Atlanta Falcons Owner Arthur Blank's Foundation To Fund Black College Football Hall Of Fame Fellowship

The Donation Will Celebrate Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's Election To Centennial Class of 2020

Former commissioner Paul Tagliabue was a champion for diversity in the NFL. Now a generous gift from The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation celebrating Tagliabue's induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will continue that mission.

One of Tagliabue's main initiatives as commissioner was promoting more diversity in coaching hires with the implementation of the "Rooney Rule." The James Harris-Doug Williams Fellowship - funded by a gift from the Atlanta Falcons owner - will be endowed in Tagliabue's honor for the next two years.

Blank made it clear that Tagliabue has meant a lot to the Falcons organization and his involvement in the James Harris-Doug Williams Fellowship is a sign of appreciation. Said Blank in making the donation:

From the very first steps of buying the team right up until today, Commissioner Tagliabue has been a cherished friend, mentor and confidant, and I know he was the same to the (Rankin) Smith family during their stewardship of the Falcons. As commissioner, his forward-thinking and prudent decision-making raised our league to new heights, and then he carefully and successfully navigated the sometimes bumpy road that growth naturally encounters. His impact on the game during his tenure as commissioner is immeasurable. Simply put, the NFL wouldn’t be what it is today without him. On behalf of everyone with the Atlanta Falcons, we congratulate him on the much-deserved enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In recognition of Paul Tagliabue’s induction, my family and the Atlanta Falcons are proud to support the very important efforts of Paul and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the creation of a physical location for the Black College Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Equally important to its creation is the formation of the James Harris-Doug Williams Fellowship and its ability to provide an HBCU graduate a unique opportunity for professional development and career advancement, which we are proud to support. 

The James Harris-Doug Williams Fellowship provides post-graduate opportunity at the Pro Football Hall of Fame to a recent college graduate from an accredited Historically Black College and University (HBCU).

Tagliabue wants to help promote racial equality in the hiring of leadership positions in pro football. While he feels as though the Rooney Rule has helped result in more diversity in coaching hires, there is work to do in non-coaching roles such as front office positions. 

“The Rooney Rule addressed issues at the coaching level. But those issues go beyond issues for coaches,” he said. “I had the good fortune of taking over as commissioner the same year Art Shell became the first Black head coach in the League since the 1920s. Art set a standard that others like Dennis Green and Tony Dungy followed. We didn’t achieve enough progress on that issue for coaching, and I think the same can be said about non-coaching positions in the front office and other areas – not just for ethnic or racial minorities but for women as well.”

The James Harris-Doug Williams Fellowship will also seek to help address the lack of diversity in pro football front offices.