{"id":290865,"date":"2026-05-31T14:08:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T14:08:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/290865\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T14:08:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T14:08:32","slug":"famu-students-win-10k-grant-at-sports-emmys-for-veronica-wiggins-film-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/290865\/","title":{"rendered":"FAMU students win $10K grant at Sports Emmys for Veronica Wiggins film"},"content":{"rendered":"

Three Florida A&M University (FAMU) students, Charmiana Delphonse, Rowan Mumford, and Darnell Walker-Jones, have been named second-place winners of the national Coca-Cola HBCU Sports Production Grant competition for their documentary \u201cTough Leather,\u201d which highlights the legacy and impact of former FAMU Softball Coach and Hall of Famer Veronica Wiggins<\/a>. The competitive grant awards $40,000 in total to HBCU production teams nationwide. FAMU took home $10,000 from the grant pool.<\/p>\n

\"FAMU<\/p>\n

FAMU student filmmakers Darnell Walker-Jones, Charmiana Delphonse and Rowan Mumford earned second place in the Coca-Cola HBCU Sports Broadcasting Grant competition for their documentary, \u201cTough Leather.\u201d The award was announced during the 46th Annual Sports Emmy Awards, where the students and FAMU TV-20 staff adviser Edward Thomas were on site representing Florida A&M University and the School of Journalism & Graphic Communication. \u201cTough Leather\u201d highlights the life and legacy of legendary former FAMU softball head coach Veronica Wiggins, whose impact on FAMU athletics and the community spans decades. This achievement marks Florida A&M University\u2019s third Coca-Cola HBCU Sports Broadcasting Grant win in four years, continuing SJGC\u2019s tradition of award-winning student storytelling and sports production excellence.<\/p>\n

The HBCU initiative, administered by the Foundation of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), honors students every year at the Sports Emmys awards who are shaping the next generation of sports media and amplify the voices, pride, and powerful legacies of athletic programs representing historically Black colleges and universities from across the U.S.<\/p>\n

HBCU Talent on Display<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Sports Emmys award ceremony, held on May 26, was hosted by comedian, author, actor, and award-winning producer Roy Wood Jr.<\/a>, a 2001 broadcast journalism graduate of the FAMU School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC).<\/p>\n

Delphonse and Mumford, junior journalism students, and Walker-Jones, a junior English student, were in attendance, accompanied by their advisor, Edward Thomas, the director of FAMU TV-20. They had the opportunity to see a segment of their documentary on screen during the program and to receive encouraging words from Wood and Stephanie Eaddy, Coca-Cola North America\u2019s cultural marketing lead. Fellow HBCU grant winners from Morehouse College (first place) and Delaware State University (third place) were also recognized.<\/p>\n

\u201cHBCUs are packed with the hardest-working and the most outstanding talent you can find. And this grant is an incredible way to make sure those students are both seen and rewarded,\u201d Wood said.<\/p>\n

\"FAMU<\/p>\n

FAMU held a Black History Month Fireside Conversation in the Lee Hall Auditorium on campus with comedian and political commentator Roy Wood Jr., a FAMU alumnus, on February 10, 2025.<\/p>\n

Eaddy added that this year\u2019s winners were chosen from a record number of submissions, including new HBCU participants.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were thrilled to see such excitement from students across the country,\u201d she said. \u201cNeedless to say, the videos and essays were exceptional. We saw so much truly wonderful work.\u201d<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s winning entry from FAMU was produced and co-directed by Delphonse. Walker-Jones also served as co-director and editor. Mumford served as director of photography. Walker-<\/p>\n

Jones and Mumford are returning members of the team, as their contribution to the doc \u201cBullet\u201d about famed Rattler and Olympian Bob Hayes won finalist recognition in 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

FAMU\u2019s team placed first in the competition in 2024 for the film \u201cField Trip\u201d about Rattler and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ken Riley<\/a>, which Walker-Jones was also a part of. Rattlers also won the competition in 2023.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s win also represented a full-circle moment as 2024 broadcast journalism graduate Jonathan David, who was a member of the 2023 and 2024 production teams, won his first Emmy as a professional during the ceremony. He contributed as an associate producer to the Outstanding Sports Documentary Series: Serialized winner, \u201cQuarterback,\u201d on Netflix, produced by NFL Films, Omaha Productions, and 2PM Productions.<\/p>\n

Another FAMU alum and 2024 broadcast journalism graduate, Lawrence Goss, also won his first Sports Emmy as an associate producer for Outstanding Sports Studio Show: Limited Run \u201cRoad to the Final Four\u201d on CBS and TNT. Goss\u2019s background in sports media began as a sportswriter and anchor for FAMU SJGC platforms like The FAMUAN and FAMU-TV 20.<\/p>\n

Inside the Documentary That Honors an HBCU Sports Trailblazer\"FAMU<\/p>\n

FAMU softball head coach Veronica Wiggins talks with an umpire between innings during the 2019 MEAC Softball Tournament.<\/p>\n

