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Super Bowl LVII marks the first time in NFL’s 103-year history that two Black quarterbacks face off [1]
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Date: 2023-02-12
“Once thought to not be smart enough to play the position, a plethora of Black and other non-white quarterbacks have become stars in the league,” McGee writes, adding that the historic few have “seen it be reflected in their bank accounts.”
Now let’s talk about the two quarterbacks that led their teams to this year’s Super Bowl, Patrick Mahomes for the Chiefs and Jalen Hurts for the Eagles.
Hurt has haters. Lots of them. As OutKick reports, he went from being benched at Alabama during the halftime of the national title game to play for the Lombardi Trophy in the Super Bowl.
A video by Hard Rock Sportsbook shows the doubters and how Hurt has brought all of the receipts.
x Remember when everyone doubted Jalen Hurts #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/WpiHXP5xXU — Hard Rock Sportsbook (@HardRockSB) January 30, 2023
Hurt has scored 35 total touchdowns and put up over 4,400 yards of offense in a single season.
Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, 27, is credited by most as an astronomical talent. Since his first NFL start in 2018, he has since led the league in touchdown passes (192), passing yards (24,241), and passer rating (105.7), according to the Root. He’s won an MVP, a Super Bowl, and a Super Bowl MVP. With his appearance next week, Mahomes will be playing in his third Super Bowl in the last four years. It’s not unheard of for quarterbacks to play into their 40’s now (see Tom Brady, age 45), so the ceiling for Mahomes and his place in the record books is high. Very high.
The first Black quarterbacks in the NFL were the late greats James “Shack” Harris and Marlin “the Magician” Briscoe.
Harris played for the LA Rams for four seasons, from 1973 to 1976. He went to Grambling State University, as did the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, Doug Williams, who played for the then-Washington Redskins a Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego in 1988.
“What a treat, number one,” Williams, 67, told The New York Post Monday. “For me, last night was a humbling experience. It was something that, in my mind, coulda happened a long time ago if a lot of black guys were allowed to play the position. And to see it come to fruition, it’s like a dream come true, to be honest with you.
“To sit there and realize that there’s gonna be two African-American quarterbacks playing in the Super Bowl whereas two years ago people didn’t think it could happen. And for me, that’s a sight to see.”
Briscoe started in what was then called the American Football League over 50 years ago. Briscoe, an Omaha native, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016 and died last year at the age of 76.
x TWO BLACK GREAT QBS ARE IN THE SUPERBOWL pic.twitter.com/u8hj6Kkv8x
https://t.co/OZcHz57fr4 — Tashan Reed (@tashanreed) January 30, 2023
Side note: The last time two Black coaches faced off was in 2007 when Indianapolis Colts Tony Dungy and Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith played against each other in Super Bowl XLI. Dungy’s team won.
All of that is to say, like my dad, the rest of my family, and many Black football fans (and even those who aren’t), this year’s Super Bowl is meaningful to us. For my husband, a lifelong Eagles fan, it’s the best of both worlds. Black athletes have more than proven themselves, but it seems like it’s never enough.
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[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/2/12/2150677/-Super-Bowl-LVII-marks-the-first-time-in-NFL-s-103-year-history-that-two-Black-quarterbacks-face-off
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