NFL
By: Greg Rector
Black quarterbacks have so often been mistreated, misunderstood, and told they should play other positions. On Super Bowl Sunday, both starting quarterbacks will be African-American vying for Super Bowl LVII. Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. All I can say is it’s about damn time. I have been witness to the inequities facing black quarterbacks since my youth, growing up in Edmonton, Canada. Let me be very clear, I am not going to deny those issues have been one of the UGLIEST aspects of professional football. It took until 1968 when Marlin Briscoe went under center for the Denver Broncos to become in the modern era of the NFL’s first black quarterback.
Briscoe was being turned into a cornerback (Sound like a familiar story?) until an injury and only then was he given the opportunity. It wasn’t until Super Bowl XXII that a black quarterback started for one of the teams in the Super Bowl, as Doug Williams led Washington to victory in that game. Many forget before that Joe Gilliam was the backup quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl IX and was the starter for the first six games that season because he had won the starting job that pre-season. The man was 4-1-1 as the Steelers starting quarterback, but his play was considered lackluster and we know who took over Terry Bradshaw.
Prior to next Sunday, the list was far too short of black starting quarterbacks in the NFL showcase. I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face, it’s all due to the systemic racism that even today creeps its way into the minds of too many people associated with the NFL. I’m one of those children of the 1960s who took to heart the words of Dr. Martin Luther King whose dream was a world where his children would be judged not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. That’s not dismissing the struggles, the tribulations, nor the history of any part of that awful ongoing societal issue. To those folks out there currently attempting to “whitewash” history in our schools, go straight to hell.
History isn’t pretty and as the saying goes “failure to learn history, dooms you to repeat it.” In no way do I want to take away from the culture, I want it celebrated in all its glory. Instead, I want it to be as NORMAL as possible so that people no longer make it an issue at all that the two quarterbacks in any future Super Bowl games happen to be black.
My Example
I said earlier of my learning first-hand about the struggles and inequities. My father was a chef and one of his jobs was to make the post-game meals for the CFL’s Edmonton football team (The name has been changed and I don’t like the new name) because of that I was able to meet and know many of those players. My hero on those teams was always Larry Highbaugh (An African-American Defensive Back from Indianapolis) until 1978 when they brought in Warren Moon who would lead them to five consecutive Grey Cup titles, yes not just back-to-back, no three-peat, that’s FIVE consecutive championships in football. Like Tom Brady, Moon would play 23 seasons of professional football.
Even as a teenager though I could not understand why a 6’3″ 220lb man wasn’t in the NFL. I watched him play at the University of Washington including the 1978 Rose Bowl beating Michigan in that game. I asked Mr. Highbaugh (He was also a substitute teacher) why Moon wasn’t in the NFL one day and the answer stuck with me to this day. “They (NFL) don’t think we’re smart enough.”
Moon had to be smart enough in my mind as was Highbaugh. Sadly the NFL hierarchy didn’t agree. That was the first time I ever heard of what we call systemic racism. He went on to ask me what positions make the calls in football. I responded “quarterbacks, centers, middle linebackers, and the safety.” “Now show me how many black players of those positions are there in the NFL?” I couldn’t think of any in 1978. I could relate it to though all the way back to the disgusting 3/5ths of a man in the Constitution, and to the racism that has permeated for centuries.
Years later I would learn that a scout John Wooten for my beloved Dallas Cowboys was pounding the table for Dallas to draft Moon. It still makes me sad that Danny White led those close but no-cigar Cowboys teams of that era could have been instead led by Warren Moon.
Super Bowl LVII
I want to see both Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts play well in this game. I want people to be proud be they African- American, white, or any other ethnicity who are fans of either the Kansas City Chiefs or Philadelphia Eagles of their quarterback leading their team to the pinnacle of the sport. I also want people to understand that the struggle has not ended nor will it until there comes a time when it’s just an accepted fact.
Until there’s no one who has the idiotic belief that a quarterback who is black can’t play the position and instead automatically say they should be a tight end (Colin Cowherd I’m looking at you) until the day comes when this isn’t an issue, that will be the day to truly celebrate. For me when I think of Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes what strikes me first is indeed the content of their character, while not forgetting the color of their skin. Super Bowl LVII having two African-American quarterbacks is another step in the right direction.
