IDKMYDE: HBCUs 1st Football Game

Todays episode of IDKMYDE we go back 132 years ago, where Black college football was born in a snowstorm, where horse-drawn carriages and custom-made cleats paved the way for a game that would change history—because if you can’t find a field, you make one on the front lawn. 5-0, and a legacy was born.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
On today's episode. If I didn't know, maybe you didn't either.
I want to give a big congratulations to Jackson State
University football program for being the Black College Football National champions.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
I didn't know. You didn't. No, I didn't know. I
did No, I didn't know. You didn't I didn't know.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
I didn't know. I did. We know who the twenty
twenty four HBCU champion is. But let's take it back
one hundred and thirty three years ago, eighteen ninety two.

Speaker 2 (00:31):
It's freezing, snow is everywhere, and.

Speaker 1 (00:34):
What do these brothers decide to do start black college football? Yep,
in less than a football field of snow. Because when
life gives us blizzards, we make history.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Baby. Now, I live in Charlotte and to.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
Get to Salisbury, it's about forty five minutes in the car.
But back in eighteen ninety two, it was Mason Bethe
and Cameron Horse and carriage five hours. Do you know
how long five hours is in the cold. That's what
you're hoes start questioning their life choices. And they wasn't
rolling up in luxury carriages. No, this ain't cinderellam. It

(01:07):
was more like hold on tight y'all, one of these
wheels is wobbling.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
But here's where it gets good.

Speaker 1 (01:12):
Because the women at Livingstone College, they like to say,
l see, let me tell you, these ladies were the
real MVPs cause they didn't just make their uniforms. They
tailored them. I'm talking custom fits. I can see them
now over there on campus of LC. No Jerome hold
steal your chest is lopsided and cleats or they didn't
buy no cleats. They customize them. Probably have some brother

(01:35):
in the workshop, like, hey, y'all, y'all want some spikes
or some glitter on y'all's cause you know, sometimes you
got to pop out in shows.

Speaker 2 (01:41):
So game they comes, and what do they play?

Speaker 1 (01:44):
No? Not a stadium, not even a field. A lawn, yeah,
somebody's front yard. I mean you out there dodging defenders
and daffodil bushes. I don't even know if daffidil bushes
are a thing. And let's talk about the final score.
Biddle Institute five Livingstone College zero. Biddle Institute is now

(02:04):
Johnson C. Smith University. They like to say jays c
as you, but that was the finals car five to nothing.
And I know what you're thinking, was that even a game?
But it's somebody tripping a the end zone. But it
wasn't about the score. It was about the statement. These
dudes weren't just playing football. They were saying, yeah it's snowing,

(02:24):
and yeah we got ten hours of carriage ride round trip,
but we still gonna make history.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
And they did that.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
That game laid the foundation for everything we love about
HBCU football today. The women supporting the team, whether it's
getting the uniforms out cheering in the stands, the bands,
the halftime shows, the energy. It all started with some
brothers in the snow and some sisters with.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
A kneeling thread.

Speaker 1 (02:49):
So next time you're watching a game sipping your hot coco,
remember this December twenty seventh, eighteen ninety two, one hundred
and thirty three years ago. These folks was out there
and freezing weather. The no gloves, just grit, and the women, oh,
they on the sidelines like.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
Y'all better win.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
I ain't stay up all night sewing these uniforms for nothing.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
I