SAN FRANCISCO – Former NFL linebacker Takeo Spikes, NFLPA executive Carl Francis, and longtime corporate strategist Debra Langford will be honored for their community engagement at the fourth annual A Toast to Black Sports luncheon, a private gathering of Black sports leaders during the week before Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium.
Sponsored by the Minorities in Sports Business Network, the luncheon will bring together more than 1,000 sports professionals across leagues, agencies, brands, media, technology, and finance. Spikes, Francis, and Langford will be recognized for their impact and for shaping access, equity and opportunity in myriad ways.
Minorities in Sports Business Network founder Shaina Wiel is particularly excited about this year’s honorees.
“During a week dominated by marquee events and nonstop programming, A Toast to Black Sports serves as the intentional pause, creating space to connect and celebrate leaders whose contributions are too often overlooked,” said Wiel, who in 2016 founded the organization to create access to sports business opportunities for diverse professionals.
Through his leadership role in the Players Coalition, Spikes – a 15-year NFL veteran, two-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro – helps advance the organization’s efforts to uplift marginalized communities of color. The Players Coalition is a nonprofit group of professional athletes focused on advancing social justice and racial equality through education, advocacy, policy change and community programs.
Francis, the NFLPA’s director of player affairs and strategic relations, joined the organization in 1994. Until 2023, he served as the organization’s director of communications. Committed to the development of the union’s members off the field, Francis has created programs to assist players in transitioning to post-NFL careers.
Langford, executive director and head of Black wealth initiatives at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, has held numerous high-ranking positions across corporate and academic sectors. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated a keen eye for identifying accomplished women and executives of color for key leadership positions. She’s also renowned for creating programs that advance underrepresented talent within senior management ranks.
