30 years later, Central State remains the last HBCU to win a national title in football

During the spring of 2023, a group of former football players gathered on Central State University’s field to receive gleaming championship rings, a bittersweet culmination to a journey that began nearly three decades prior.

“It was exhilarating seeing all of those guys,” David Henson, the team’s defensive leader, told Andscape. “Some of us hadn’t seen each other since ’95. It was one big reunion. Lots of laughs, jokes and just happiness.”

This week marks the 30th anniversary of the Central State (Ohio) Marauders becoming the last football team from a historically Black college or university (HBCU) to win a national title. The Celebration Bowl, which features the conference champions from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Southwestern Athletic Conference, has been considered the de facto championship for Black college football since 2015.

On Dec. 2, 1995, Central State dominated Northeastern State 37-7 to claim the NAIA Division I national championship. But the celebration that should have followed – and the ring ceremony that traditionally crowns such achievements – never came due to financial turmoil and leadership changes at the university.

“After winning in ’92 and getting our rings right away, you know, the whole process of just knowing you’re going to get a ring, going to get measured for your ring, it’s a great feeling,” Henson said. “Automatically we thought we were going to get rings after this championship, but we weren’t hearing the same enthusiasm.”

Central State had an interim president who couldn’t drive the initiative forward, and then head coach Rick Comegy was departing for another program. The school faced a financial crisis, and its priorities shifted toward simply keeping its doors open. Championship rings became an afterthought, then a forgotten promise and then a ghost that haunted the team for nearly three decades.

“After a while, you just get this whole new regime of people that come in who don’t have any ties to that portion of history,” Henson said. “They don’t feel the emotional tug to take on that mantle and try to make it happen.”

The 1995 Marauders entered their season with unfinished business burning in their hearts. Arkansas-Pine Bluff had eliminated them in the 1994 playoffs, leaving a bitter taste that fueled their preparation.

“We had developed a team that was destined to win it all,” Comegy said. “We couldn’t wait to get back in there, hoping that Pine Bluff would return because we had a great football team.”

The team featured Antonio Davis at quarterback, a tall, dual-threat leader who commanded respect on both sides of the ball. Henson, a ferocious tackling linebacker, anchored the defense. The Marauders rolled through their schedule, finishing 10-1. Their only loss was to Eastern Illinois, a program already operating at a near-Division I level.

Central State began the playoffs with a semifinal match against Montana Western, a team that had won seven of its last eight games.

“They had a good quarterback,” Henson said. “Man, he was like Joe Montana.”

To prepare, Central State coach Comegy installed a cover-4 defense the team had never run in the red zone. The scheme provided a signature moment delivered by Henson. When Montana Western’s quarterback misread the coverage, Henson jumped the route for a one-handed interception, rumbling downfield before being tripped up.

“We had never run a play like that in the red zone,” Henson said. “The quarterback thought we were in man coverage, but I was sitting right there in the zone.”

Central State didn’t get a chance to exact retribution against Arkansas-Pine Bluff after the Golden Lions lost in the semifinals. But the Marauders found new motivation in their championship game against Northeastern State, which featured running back Tony Hudson, who wore No. 22 and drew comparisons to a certain NFL running back of that era.

“That just enraged us,” Henson said with a laugh. “They [media] compared him to [Dallas Cowboys star] Emmitt Smith. Man, we were like, ‘We’re going to destroy this dude.’ We ended up hurting him in the first quarter and put him out of the game.”

Central State dominated. Davis, who was named MVP, threw for 240 yards and four touchdowns. Wide receiver Jason Shelley had six catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns. The victory secured Central State’s third national championship of the decade, adding to titles won in 1990 and 1992, and cemented the Marauders as the dominant HBCU program of the 1990s.

“That’s just a testament to that program, the talent we had and the coaching staff that was able to put it all together and produce success,” Shelley said. “With all of the other great HBCU programs, I’m just surprised it hasn’t happened again since us.” 

The resurrection of the 1995 team’s recognition came through a casual conversation. Nick Novy, who spent nearly 10 years working in Central State’s athletic department, was a historian with a passion for the school’s athletic legacy. During a discussion with Henson about ways to support the program, Novy mentioned one thing he wanted to accomplish before leaving his position.

“He said, ‘One thing I want to do before I leave is get you guys your rings,’” Henson said.

Henson had a connection who could procure the rings. He and Novy organized the ceremony, and sponsors covered the costs. 

“I was so glad to see them get their rings,” Comegy said. “I could see in their eyes that they were so appreciative. Seeing them all together reminded me how close they were, especially when they still performed the same chants like they did years ago.”

When told that Central State is the last HBCU to win a national title in football, Henson paused to absorb the weight of that distinction.

“That just shows our dominance, our consistency of being champions,” he said. “If you’re going to end something, you want to end on top. Go out with a bang.”

For Shelley, the championship remains his greatest athletic achievement.

“Central State had already won championships before that, so it wasn’t anything foreign to us, but just having those goals and then being able to accomplish them, it was a feeling like no other,” Shelley said. “It was the best feeling I’ve had in sports. That was just pure joy.”

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