The East-West Shrine Bowl is in the books and former HBCU football player, Jacory Croskey-Merritt, had a big night in front of NFL scouts.
The running back who started his career at Alabama State was named the game’s MVP after rushing for 97 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday night.
It was the first action Croskey-Merritt had seen in months as his senior season at Arizona was cut short by eligibility issues. His true freshman season was 2019, in which he played four games for the HBCU. But due to an apparent number mix up it appeared as though he played in eight games.
“It’s been great. Just to be able to showcase scouts all week that I can do whatever they ask me to do at the next level,” Merritt told the DLLS Sports after the game. “I’m just thankful to even be right here right now. It’s all God.”
Croskey-Merritt had 13 carries for 106 yards and a game-clinching 36-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter in his lone game for Arizona last season after spending the 2023 season at New Mexico. His performance at the all-star game was huge for his confidence.
“It taught me you can compete with the best of them. It taught me how to be a pro,” he said. “Just being around pro coaches, getting coached by them. It was a great experience I’m just excited to be able to have all that in my belt when I go to the next level.”
As a former HBCU player who transitioned to G5 and only got to play one game at the Power Five level, the East-West Shrine Game was a big opportunity for Jacory Crosby-Merritt to show NFL scouts what he can do.
“You gon’ get a dawg,” he said. “You gonna get a competitor who wants to win every week — who is a hard worker, who is a good person, and I’ll just fit great wherever I go.”