Four former players, a coach and a journalist will enter the Black College Football Hall of Fame this year, the organization announced Wednesday.

The Class of 2026 features NFL veterans Jimmy Smith of Jackson State, Eddie Robinson Jr. of Alabama State, Nick Collins of Bethune-Cookman and Tyrone Poole of Fort Valley State, along with legendary Florida A&M coach Rudy Hubbard and NFL Network reporter Steve Wyche of Howard. 

A nine-member selection committee chose the inductees from 28 finalists. 

“What we have with the Class of 2026 is an incredible showcase of excellence, leadership, and impact that continues to come from Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” said Doug Williams, Hall of Fame co-founder and 2011 inductee. 

Smith, drafted 36th overall in 1992, won two Super Bowls with Dallas before becoming Jacksonville’s franchise leader in receptions and receiving yards over 11 seasons. The five-time Pro Bowl selection totaled 862 receptions for 12,287 yards and 67 touchdowns. 

Robinson, the current Alabama State head coach, was a two-time All-SWAC defensive player at the school before an 11- year NFL career that included an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV with Tennessee. 

Collins anchored Green Bay’s defense for seven seasons after being drafted 51st overall in 2005, earning three Pro Bowl selections and a Super Bowl XLV championship. He returned a Super Bowl interception for a touchdown and was inducted into the Packers’ hall of fame in 2016. 

Poole, the first Fort Valley State player selected in the first round of the NFL draft, played 13 seasons and won consecutive Super Bowls with New England in 2004 and 2005. He now coaches Alabama State’s women’s flag football team. 

Hubbard compiled an 83- 48-3 record at Florida A&M from 1974 to 1985, winning the inaugural NCAA Division I-AA championship in 1978 and consecutive Black College national titles in 1977-78. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2021. 

Wyche, a 1989 Howard journalism graduate, has covered the NFL for NFL Network and NFL.com since 2008 while consistently advocating for HBCU athletics through broadcasts and national coverage. 

The 17th annual induction ceremony will be held June 6 in Atlanta. Inductees will also be recognized during the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl on Feb. 21 in New Orleans. 

The Hall of Fame, founded in 2009 by quarterbacks James Harris and Doug Williams, has inducted more than 100 members and maintains a permanent exhibit at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.