SU Football Legend Aeneas Williams To Have HBCU Award Named After Him

COURTESY OF GO JAG SPORTS

 

OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok – Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (OSHOF), Home of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, proudly announces the implementation of the Aeneas Williams Award. Whereas the Paycom Jim Thorpe is presented to NCAA Division 1’s best defensive back in college football, the Aeneas Williams Award will serve as the first of its kind to honor its namesake’s position within Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) and be presented to HBCU Division I’s best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.

The contribution of HBCUs to the landscape of college football and the National Football League (NFL) has forever left an impact on the game. HBCUs hold an incredibly rich athletic tradition, tied to the game of football, that continues to exemplify the culture of these schools for over the past century.

“I am honored and grateful to the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame & the Jim Thorpe Association for this amazing opportunity to use my name to honor the nation’s top defensive back from Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).” – Aeneas Williams
Aeneas Williams, a New Orleans, Louisiana native, was a walk-on at Southern University in his junior academic year and by the following season he led the nation in interceptions. Williams continued his collegiate football career at Southern as a graduate student and fifth year senior, being named to the All-Southwestern Athletic Conference team two consecutive years and tying the Division I-AA (now known as the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision) record for most interceptions (11), while ultimately improving his draft status.Williams was drafted in the third round, 59th overall pick, of the 1991 NFL Draft by the then-Phoenix Cardinals. Over the next 10 years with the Cardinals and four following years with the St. Louis Rams, Williams was considered one of the best defensive backs to the play the game. At cornerback, throughout most of his professional career, and safety, Williams earned 8 Pro Bowl selections, earned at both positions, throughout his NFL career.

Additional Accolades

Black College All-American Defensive Player of the Year
20 Interceptions in Collegiate Career (3 Years)
3x First-Team All-Pro
2x Second-Team All-Pro
5x First-Team All-NFC
Named to NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990’s
1991 NFL All-Rookie Team
NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year by the NFLPA
1997 Defensive Back of the Year by the NFL Alumni
Class of 2014 Pro Football Hall of Fame
Class of 2016 Black College Football Hall of Fame
St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame
“After presenting the 2019 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award to Grant Delpit, I had a thought come to mind about a defensive back award for players in HBCUs. And with the help of Mike James, the dream started becoming a reality, but we needed the right man with the same values as Mr. Jim Thorpe. After a great deal of thought we came up with Aeneas Williams. I’m so honored and blessed that Aeneas has agreed to be the face of this award. It’s about legacy and Aeneas sees that this award will hold the same core values as the Thorpe Award.” – Roy Williams, 2001 Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Winner

OSHOF is humbled to implement the Aeneas Williams Award alongside other notable sole HBCU awards; including, but not limited to the Deacon Jones Trophy and the Black College Football Hall of Fame’s Black College Football Player of the Year Award.

“Thanks to the initiative of Roy Williams, the support of the Thorpe family and the commitment of Aeneas Williams, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association is extremely excited to annually recognize HBCU Division I’s best defensive back, based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character. The same values and standard the Thorpe Award has upheld since its inception in 1986.” – Mike James, Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director

Khalil Baker of North Carolina Central University has been named the inaugural Aeneas Williams Award winner. The award is given to the nation’s best defensive back in HBCU Division I college football on behalf of the award’s namesake, Aeneas Williams, and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

Baker was a standout athlete at East Forsyth High School just outside Winston-Salem, N.C. Baker was a two-time all-conference and all-county selection, as well as a two-time sportsmanship award recipient while at East Forsyth. He also served as team captain of the 2018 state championship team before attending North Carolina Central (NCCU).

As a freshman at NCCU, Baker appeared in three games as a defensive back recording one tackle. He received more playing time as a sophomore, when he appeared in 11 games and finished the 2021 season with 16 tackles and two passes defended.

Baker became a dominate force on the field as a junior. He won the inaugural Aeneas Williams Award, given to the nation’s best defensive back in HBCU Division I college football. He made more history by becoming the first NCCU Eagle to earn Associated Press FCS All-America First Team honors. Baker was named the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Defensive Player of the Year.

He led the Eagles to the 2022 MEAC Championship with 61 tackles, 43 solo, nine passes defended and four interceptions. Baker capped the year by registering a team-high 10 tackles to earn the 2022 Cricket Celebration Bowl Defensive MVP award, as the Eagles defeated No. 5 Jackson State in overtime to capture the HBCU national championship title.

The Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame honored Baker at the 37th anniversary of the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award Banquet, also celebrating the inaugural Aeneas Williams Award on Feb. 7, 2023, in Oklahoma City.