HBCU Football: Coach Chennis Berry Discusses East-West Shrine Bowl, HBCU Fellowship, Aaron Smith
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Thursday night's 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl will have two HBCU football coaches, Chennis Berry (South Carolina State) and Dr. Alvin Parker (VA Union), working as members of the HBCU Coaching Fellowship.
South Carolina State linebacker Aaron Smith is the lone HBCU player represented at the 100th all-star classic at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Bonnie-Jill Laflin spoke with Chennis Berry about his role and Smith's appearance in tonight's game, and here are his quotes:
HBCU Fellowship Program
"First of all, I was grateful to be here to represent South Carolina State University. When I'm part of the HBCU fellowship program here with the East West Shrine, and it's great just to be able to network with the different coaches and the different people in the NFL organizations..."
Coach Chennis Berry on Aaron Smith
"Speaking of Aaron, he definitely spoke about how you've been such a mentor and how you've helped him through this journey."
On Preparing Players for Life
"We just try to give him life lessons to get him ready for the game of life, because we know ultimately at the end of the day, these young men are their game's gonna end one day, and it has an expiration date, and we gotta get him ready for the game of life."
Life Beyond Football
"Although football is important and and them exceeding on the football field, but being better men, better fathers, better husbands is what we're all about in our program."
. @SCState_Fb Head Coach Chennis Berry talks about the @MEACSports Championship, the HBCU Fellowship, and preparing players for life.
— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) January 30, 2025
📺 @lightsouttv @BJLaflin
#ShrineBowl | @NFLFootballOps pic.twitter.com/lR9Rzgqqvf
HBCU IN EAST-WEST SHRINE HALL OF FAME
On Wednesday night, Tennessee State head coach Eddie George was inducted into the East-West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame alongside former NFL Super Bowl Champion and LSU standout Andrew Whitworth.
George was named the Big South-OVC Coach of the Year in 2024 and was a finalist for the 2024 Eddie Robinson Award, which recognizes the top coach in NCAA FCS Division I football.
Tennessee State (9-4) earned a trip to the NCAA FCS Playoffs and lost against Montana, 41-27.
HBCU PLAYERS ON THE ALL-CENTURY TEAM
Several legendary football players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have been selected for the East-West Shrine All-Century Team.
- Doug Williams - Grambling State
- Walter Payton - Jackson State
- Robet Brazile - Jackson State
- Shannon Sharpe - Savannah State
HOW TO WATCH THE 2025 EAST-WEST SHRINE BEOW
- Network: NFL Network
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Date: Thursday, Jan. 30
- Venue: AT&T Stadium
- Where: Arlington, Texas