ts this to be a game that stretches beyond the African-American community. He refers to HBCUs as some of the most diverse campuses in the c

LYON, France -- Cristiano Ronaldo may have guided Portugal into the final of the European Championship, but he needed a little help from an often forgotten forward.Nani made another vital contribution to Portugals bid to win Euro 2016, scoring his teams second goal in the 2-0 victory over Wales on Wednesday.The tournament has rejuvenated the 29-year-old forward, who once stood out with Ronaldo at Manchester United -- before his star began to fade and Ronaldo went on to even greater glory at Real Madrid.In France, the two former club teammates are in perfect sync, with each scoring three goals to guide an imperfect Portugal side into Sundays final at the Stade de France against either Germany or the tournament hosts.Its an amazing moment. Its a historic moment for our country and we have to celebrate, Nani said.Just three minutes after Ronaldo opened the scoring against Wales with a powerful header, Nani provided another devastating blow to Welsh hopes in Lyon. Timing his slide near the penalty spot just right, he turned an off-target shot by Ronaldo past goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey and into the Wales net.It was a surprise goal, Nani said. It was instinct.His reward included a round of applause from the Portuguese fans when he was replaced by Ricardo Quaresma with three minutes to play.Euro 2016 is proving to be a high point in the career of Nani, who followed in Ronaldos footsteps by starting out at Sporting Lisbon and later moving to Old Trafford. The two helped United win the 2008 Champions League before Ronaldo left for Madrid a year later.Though he struggled to secure a first-team place, Nani won four Premier League titles with United before returning to Sporting Lisbon on loan for a season in 2014. He was then signed by Fenerbahce in the Turkish league, a step down in the career ladder.However, his earlier goals at Euro 2016 -- the equalizer in a 1-1 draw with Iceland and a goal in the 3-3 draw with Hungary that saw Portugal squeak into the knockout stages -- have not gone unnoticed.Spanish league club Valencia announced on Tuesday that it had signed Nani to a three-year deal.For the moment, though, his focus is on the national team, which is back in a European Championship final for the second time.Unlike Ronaldo, Nani wasnt there for Portugals previous final on home soil in 2004, when it surprisingly lost 1-0 to Greece in Lisbon.But now he will get the chance to help Portugal exorcise those demons from 12 years ago.We still have the final to go. I dont have an explanation for the feeling at this moment, Nani said. But its not over. Yeezy Boost 380 Wholesale . The mixed zone is not a place to make friends. Cheap Yeezys Wholesale . 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ATLANTA -- The kickoff to the monthlong bowl season is more than just another game.For that matter, its goes far beyond the two teams taking the field at noon Saturday.This is a chance to honor the legacy of all those historically black colleges and universities that played such a vital role in the growth of college football, giving African-Americans a place to play when they didnt have anywhere else to turn.Call this a well-deserved celebration, which is why there is no more aptly named postseason game than the Celebration Bowl.We wouldnt be able to do what were doing today, said John Grant, executive director of the game that will be played at the Georgia Dome, if not for what they did yesterday.Indeed, in the days of Jim Crow, HBCUs were a lifeline for African-Americans in the South.Unless they had the means and opportunity to continue their athletic careers far from home, outside the reach of segregation, blacks were limited to schools such as Grambling State and North Carolina Central, which will meet in this years Celebration Bowl.Grambling, in particular, built a powerhouse program under longtime coach Eddie Robinson, sending countless players to the NFL after they were denied the opportunity to attend whites-only universities such as Alabama and Clemson, which are part of this years College Football Playoff.Of course, those schools now rely heavily on Africa-American athletes. Much like the Negro Leagues in baseball, HBCU athletic programs were hit hard by the collapse of the color line.The best high school prospects are understandably drawn to the schools that offer the biggest stadiums, the best resources and training facilities, the opportunity to play on national television almost every Saturday, the clearest path to the NFL.Yet, its worth noting that the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the league that North Carolina Central won to claim its spot in the Celebration Bowl opposite Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Grambling State, had three players go in the NFL draft this past spring.Grant wants to ensure the legacy of the HBCUs is preserved, while also highlighting all the important things theyre still doing today -- on and off the field.A game that will be nationally televised by ABC, as well as broadcast around the world on the Armed Forces Network, is a huge step in that direction.There are good players attending and participating at these universities, Grant said. The relevance of these programs is still very strong and viable. Its our intention to showcase that to the nation.As if to show how much this game means to the MEAC and the SWAC, those conferences passed up a chance to send their champions to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. Instead, theyll play for whats billed as the HBCU national championship, and its hard to argue with the logic.A year ago, the inaugural Celebration Bowl attracted more tthan 35,000 fans to the Georgia Dome, as well as a television audience of some 14.dddddddddddd6 million viewers, according to Grant.An athlete chooses a school to go to because he wants to be seen, he said. Now, we have two conferences that have exactly the same platform on national television as every other bowl team. Now, coaches can go out and recruit with the same type of tool that the other schools have, the tool of visibility.But this isnt about putting Grambling on a level playing field with Alabama. Thats never going to happen. The Celebration Bowl is focused on an even bigger goal -- ensuring the viability of HBCUs in a time of ever-shrinking government funding and declining enrollments.Grant said the teams that played in last years game, North Carolina A&T and Alcorn State, both received a boost in applications and admissions for the current school year.Having a viable athletic program that brings visibility to a school is one of the best student recruiting tools you can have, he said.Heres hoping the Celebration Bowl succeeds where two others have failed. The Pelican Bowl matched the MEAC and SWAC champions in the 1970s, but low attendance doomed that game. The Heritage Bowl came along in the 1990s, but it failed to survive largely because teams could choose to take part instead in the I-AA playoffs, which would leave a leagues second- or even third-best team for the bowl game.The players seem to realize whats at stake.This game is really important for the history of HBCUs, said Darius Spruill, a senior defensive tackle at North Carolina Central. Most people in the world arent really focused on HBCUs as much as they should be. I feel like this game brings much-needed exposure to the HBCU football history.Grant is focused just as much on the future.He wants this to be a game that stretches beyond the African-American community. He refers to HBCUs as some of the most diverse campuses in the country, with growing numbers of white and Hispanic students. For instance, North Carolina Centrals enrollment of 8,155 students is 12 percent white and nearly 2 percent Hispanic.Historically black colleges and universities contribute to the fabric of our nation, Grant said. These institutions are critical in ensuring this country is producing quality individuals and access to higher education for everyone, access that is not just at the highest levels.Now thats something worth celebrating.---Paul Newberry is a sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry .---AP Sports Writer Charles Odum contributed to this report.---For more AP college football coverage: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '