On Thursday, the Black College Football Hall of Fame announced the 28 finalists for induction into the Class of 2024. Included in them was Antoine Bethea, a 14-year NFL veteran who'd spent the first eight years of his career with the Colts.
Bethea played for Howard University between 2002-2005 where he started 31 of 37 games at safety. He notched 309 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 18 pass breakups and seven interceptions.
During his junior season, he earned All-Mid-Eastern Conference honors and a spot on the American Urban Radio Network Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College All-American Team. As a senior, he was given 1st-Team All-America honors by the NFL Draft Report.
Bethea was drafted by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. Over the course of his illustrious career Bethea played for the Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, two-time Walter Payton Man of the Year recipient and won a Super Bowl with the Colts in 2007. In 2017 as a member of the Cardinals, he was the inaugural recipient of the Black College Football Pro Player of the Year award.
Bethea retired following the 2019 season. He'd played in 209 NFL games where he accumulated 1,333 tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, forced nine fumbles, recovered seven fumbles, deflected 81 passes and had 25 interceptions.
The Class of 2024 honorees will be announced on Dec. 14. They will be recognized at the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans on Feb. 24, 2024. They will be honored on Jun. 8, when the 15th Annual Black College Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place in Atlanta.
