Black Football Players on a Predominantly White College Campus: Psychosocial and Emotional Realities of the Black College Athlete Experience

Abstract

Black student-athletes have been the focus of study regarding academic and psychosocial adjustment to college since the 1960s. Although recent literature generally reports higher graduation rates for Black student-athletes compared to their nonathlete peers, little attention has been given to their psychosocial experiences on predominantly White college campuses. The current study explored the social experiences of a small group of Black football players attending a predominantly White university in the northeastern United States. A qualitative “grounded theory” methodology was employed for data collection and analysis and a coding system was created centered on the main areas of team, campus, and city experiences. Findings revealed that the Black players felt isolated, rejected, and mistrustful of their Black and White classmates and teammates. They also felt unfairly judged by their coaches and campus community. Other team, campus, and city issues were revealed, all of which negatively influenced these players' emotional and educational experiences. Implications for recruitment, retention, and educational policy are discussed.