ENC HBCU Combine & Showcase this Friday and Saturday

GREENVILLE, N.C. — The ENC HBCU Combine & Showcase will take place in Farmville this Friday and Saturday.

This is the third year that the combine has been held in Pitt County and the second year that the event has expanded into a two-day format.

The event will begin on Friday with an informational seminar at Farmville Central High School for coaches and student-athletes. It will run from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The seminar will feature several speakers including Johnnie Walton and Timmy Newsome, both inductees of the Black College Hall of Fame.

Walton, who was one of the first black quarterbacks to win a championship in a professional football league, and Newsome, who finished his career as the ninth leading receiver in Dallas Cowboys history, will share their personal journeys and offer inspiring words to student-athletes.

On Saturday, athletes will participate in the combine and be evaluated in several areas including the 40-yard dash, 5-10-5 shuttle run, vertical jump, broad jump, and bench press. Recruiters from the CIAA and MEAC conferences as well as Louisburg College are expected to attend.

Farmville Central High School is located at 3308 East Wilson Street in Farmville.

“We are pleased to provide an avenue for exposure for those high school athletes that often get overlooked by larger universities such as those in the Power 5 Conferences,” said Maurice Jordan, ENC HBCU Combine & Showcase Committee member. “By bringing college recruiters to one location, athletes have an affordable and time efficient way to showcase their skills without having to travel to multiple college campuses.”

“We are honored to host the 2024 ENC HBCU Combine & Showcase in Pitt County for the third consecutive year,” said Andrew Schmidt, President & CEO of Visit Greenville, NC and Play Greenville, NC Sports. “We are excited to work with the committee to provide an excellent experience for participating student-athletes.”

The Eastern North Carolina Historically Black College & University Showcase was established with the mission of providing an authentic football combine experience in which high school student-athletes can gain exposure and expand their recruiting portfolios. In addition to providing a platform for student-athletes to showcase their athletic ability, the combine serves as a vehicle to educate students and parents about the collegiate recruiting process. The goal of the ENC HBCU Combine is to offer a platform for students to maximize all opportunities to receive scholarship or financial aid consideration from college football programs.

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