Three Players to Represent Braves at HBCU Pigskin Showdown

LORMAN, Miss. – Three football student-athletes from Alcorn have been selected to participate in the Second Annual HBCU Pigskin Showdown taking place Saturday, Dec. 17, at David J. Robinson Memorial Stadium in Marion, Alabama. Representing Alcorn are CJ Bolar, Claudin Cherelus and Tavarian McCullum.
 
The HBCU Pigskin Showdown helps to provide professional exposure to some of the best college senior football players from Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) around the nation. Participants are selected and invited to the event by the Pigskin Showdown scouting staff with overall ratings and grades of each player involved.
 
CJ Bolar is a 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior from Purvis, Mississippi. The transfer from Vanderbilt and Poplarville High alum, caught a pass in all but one (1) game for which her participated throughout his career for the Purple and Gold. He finished the 2022 season fourth on the Braves squad in receptions (21), while tallying 248 receiving yards. He would also return two punts for the Braves this past season.
 
Claudin Cherelus is a 6-foot-2, 230-pound senior from Golden Gate, Florida, was named to the All-SWAC Second Team on defense. The Braves middle linebacker served as one of the best at his position during the Fred McNair era. Cherelus concluded the 2022 season ranked eighth in the SWAC for tackles for loss, despite missing a pair of games with an injury. Additionally, he was 10th overall in the league for total tackles. The UMass transfer and Golden Gate High alum registered 67 tackles across the 2022 season, including a team-leading 13.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He went on to add a team second-most six quarterback sacks for a loss of 39 yards to the opposition.
 
The third Braves player selected was Tavarian McCullum, a 6-foot-3, 210-pound defensive back from Collins, Mississippi. On the entirety of the 2022 season, McCullum was fifth on the Alcorn defensive unit with 42 tackles (24 solo, 18 assisted). He also picked off two passes and broke up another two on the campaign. McCullum's interception in overtime away to Prairie View A&M sealed the road victory for the Braves in Texas.
 
The HBCU Pigskin Showdown was created in an attempt to serve and assist players from HBCUs in being evaluated by pros in order to get to the next level and achieve dreams of playing professional football.
 
"This is a great opportunity for HBCU players," said Co-Founder Chris Williams. "We're excited to have this event in the Black Belt region of Alabama and are happy that the histories of Selma and Marion, Alabama will be on display as we provide a stage for these young athletes."
 
The game is more than just an all-star football contest. The week-long celebration gives HBCU administrators, supporters and alumni an awesome backdrop for a convention-style gathering that will allow for meaningful conversations and networking. Several connected events will be held in both Selma and Marion, Alabama, one being a procession, led by the HBCU all-stars, across Selma's historic Edmund Pettus Bridge.
 
"HBCUs are so important to our nation," said Co-Founder Bryant Grove. "We're thankful that we can provide a platform for these young men while highlighting Selma, Marion, and the campus of Marion Military Institute."
 
The game will take place on Saturday, December 17, 2022, and broadcast live on HBCUGO.TV.
 
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