ATLANTA, GA — An HBCU rivalry game between Tuskegee and Morehouse ended with a shocking post-game moment. A new explanation from Tuskegee Athletic Director Reginald Ruffin says his coach was trying to make sure conference-mandated security protocol was enforced after what he described as a “security breach.”
Morehouse defeated Tuskegee 77–69 in Atlanta, a result that was quickly overshadowed by the scene that followed the final horn. During the postgame handshake line, Morehouse football players intermingled with the teams, a move Ruffin said should not happen in that setting.
“We have security measures for our protection of our officials, our student athlete coaches and spectators,” Ruffin told HBCU Gameday. He said those measures follow a protocol “mandated by the conference office” and used “at all levels” across member institutions.
Ruffin described the moment as two teams finishing “a tough game” and preparing to shake hands, when football players entered the line.
“You got to intermingle football players shaking hands with the team,” he said. “You don’t do that… that’s a security breach.”
The situation escalated when Tuskegee head coach Benjy Taylor asked security to enforce the rules and remove the football players from the handshake line. Ruffin disputed the characterization that Taylor was acting out of line.
“He asked the security officer, ‘Can you please remove them from the line?’ That’s what he asked the security officer,” Ruffin said.
Ruffin added that the security officer’s account differed, claiming Taylor was “very aggressive” and “the aggressor,” which Ruffin said was not accurate. He said the officer cited that perception as the reason Taylor was placed in cuffs.
The moment was brief, and Taylor was later released and traveled with the team. Still, the incident has raised questions about crowd control and postgame procedures in a rivalry that routinely draws heightened emotions.
For Morehouse and Tuskegee, the focus now turns to accountability and clarity. The HBCU community will want to know what policies were in place, why the handshake line was allowed to blur with non-participants, and what changes will be made to prevent another scene like this when Tuskegee and Morehouse meet again.
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