Antoine Richardson

Cherry Valley, Arkansas - The 3rd annual EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL 23 x HBCU Tournament will feature an all-expense paid “experience-ship” for Antoine Richardson, a 2021 graduate of Cross County High School and current sophomore agricultural business student at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have the chance to compete while learning about the business of sports through networking events and shadowing opportunities during Super Bowl LVII week, which runs from February 6 to February 13.

Over the past few weeks, Richardson has been preparing for his week with the NFL through weekly video calls, where he received tips on resume building, LinkedIn profile creation, networking strategies, email etiquette, and more. 

“There has been a lot of preparation leading up to this event,” said Richardson. “I am excited to connect with other HBCU students to learn about the area of football that takes place off the field.”

Richardson and 14 other HBCU students will attend various events and career development workshops with NFL partners like Microsoft and Electronic Arts during the competition to learn more about the business of football.

On February 11 at 2:00 PM CT, the Madden NFL 23 x HBCU competition will be aired on the NFL YouTube channel. Finalists will play for the championship and a share of the $70,000 prize pool in cash and prizes. Closing out the “experience-ship”, Richardson will watch Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium on February 12, 2023.

“Cross County High School is thrilled for Antoine Richardson, a former Cross County Thunderbird, to have this opportunity to learn and grow professionally through this unique experience-ship, and we wish him the best of luck at the Madden NFL 23 x HBCU tournament,” said High School Principal Stephen Prince. “The school is proud of its commitment to preparing students for success beyond the classroom.”