Cobie Durant balling out in NFL playoffs
Fourth-year NFL veteran defensive back Cobie Durant out of South Carolina State has been instrumental to the Los Angeles Rams in their two playoff wins that have them vying for a NFC Championship and spot in Super Bowl LX when they visit the Seattle Seahawks Sunday (6:30 p.m., FOX).
Durant had one interception of Carolina quarterback Bryce Young in the Rams’ close 34-31 win over the Panthers in the opening Wild Card weekend. He then picked off two passes of Chicago quarterback Caleb Williams in Sunday’s 20-17 win in overtime versus the Bears. After three interceptions in the regular season, his three in the postseason give him six picks for the year.
In Sunday’s contest, Durant was also the defender when Williams completed a miraculous 14-yard touchdown pass to Bears’ tight end Cole Kmet with just :18 seconds left that tied the game at 17 and forced overtime. On that play, Williams ran backwards for nearly 30 yards before heaving the pass while retreating that fell right into Kmet’s hands in the end zone as the tight end disengaged from tight coverage by Durant.
While some may have felt Kmet pushed off before catching the pass and should have been called for offensive pass interference, Durant said he and his teammates did not dwell on it.
“On to the next play,” Durant repeatedly said in a postgame interview about the play. “They’re NFL players just like we are. They’re gonna make plays. On to the next play. The biggest thing that we have on this team is get turnovers, put the ball back in (Rams’ QB) Matthew Stafford’s hands, and let him do what he do.” That’s exactly what Durant, who Rams’ head coach Sean McVay calls “Land Shark,” did.
Durant went undrafted in 2022 after a storied career at South Carolina State that included two all-MEAC selections and a defensive MVP and Celebration Bowl championship in 2021. In that game, a 31-14 beatdown and upset of head coach Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders SWAC champion Jackson State squad, Durant and the Bulldogs chased JSU quarterback Shedeur Sanders forcing him into a 16 of 36 passing effort for 175 yards, picking him off twice, sacking him three times and causing him to lose a fumble. Durant had a signature sack late in the game blitzing from his safety position to down Sanders.
Durant and teammate Xavier Smith, a wide receiver/kick returner out of Florida A&M, are the HBCU players on the Rams’ roster. Former Florida A&M running back Terrell Jennings is on the lone HBCU player on the roster of the New England Patriots who will face Denver in the AFC Championship game Sunday.
SOME OF DURANT’S ACCOLADES
• Has appeared in 47 games (25 starts) and recorded 104 tackles (69 solo), 15 pass breakups, 21 passes defended, 2.0 sacks, five tackles for loss, six pressures, one defensive touchdown, five quarterback hits, one hurry, one forced fumble, and five interceptions with 151 return yards.
• Became the first cornerback in franchise history to record a sack in a playoff game in the Wild Card Round in 2024. Durant recorded a sack and an interception in the same defensive series, becoming the third player in franchise history to record at least one sack and one interception in a postseason game.
• Led the NFL in interception return yards as a rookie (151).
• In Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, Durant became the first Rams rookie, and eighth player in NFL history, to record a sack and interception in the same game within their first two NFL games.
• Recorded his first career start in Week 15 against Green Bay in 2022.
• Was voted as the 2022 Carroll Rosenbloom Memorial Award winner by Rams players, honoring the team’s rookie of the year.
Black College Football Hall of Fame announces 2026 class of six inductees
ATLANTA, GA – The Black College Football Hall of Fame (BCFHOF) announced last week its Class of 2026. The six-member class was selected from a list of 28 finalists previously determined by the BCFHOF Selection Committee.
The Black College Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 includes: Pass catcher extraordinaire JIMMY SMITH out of Jackson State who had nine 1,000-yard receiving seasons and five Pro Bowl selections in a 13-year NFL career (862 receptions, 12,287 career yards); Linebacker EDDIE ROBINSON JR. of Alabama State had an outstanding 11-year career with four NFL teams after being taken in the second round of the 1992 draft before becoming the head coach at his alma mater in 2022; Bethune-Cookman safety NICK COLLINS was taken 51st in the 2025 NFL Draft before a seven-year career in the league that included a Super Bowl XLV championship with Green Bay and three Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections; Fort Valley State defensive back TYRONE POOLE was selected 22nd overall in the 1995 NFL Draft before carving out a 13-year pro career that included back-to-back Super Bowl championships (XXXVIII and XXXIX) with New England; Head coach RUDY HUBBARD led Florida A&M from 1974-85 compiling a 83-48-3 record and guiding the Rattlers to the inaugural I-AA championship in 1978, the only such title in HBCU history, and back-to-back black college national championships in 1978 and 1979; Howard grad STEVE WYCHE is a chief national reporter & senior NFL media analyst for NFL Network and NFL.com since 2008. Wyche consistently elevates the visibility of Historically Black Colleges and Universities through national coverage spotlighting the rich culture and talent pipeline of HBCU athletics.
“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 Black College Football Hall of Fame Co-Founder and 2011 Inductee Doug Williams. “When the Black College Hall of Fame was established, its purpose was to elevate and recognize the past, present, and future of Black College Football. This class exemplifies that mission.”
The Class of 2026 will be officially honored at the 17th Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by the Atlanta Falcons, on June 6, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. Inductees will also be recognized during halftime of the 5th Annual Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl on February 21, 2026, at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana, airing live on NFL Network at 3:00 PM CT.
BCSP NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
For NFL Divisional playoff games of January 17 – 18, 2026
DEFENSE
– #14 COBIE DURANT, CB, Los Angeles Rams (4th season, SOUTH CAROLINA STATE) – In the Rams’ 20-17 overtime win vs. Chicago Sunday in one NFC Divisional game, Durant started at cornerback and had two total tackles, one solo, and two interceptions. The picks were his second and third of the postseason after getting one in the Wild Card game vs. Carolina. Durant was also the defender on a miraculous 14-yard pass from Bears’ QB Caleb Williams to tight end Cole Kmet with :18 seconds left in regulation that tied the game and sent it into overtime with the teams tied at 17. Durant logged 54 snaps on defense (67%) and two on special teams (8%).
OFFENSE
– #71 TYTUS HOWARD, OL, Houston (7th season, ALABAMA STATE) – In the Texans’ 28-16 loss to New England in an AFC Divisional playoff game, Howard started at right tackle as the Houston offensive line paved the way for 48 rushing yards on 22 carries (2.2 yards per carry) and a 20 of 47 passing performance for 212 yards and one TD with four interceptions while giving up three sacks for -19 yards. Howard played 73 offense snaps (97%) and four snaps on special teams (13%).
SPECIAL TEAMS
– #19 XAVIER SMITH, WR/KR, Los Angeles Rams (3rd season, FLORIDA A&M) – In the Rams’ 20-17 overtime win over Chicago Sunday in the NFC Divisional game, Smith was not targeted in the passing game and had two fair catches as a punt returner. Smith played five offensive snaps (6%) and 11 on special teams (42%).
