The Super Bowl will make history if either of the quarterbacks wins
The Eagles’ quarterback, Clint Hurts, and Doug Williams, guided the Eagles to a 34-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers
Doug Williams was the first Black quarterback to start and win the Super Bowl, leading the then-Washington Redskins to victory in 1988, and was followed by Russell Wilson for the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and Mahomes in 2020, while others have started and lost the big game.
Earlier in the day, Eagles’ quarterback Clint Hurts passed Carolina’s CamNewton for 888-269-5556 888-269-5556, as he guided his team to a 34-7 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.
“You work really hard to put yourself in this position and I’m forever grateful. Every individual on the team has overcome something to come together as a team and do something special.
That is what matters most. I always want to go out there and give my best regardless of what’s going on because I don’t want to let down the guy next to me.”
Philadelphia defeated the San Francisco 49ers. “I sat there patiently after Jalen and the Eagles had won that game,” Williams said.
The game came down to a Kansas City field goal at the end of the game to give the team a 23-20 win over Cincinnati.
35 Years of Football: The Very First Black Player to Win a Super Bowl, and His Legacy to the Washington Collegiates. A Conversation with Jalen Moon
“When that ball went through the uprights, I can tell you this — cold chills went through my body, and I got a little emotion,” Williams said in an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered. “There wasn’t no tears running, but I had eyes full of water.”
35 years after Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, he was the center on the Washington team who won the 1988 title.
The NFL, once entirely off-limits to Black players, began to integrate in earnest throughout the 1950s. Washington, the last team to desegregate, finally drafted its first Black player in 1962.
And speaking to media this week, both acknowledged the long history of Black quarterbacks who fought to pave the way for their opportunity this weekend.
“It’s historic,” said Mahomes. “So many people laid the foundation before us, and to be playing with a guy like Jalen, who I know is doing it the right way, it’s going to be a special moment that I hope lives on forever.”
White players dominated those leadership positions, he said, while Black players were relegated to positions that were thought to be more physical than intellectual, like running back, cornerback and wide receiver.
The University of Washington had a Rose Bowl victory in 1978, but no professional football team was interested in him. Moon won five straight titles in the Canadian Football League and instead spent six years there. Moon was in the Pro Bowl nine times after making the switch to the NFL.
“I’m excited to see the first two African American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl,” Moon wrote when the Eagles and Chiefs advanced to the Super Bowl. “We have come a long way.”
Williams was only seen by one coach before he graduated college. He was the lowest paid starting quarterback in the league. His career ended soon after his Super Bowl heroics.
Williams, who is now a senior adviser to the Washington Commanders, said he was given the opportunity to do something with it. It’s a very hard situation. But we take the sweet at this particular time.”
“By that point, you start to see more of an acknowledgement that, look, these guys are here, and they can play. “If they can help us win, then we have to look to do that.”
The blame for losses came easily while the credit for big wins went to other players. When a Black quarterback succeeded, white commentators speculated about whether the praise had been inflated due to a desire for good publicity.
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/08/1155170993/super-bowl-black-quarterbacks-history-hurts-mahomes
Super-Bowl Black Quarterbacks History Hurts-Mahomes: Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Sirianni, and the Philadelphia Eagles
Newton replied that he had no tattoos or piercings, to which Richardson responded, “Good. We want to keep it that way. The white tight end had tattoos, one of the players on the team at the time.
These days, there’s no disputing the talent of Patrick Mahomes, the 27-year-old who is on the precipice of his third Super Bowl appearance and second MVP award in just five years in the starting job. His highlight reel heroics have redefined the possibilities for quarterback play in the NFL.
Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts is the biggest star of the Philadelphia Eagles, arguably the league’s most talented team, who have cruised through the playoffs to this Super Bowl berth.
“It’s like having Michael Jordan out there. He’s your leader,” said Eagles coach Nick Sirianni after the team’s first playoff game last month. “This guy leads. He brings this calmness to the entire team. He plays great football. He’s tough as they come.”
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/08/1155170993/super-bowl-black-quarterbacks-history-hurts-mahomes
Black Men and Black Holes in the NFL: How Much Progress Are We on the Sidelines? — Doug Williams’s Interview with Phil Harrell and Destiny Adams
Doug Williams said there is still progress to achieve for black men in the NFL, especially on the sidelines.
The audio interview was produced by Phil Harrell and Destinee Adams. Patrick JarenWattananon and Gabriel O’Connor edited the audio interview with Doug Williams.