– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
PHILADELPHIA — No matter the result of tonight’s contest inside one of the showpiece venues in the City of Brotherly Love, Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson, two beloved former athletes who once plied their trade inside that same facility, accomplished a mission as noble as laying their bodies on the line to bring a championship to Philadelphia.
Now the leaders of men, Vick and Jackson raised the profile of the colleges they are in charge of and, by extension, the esteemed group of Historic Black Colleges and Universities. In a primetime matchup, Vick’s Norfolk State and Jackson’s Delaware State waged battle on the field, a game that finished full of intrigue after a topsy-turvy second half of big plays, before embracing at midfield afterward in acknowledgement of a job well done and the latest reminder of the mutual respect between two former teammates who might not have thought they’d be in this position after their playing careers were over but thankful for the opportunity each has to lift the profiles of the schools they lead in the city they once called home.
“I never thought I’d look across the field and watch him coach,” Vick said afterward. “I know vice versa for him. It was just a really cool moment, a surreal moment. You just never know what life is going to put in front of you.”
It was Jackson’s Hornets who got the better of things on the field, as Amir Anderson’s blocked put and recovery for a touchdown late the fist half gave Delaware State the lead for good in its 27-20 victory over the Spartans inside Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday night. Quarterback Kaiden Bennett completed 16 of his 18 passes, including hitting Tahmir Ellis for a 24-yard score on a third down early in the fourth quarter.
The number No. 1 rushing offense in the Football Championship Subdivision coming into the game, the Hornets ran for 201 yards, with 155 of those coming in the second half.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Thursday evening’s game, with photos taken by Philadelphia-based photographer Tavis Sanders. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page, Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 29 pictures in total.
Follow @Koiki_Sport Follow @ALOST_Official
