UNC football opener vs Florida A&M more than a game — it’ll be a celebration of HBCUs
Bill Hayes, who in 1973 became the first Black football assistant coach at Wake Forest and the first in the ACC, never could have envisioned he would be embraced at Kenan Stadium.
He’ll make his return on Saturday as one of three honorary captains before North Carolina faces Florida A&M at 8 p.m. Hayes and Rod Broadway, one of the first 10 Black scholarship players at UNC, will represent the Tar Heels. Rudy Hubbard, a former FAMU coach who was a 2021 inductee into the College Football Hall of Fame, will represent the Rattlers.
“I was thrilled, honestly, it was beyond my fondest dreams,” Hayes told The News & Observer. “To think that Rudy Hubbard, who I have known for a long time; and the young pup Rod Broadway — although he’s not young anymore — that the three of us could get together and go out on the field together at a game and it’s just beyond anything I ever thought would happen.”
The Tar Heels have turned their season opener into a celebration of Historical Black Colleges and Universities while recognizing some of the program’s trailblazers.
UNC coach Mack Brown said he had no part in scheduling the game, but he thought it would present a good opportunity to turn the game into an event.
“There’s been so much talk and attention toward HBCUs the last couple of years, especially since Deion Sanders, one of the greatest to ever play, went to Jackson State,” Brown said. “The recruiting is different now. HBCUs are recruiting at a higher level and the attention is much better. So I thought it would be great to have this game on national TV.”
James Webster will also be honored as a Kenan Legend by UNC. The former linebacker was in the second recruiting class of Black scholarship football players in school history. Webster was also the first Black coach in Carolina’s football program in 1973 and later served on John Bunting’s staff from 2001-04.
Webster and Broadway coached together on Bunting’s staff for two seasons. From there, Broadway went on to head coaching stints at N.C. Central, Grambling State and A&T, and he won five Black College National Championships, including at least one at each stop.
Carolina will pay FAMU $450,000 to be its opponent. As part of bringing the Rattlers to Chapel Hill for the first time, Brown said he told athletics director Bubba Cunningham to make sure they could bring their acclaimed band, the Marching 100s.
“The Marching 100s is one of the best bands ever — it may be the best,” Brown said. “They’ve played at the Grammys they’ve played at a Super Bowl, and they’re gonna play in pre-game by themselves and then with our band, and then the same at halftime. So everybody needs to get there early. And make sure we honor the Marching 100 and enjoy and appreciate their band.”
Hayes said Brown has always been supportive going back to his first stint in Chapel Hill in 1988 when they met. That same year Hayes switched jobs from being the head coach at Winston-Salem State to North Carolina A&T. He said Brown supplied some practice gear and allowed his players access to UNC’s weight and training rooms. But Hayes said he should get “full credit” for making it more than just a game.
“This venture was all his thing,” Hayes said. “I’m just so happy that he took the initiative to step out and honor us and honor FAMU and its Marching 100.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 5:10 AM with the headline "UNC football opener vs Florida A&M more than a game — it’ll be a celebration of HBCUs."