Black History Month is often framed as a time for reflection, but for Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson, it is about responsibility in real time. Their legacies were built under stadium lights with the Philadelphia Eagles. Still, today, their purpose lives in classrooms, meeting rooms, weight rooms, and communities connected to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Both men understand that at HBCUs, coaching is never just about football. It is about culture, access, leadership, and what you choose to give back when you have already "made it."

Michael Vick: Reframing excellence through legacy and accountability

When asked what coaching at an HBCU means to him personally, Vick does not romanticize it. He tells the truth. It is paying dues. It is earning stripes. It is choosing a space where resources may be limited, but impact is not.

While many assume elite coaching starts at Power 5 programs, Vick intentionally embraced the foundation-building work at Norfolk State University. For him, Black history is not about shortcuts. It is about labor, sacrifice, and discipline, values deeply rooted in the HBCU tradition.

"I don't look at this as charity," he explains. "I look at it as pouring into young men who want to learn."

That philosophy shows up in how he defines leadership. Vick closely watches how his coaches communicate, teach, and hold players accountable. Teaching, he insists, is the foundation of coaching, and leadership must show up consistently, not selectively.

Beyond wins and losses, Vick wants the Black community to rethink their views on HBCUs. He challenges the idea that success only comes from bigger campuses, bigger budgets, or bigger branding. Education is education. Culture is culture. Diversity of thought, experience, and opportunity thrives within HBCUs.

His approach to accountability was shaped by a hard season, as the Spartans went 1-11 in Vick's first season on campus. Players who felt entitled, who believed past success guaranteed future privilege, were forced to confront a new standard. Effort is non-negotiable. Accountability applies everywhere, on the field, in the classroom, and at home, and Vick is transparent with both players and parents about that reality.

As a father and husband, the lines between home and football blur. Coaching young men, he says, is not much different from parenting, except now it is 115 sons instead of a household full of kids. Discipline, patience, and adaptability remain the core lessons.

Excellence, to Vick, starts with redefining the term student-athlete. He pushes players to build their own definitions, believing that academic excellence is the ultimate flex. Football performance is expected. Academic commitment is what impresses him.

Drawing on Black generational lessons, he teaches his players to live life three years ahead: graduated, employed, and prepared. In that sense, Black History Month becomes forward-facing. Planning beyond the game ensures no one is scrambling when football ends.

Even the lack of resources becomes a lesson. Long bus rides, limited NIL opportunities, and fewer amenities sharpen coaching and character. Scarcity, he believes, builds resilience. "It takes nothing to be average," Vick reminds his team. "Greatness costs something."

Grounded in faith, especially Proverbs and Psalm 23 ("The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."), Vick sees his role as proof that redemption, evolution, and leadership are all part of Black history, past and present.

DeSean Jackson: Black History as purpose, presence, and possibility

For Jackson, Black History Month directly informs how he shows up as a head coach. His role, he believes, is to motivate, educate, and redirect young Black men who may not yet see the full scope of their influence.

Coaching at Delaware State University was not something he initially envisioned, but he views it as divine alignment. Playing and coaching are different crafts, yet both demand leadership, consistency, and accountability.

HBCUs, Jackson explains, offer something unique. Cultural grounding. Brotherhood. Exposure to traditions, community engagement, and shared history. Through this environment, he has deepened his respect for Black cultural systems that foster unity and pride.

Accountability is central to his program. If players cannot handle their academic responsibilities, the future narrows. Jackson emphasizes that while football may not last, a degree does, and no one can take that achievement away.

The transition from NFL-level resources to an HBCU setting has not shaken him. He entered the role with an understanding of the limitations. Instead of focusing on what is missing, he pushes his team to maximize what they have. Progress, not complaining, becomes the mission.

From that mindset flows his biggest lessons. Be comfortable being uncomfortable. Operating without excess teaches resilience. Growth comes from challenge, not convenience.

Community service plays a major role in reinforcing those values. Jackson's players are expected to engage with the communities that support them. Black history, he teaches, is lived, not just studied, through service and visibility.

Mentored by respected leaders, Jackson wants the next generation of Black coaches and players to believe they belong in leadership spaces. Fearlessness opens doors. Stepping into discomfort creates opportunity.

Beyond wins and losses – the Hornets went 8-4 in Jackson's first season, the school's first winning campaign in more than a decade – Jackson wants HBCU athletes to see coaching at an HBCU as a bold, pride-filled choice, and not a fallback. Standing apart, taking the harder road, and succeeding anyway carries a distinct sense of ownership and accomplishment.

Jackson's faith is not tied to a single scripture, but to a way of living. Acting with integrity, leading from the heart, and trusting that good work produces lasting impact.

A living chapter of Black history

Vick and Jackson are not symbols. They are participants in an ongoing legacy. Their presence at HBCUs redefines leadership, visibility, and commitment within the Black community. Black History Month, through their work, becomes less about remembering the past and more about shaping the future.

They are teaching young men to lead before they are followed, to prepare before opportunity knocks, and to value culture as much as competition.

Their message is clear. Black history is built when knowledge, discipline, faith, and community meet and are passed forward.

Kayla Watson is a senior at Temple University who honed her writing skills as a member of Mighty Writers, the nonprofit organization that empowers students through its after-school literacy program.