 Black attended Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago, where he played linebacker.Black accrued 224 tackles and 17 sacks over his high-school career, and was a three-year letterman in basketball.In 2003, Black attended Harper College (Junior college), near Chicago, where he tallied 88 tackles, 28 TFL, and 16.5 sacks before he decided to transfer to University of New Mexico.