The fallout from the HBCU brawl between Grambling State and Bethune-Cookman continues to ripple across college football, as two former NFL stars — DeSean Jackson and Cam Newton — have publicly condemned the incident. Both called for greater accountability among coaches and players, but Jackson’s remarks describing the scene as “ghetto” have drawn particular backlash within the HBCU community.
DeSean Jackson: “It Looked Like the Streets… It Shows How Ghetto Sometimes We Can Be”
Delaware State head coach DeSean Jackson, a 14-year NFL veteran and three-time Pro Bowler, didn’t mince words when discussing the brawl that led to 27 suspensions and $65,000 in fines.
“When you seen that brawl going on, what was the first thing that you thought about? That’s something I see in the streets, man,” Jackson said. “Growing up, you got different gangs — that looked like a gang rivalry to me, bruh. They looked like they did not like anybody on that field like that.”
Jackson said the altercation undercut the progress HBCU programs have made in building credibility and visibility.
“We put too much work here, working hard day in and day out, man, and to just discredit and throw it all away for that,” he said. “The head coaches, all the coaches that were involved — it just didn’t look good, man. And it just shows, you know, it shows how ghetto sometimes we can be, man. And it don’t look good.”
His “ghetto” comment struck a nerve with many within the HBCU community, who felt it unfairly reinforced stereotypes about Black programs and players. Some alumni and supporters acknowledged Jackson’s frustration but pushed back on the framing, arguing that fights happen across college football — from the SEC to the Big Ten — and are not unique to HBCUs.
Still, Jackson said the moment was damaging to the image of Black college athletics.
“We talk about Power Four — you know that hurts our opportunities, man,” Jackson continued. “When they look down at the HBCU level and some of the things that are going on, that hurts our progress. Hopefully everyone learns from that.”DJaxOnGrambling
Cam Newton: “This Set Us Back”
Former NFL MVP Cam Newton echoed those concerns on his 4th & 1 podcast, saying the fight “set us back” as a community.
“We literally just had a civil war over a football game,” Newton said. “No matter if you’re in the SWAC, the SIAC, or the OVC — if you are a representation of Blackness and Black culture, you should look at this and say to yourself, this set us back.”
Newton said the brawl hurt efforts to expand the visibility of HBCU football on national networks.
“What if this was LSU and Alabama?” the former NFL MVP asked. “Certain things just won’t happen there. We keep asking for equal opportunity and a piece of that media pie, but then we go do some silly stuff like this.”
He also placed responsibility squarely on coaches.
“Behind every crazy player is a coach that allowed it,” Newton said. “You think Nick Saban is allowing any foolery? You think Bill Belichick is allowing that toxicity? Absolutely not.”
The Divide in Reactions
While both DeSean Jackson and Cam Newton condemned the behavior, the tone of their critiques drew mixed reactions. Supporters agreed that accountability was needed after a fight that embarrassed two proud HBCU programs. But others said the commentary — particularly Jackson’s “ghetto” remark — lacked empathy and context.
For many in the HBCU space, the issue isn’t about defending the fight but about resisting narratives that paint an entire culture in a negative light. As one alumnus put it online: “Fights happen everywhere — but when it’s an HBCU, suddenly it’s a reflection on all of us.”
The debate underscores a larger tension in Black college football — balancing internal critique with protecting the image of institutions that have long fought for equal respect on and off the field.