver had just 37 catches for 520 yards and three touchdowns.
In 2002, however, Driver had a breakout year. That season, he had 70 receptions for 1,064 yards and three touchdowns. Driver was named to his first Pro Bowl that year as well. From 2002-2010, Driver caught at least 50 passes in each season. Those nine seasons with 50 or more receptions remain a Packers’ franchise record.
Donald Driver also holds the Green Bay Packers records for most career receiving yards. He remains the only player in team history to surpass 10,000 receiving yards. When Driver retired after the 2012 season, he had 10,137 yards to his name. His 61 receiving touchdowns are fifth in team history.
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