Black Quarterbacks Matter

By Donald James Senior Writer, Real Times Media

Black History Month now has another amazing story to add to its long list of accomplishments made by African Americans. After all, when Super Bowl LVII kicks off on Sunday, Feb. 12, two Black quarterbacks will face each other for the first time since the inception of the Big Game on Jan. 15, 1967.

In this year’s Super Bowl, which some are calling the “Super Quarter-Black Bowl,” Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs will be under center against signal caller Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Super Bowl is about two powerful teams battling to win, it’s not lost on Mahomes or Hurts about the history-making significance of this moment in time.

“The guys that came before me and Jalen set the stage for this, and now I’m just glad we can set the stage for kids that are coming up now,” Mahomes said at a national press conference. “It’ll be a great game against two great teams and against another great quarterback. I’m excited.”

“I think it’s something that’s worthy of being noted, and it is history,” Hurts said in a national interview. “I think it’s only been seven African American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl, so to be the first for something this big is pretty cool.”

The seven Black Super Bowl QBs are Doug Williams, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, Russell Wilson (twice), Cam Newton, and Patrick Mahomes (three times). And, in the history of the Super Bowl, there have only been three Black quarterbacks to win: Williams (Super Bowl XXII in 1988), Wilson (Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014), and Mahomes (Super Bowl LIV in 2020).

Williams was emotional after learning of this year’s Super Bowl matchup at quarterback.

“I had tears of joy in my eyes because I had an opportunity to witness this,” said Williams. “I just sat there and said to myself, ‘Man, we got two Black quarterbacks playing in the Super Bowl. Things like that give me chills.’ ”

There are many theories about why there have been periods of “Blackouts of Black quarterbacks” in the NFL’s 100-plus-year history. Most theories are rooted in systemic racism and perceived stereotypical beliefs about African Americans in general and Black males in particular. For starters, through much of the NFL’s history, White team owners and top executives believed Black QBs didn’t have the mindset, focus, discipline, intelligence, work ethic, and other leadership qualities – on and off the field – to successfully guide a pro team to championship status.

Interestingly, shortly after the American Professional Football Association started in 1920 and morphed into the National Football League in 1922, Fritz Pollard, the following year, became its first Black quarterback when he played for the Akron Pros. George Taliaferro was