“Jalen Hurts 11-14-22 (cropped)” by All-Pro Reels is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
This February will be remembered as a time when we not only celebrated Black history, we watched ourselves making it! The 2023 Super Bowl will make its mark in history, not just for Rihanna’s half-time performance, but because it’s the first time there will be two Black quarterbacks face off against each other.
This is no small deal.
Since the NFL was founded in the 1920’s originally as the American Professional Football Association (APFA), the organization has evolved; the league used to only have 9 Black players. The first Black quarterback was Fritz Pollard in 1923, and in 1933, after about 30 years of limited integration, the NFL banned Black athletes from participating. The NFL was reintegrated in 1946 with the addition of Kenny Washington, the last team to desegregate, finally drafted its first Black player in 1962. Unfortunately, Black athletes were not assigned high-thinking roles because of widespread racial stereotypes that Black quarterbacks lacked intelligence, strategy and dependability. Also, the White players would not follow their leadership. White players dominated leadership positions and till this day, they still do. Currently, only 25% of quarterbacks are Black yet 70 % of NFL players are people of color.
It would be another 45 years before the NFL took another Black quarterback, Marlin Briscoe. And about 40 years later, Doug Williams would become the first Black quarterback to go to a Super Bowl, and the first to win that Super Bowl game in 1988. Williams was also the first Black quarterback to be named Super Bowl MVP — a trifecta of great accomplishments.
Fast forward to present day and history is upon us again with the 57th Super Bowl. Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles, one of the NFL’s most talented players will be added to the halls of NFL fame and Black history as the first two Black quarterbacks to face off during America’s most watched sports event.
Unfortunately, in this short time span, the NFL still has some work to do, in order to ensure inclusivity and equality for all of their players. This historical event signifies both the players’ achievements and their historic exclusion from the game. There is still a need for more Black quarterbacks, as well as further talks about pay disparities between Black and White athletes, and the lack of Black owners and managers. Case-in-point: there have been 191 people hired as head coaches, yet just 24 of them have been Black. Currently there is only approximately 3 Black coaches out of 32 teams.
Yes, while we celebrate this milestone for Black athletes, it’s evident more still needs to be done. Change is still needed in the NFL, let’s not make it another 50 years till we finally see it.
Falisha McGee is a Contributing Editor covering health and entertainment for BLK News Now! She is an activist and blogger who is passionate about the progress of Black Americans. She is also an avid supporter of Black women’s health and well-being. She can be reached at Falisha@BLKNewsNow.com.