'It was more than cool': Stephen A. Smith, 'First Take' put on quite show live from Canton

CANTON —  Local fans chanting, HBCU marching band playing. Stephen A. Smith screaming "Holla at your boy," in his signature blue Tom Ford suit.

ESPN's "First Take" made it to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Friday morning.

This is the first time ESPN's top morning sports debate show broadcasted live from Tom Benson Hall of Fa,e Stadium. Fans across the board came to see it up close and in person. As Smith and co-host, Molly Qerim entered the stage, the fans who attended and both the Central State and Winston-Salem State cheerleaders standing behind the set, fed the energy the moment the "First Take" duo entered the set

"First Take" came to Benson Stadium in the promotion of the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic, which kicked off with events Thursday and concludes Sunday when Central State takes on Winston-Salem State at 4 p.m.

Smith went down to the field where he spoke to BCFHOF co-founder and NFL legend Doug Williams. For the past two years, "First Take" has given HBCU programs national attention as the show traveled from campus to campus during HBCU Week.

“I think with the height of awareness that has been given for HBCUs, why not continue that momentum? During the NBA All-Star weekend, they had an HBCU basketball game. ESPN televised HBCU games, and I think it’s important to continue that momentum to make that a fixture in the world of sports television right now," Smith told the Repository. "I think we need to see HBCU programs and what they have to offer.”

More:‘I will always strive to give back’ Stephen A. Smith takes Ambassador of HBCUs to heart thanks to legendary basketball coach

The show also gave Central State and Winston-Salem State the spotlight ahead of Sunday's game. Kevin Porter of Central State and Robert Massey of Winston-Salem State were special guests on the show. Marauders' defensive end Kailen Abrams and Rams' quarterback Dominique Graves also made an appearance.

"That's one of the things that is great about it, we have alum that can help make some things happen for us, and it puts us on that national scene," Massey said. "Unfortunately, this is new for the HBCUs and all the attention it has been getting. "

Massey mentioned the mutual interest he had with Smith when it comes to Winston-Salem State.

"Believe it or not, we still have some professors that are working there that were professors for Stephen A. that I worked with, so we had the chance to catch up and we have some mutual friends," Massey said. "I'm from North Carolina and Stephen A. is from the New York area. He was in Winston-Salem and a lot of my high school friends went to school with him, so we were able to talk about some of the guys we grew up with and had the chance to catch up. Just conversation in general."

For Abrams, this was completely new experience. While his phone was blowing up once the camera was on him, there was concern he had before going live.

"The only thing that was on my mind was 'Am I able to hear the question,' that she was going to ask me," Abrams said afterward. "That's what I was worried about. Other than that, it was cool. It was more than cool, it was good."

For WSSU's quarterback Dominique Graves, this was actually his second straight year appearing on "First Take." A combination of being the team's leader and a holder of a mass communication degree has helped him get used to being in the public's eye.

"It has been a blessing to be on 'First Take' last year when we did it," Graves said. "This has been a really dope experience for our team to get exposure and show the world what we can do.

"I've been in a lot of positions where I have to speak to people and stuff like that. They kind of built me up as a leader and helped me speak and all that. It's not as nerve-wracking. Right now, I'm just ready to play a game. Being on TV stuff doesn't really matter to me anymore, I just want to go ahead and perform and put my best foot for us."

Stephen A. Smith breaks down Donovan Mitchell trade, predicts Ohio State as championship contenders

The topics of discussion were casual, the show didn't waste any time getting to talk about NBA star Donovan Mitchell being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. While Smith was happy for the city of Cleveland and considered the Cavaliers to be a threat in the Eastern Conference, the New Your Knick fan in him was disgruntled.

"I want a star," Smith emphasized during his take. "I want a star that the people could descend upon Madison Square Garden to watch. Who is that dude?"

Smith also made a bold prediction after Querim asked him which Ohio team has the best chance to bring home a championship. Smith, who is an Alabama fan, said the Ohio State Buckeyes.

"They are in the Big Ten," Smith said on air. "They are going to be aching to avenge their loss to Michigan. I think they could potentially run the table in the regular season, and I expect them to hand it to Notre Dame tomorrow night."

More:Black College Football Hall of Famers Greg Coleman, Charlie Neal team up for HBCU Go

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 'First Take' with Stephen A. Smith broadcasts live from Canton