Mississippi Valley State University

Itta Bena, MS (Leflore County; Mississippi Delta; near Greenwood) — Public HBCU, est. 1946; home of the Delta Devils; Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) member; alma mater of Jerry Rice (Pro Football Hall of Fame 2010; the greatest wide receiver in NFL history; discovered and recruited here when almost no other program was watching); the Jerry Rice connection alone makes this university one of the most historically significant small HBCUs in the country; also produced Willie Totten (MVSU QB who threw to Rice and was one of the most prolific passers in college football history); located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta near Greenwood