In \u201cTough Leather,\u201d which opens with FAMU SJGC alumna Tiffany Greene, a pioneering play-by-play commentator for ESPN reporting<\/a> from the Rattler Softball Complex, now named in Wiggins\u2019 honor, the documentary\u2019s star offers commentary on how her early beginnings shaped her journey not only in softball but also as a community matriarch. Special appearances from family members, childhood teammates, mentees, and former players are also included. FAMU alum and former university sports information director Vaughn Wilson<\/a> provided archival footage for the film.<\/p>\n

The film showcases the faith, humility and servant leadership that has become synonymous with Wiggins\u2019 name, while exploring what made her into a history-making former coach with 13 MEAC championships, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, more than 700 wins, five MEAC Coach of the Year awards, 13 Outstanding MEAC Tournament Coach awards, and Hall of Fame honors from both FAMU (2006) and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (2026).<\/p>\n

Delphonse said that, in researching the project, she and the team were amazed at how Wiggins accomplished so much in her 30-year tenure at just one HBCU, noting that, as Thomas, their advisor, encouraged them to dig deeper, the story behind that longevity was the perfect subject for this year\u2019s competition theme, \u201cimpact beyond the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe felt compelled to tell the story of this woman with the big smile and genuine spirit,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s important that people, especially women of color in sports, look into Wiggins\u2019 story to understand how she shaped such a dominant team.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Walker-Jones, FAMU returning to the Sports Emmys to be recognized among the best HBCU storytellers in the country year after year holds deep meaning.<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Florida A&M renamed its softball field after legendary coach Veronica Wiggins on Saturday, March 2, 2024. Wiggins coached the Rattlers to 13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championships and won 726 games at FAMU.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo have three projects now that I\u2019ve given pieces of myself to each be recognized by such dominant organizations in the entertainment field reinforces that these are not simply \u2018student films,\u2019 but narratives that can grow the perceptions of modern-day giants in our community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Mumford, who also learned during the live Sports Emmys broadcast that his talents had earned him the selection of being named an inaugural Coca-Cola\u2013TNT Sports intern for the summer, said participating in the competition and returning to the FAMU team is about a duty to ensure current and future generations understand the rich contributions and influence that live on HBCU campuses.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on a Legacy That Inspired Champions<\/p>\n

Wiggins said she was honored that the students chose her as their subject for the film. She noted that it was the perfect way to commemorate another moment in FAMU softball\u2019s legacy, as the 2026 team recently brought home the SWAC Championship title<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was overwhelmed, surprised, full of joy, and thankful to God that they considered me,\u201d she said. \u201cThe students were so professional and patient and made me feel truly honored. We won the SWAC this year and added to our 13 previous conference championships, so this recognition means the world. I am also thankful for the journalism department for developing such bright young people,\u201d Wiggins said.<\/p>\n

Brittany Beall, the current FAMU softball coach<\/a> who led this year\u2019s team to victory, says Wiggins being honored in \u201cTough Leather\u201d is also a celebration of every player and up-and-coming coach she has supported and inspired.<\/p>\n

\"Florida<\/p>\n

Florida A&M Rattlers head coach Brittany Beall returned to her alma mater, Auburn, to face the Tigers in a NCAA college softball game at Jane B. Moore Field in Auburn, Alabama on Monday, March 23, 2026. Beall lettered four times as a member of the Auburn Tigers softball team from 2005 to 2008. The Tigers defeated the Rattlers 8-3 in the non-conference matchup.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be able to walk in her footsteps and carry that legacy on is truly an honor and a blessing,\u201d she said. \u201cSeeing her receive her flowers now means a lot to me, and it means everything to our past and present players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beall also applauded programs like the Coca-Cola HBCU Sports Production Grant for helping to expose the commitment, dedication, and resilience of the HBCU sports community: \u201cNow you\u2019re getting to see what goes into the preparation of a season, what goes into the preparation of student athletes and all the things that come with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Notes for Additional Sports Emmys coverage: Two FAMU SJGC alumni also won Sports Emmys for their work as booking producers at ESPN. Kareem White, a multi-Emmy Award winner, and Jamila Baker, also a past Emmy winner, contributed to the Outstanding Sports Studio Show: Daily winning entry \u201cNFL Live.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida A&M students win $10K at Sports Emmys for Veronica Wiggins doc<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Three Florida A&M University (FAMU) students, Charmiana Delphonse, Rowan Mumford, and Darnell Walker-Jones, have been named second-place winners…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290866,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[121876,121879,121873,2324,2329,121875,121877,121874,3384,232,234,233,121878],"class_list":["post-290865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tallahassee","tag-darnell-walker-jones","tag-edward-thomas","tag-famer-veronica-wiggins","tag-florida-am-university","tag-hbcu","tag-rowan-mumford","tag-softball-coach","tag-sports-emmys","tag-students","tag-tallahassee","tag-tallahassee-headlines","tag-tallahassee-news","tag-wiggins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290865","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290865"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290865\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290865"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290865"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290865"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}