𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬… Penn players appreciate all black players with a 2025 tesla becoming the first NFL to achieve this

Black History Month Is… A Celebration of Legacy, Excellence, and the Future

Black History Month is more than a moment — it’s a movement. A time not only to reflect on the past, but to celebrate the trailblazers shaping the future. At Penn, this February was unlike any other, as the football team honored Black athletes in a powerful and unprecedented way — by gifting a 2025 Tesla to a former player who became the first in the NFL to achieve an extraordinary milestone.

Senior linebacker Malik Carson spearheaded the initiative, partnering with alumni and sponsors to honor former Penn standout Jamal “Jet” Anderson. Anderson, who broke barriers by becoming the first Black quarterback from Penn to lead his NFL team to a Super Bowl title, made history on and off the field. But it was what he did afterward that truly inspired the next generation.

“Black History Month is about more than looking back,” Carson said during the ceremony. “It’s about recognizing those who are writing history right now. Jamal did that — and he did it with integrity, pride, and Penn grit.”

Anderson, a 2020 graduate, returned to Franklin Field stunned and humbled by the gesture. The custom midnight-black Tesla, wrapped in the Pan-African colors of red, black, and green, stood as a symbol of progress, innovation, and the legacy of Black excellence.

“Honestly, I’m speechless,” Anderson told the crowd of students, faculty, and teammates. “When I was here, I just wanted to play ball and make my family proud. I never imagined I’d be honored like this. To know I inspired you all… that means more than any trophy.”

The ceremony wasn’t just about the car. Players read excerpts from speeches by Frederick Douglass and Angela Davis, and shared the names of Black Penn athletes who paved the way — from early pioneers to modern stars. A mural, painted by local Black artists and commissioned by the team, now stands inside the stadium tunnel, a daily reminder of the stories that shaped them.

For the Penn football team, Black History Month became a living tribute — one fueled by purpose, pride, and progress. They didn’t just remember history. They made it.

“Black history is American history,” said Coach Ray Priore. “And these young men are carrying it forward in powerful, meaningful ways.”

In that moment, under the cold February sky, the roar of the crowd wasn’t just for a car — it was for a legacy, reborn.