College football’s opening weekend reminded me of a conversation I had this summer. North Carolina Central just earned a big win in the MEAC–SWAC Challenge over Southern, and it’s the perfect moment to highlight Darian Iverson, Player Development Coordinator at NCCU.

In this short but impactful episode, Darian and I discuss:

Why NCCU recruits high-character athletes

How HBCUs are doing meaningful player development with fewer resources

The role of alumni + community in creating opportunities

Why player development at the HBCU level is both needed and powerful

Even though this conversation was recorded in the summer, it’s a timely reminder that what’s happening off the field is just as important as what we see on Saturdays.

👉🏾 Subscribe to The Player Development Pod for more conversations that develop people and elevate programs.

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Resources:

The Player Development Guide → https://amzn.to/3TtnaA8

Player Development Accelerator Assessment → https://edward-jones-po11g9mt.scoreapp.com

Is Your Program Player Development READY? → https://edward-jones-0amn1dyi.scoreapp.com

Player Development Newsletter → https://substack.com/@btfprogram

100 Tips of Player Development → https://beyond-the-field-player-development.kit.com/09c6129dc1

Player Development 101 → https://beyond-the-field-player-development.kit.com/pd101

🎙 About Ed Jones II:

Founder of Beyond The Field | Author of The Player Development Guide | Host of The Player Development Pod | Creator of the Player Development Summit

Follow Ed:

LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/edjonesii/

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/btf_program/

Twitter → https://twitter.com/BTF_Program