The Black Quarterback Bonanza

Ebony, Nov, 1999

After years of being overlooked as signal-callers, finally things appear to be changing in the National Football League

EVEN the most casual fan --the not-so-schooled student of the National Football League--had to know something was going on that was out of the ordinary during last April's draft of college players.

Donovan McNabb of Syracuse. Akili Smith of Oregon. Duante Culpepper of Central Florida. All Black. All quarterbacks. And amazingly, all drafted in the first round (McNabb No. 2, Smith No. 3 and Culpepper No. 11).

Those who are in-the-know are aware that those selections are historic. Since 1963 (an incredible 36 years), a paltry total of only four Black quarterbacks had been chosen in the first round (Eldridge Dickey, Oakland Raiders 1968; Doug Williams, Tampa Bay 1978; Andre Ware, Detroit 1990; Steve McNair, Houston Oilers 1995). Some say racism was the culprit for the omission; others say it was the belief that Blacks didn't have "the necessities" to play quarterback. But apparently things have changed. Even though a small number of Black quarterbacks already are sprinkled throughout the league, this year's selection of African-Americans in the first round is the strongest indication that perhaps the brick wall of stereotypes that has separated Black quarterbacks from NFL opportunities has finally begun to tumble, leading to the rise in the number of Black quarterbacks in the league.

So what has happened to apparently crack the door that has been locked so long? "These opportunities have come about as a result of the changing of the guard [ownership]," says Doug Williams, the first and only Black quarterback to lead a team to a Super Bowl win when he engineered the Washington Redskins to a victory over the Denver Broncos in 1988. "The good ole boys' network has not totally disappeared, but it has changed a little. You have people in positions who are a little more updated, a little more liberated and not as segregated-minded as in the past. They understand that it's about putting the best product on the field."

With the game changing so quickly and dramatically, the best product now comes in a much-sought-after package that includes mobility, elusiveness, ability to improvise and a strong arm--all qualities that McNabb, Smith and Culpepper have transformed into multimillion-dollar contracts. They--along with quarterbacks like Kordell Stewart of the Pittsburgh Steelers--have shown that the drop-back, stay-in-the-pocket quarterback is too one-dimensional and is quickly becoming obsolete.

"You're seeing more African-Americans get opportunities at quarterback because of the evolution of the game," says Fletcher Smith III, the agent who negotiated a 7-year, $54 million deal for McNabb. "The guys on the other side of the ball are bigger, faster and stronger, and you have to have a quarterback who doesn't just sit in the pocket, but can move. We've seen that in other quarterbacks like Brett Favre and Steve Young, both of whom can make things happen when their protection breaks down."

For years, scrambling quarterbacks were shunned because the overwhelming belief of owners, scouts and coaches was that those who veered outside the pocket were much more vulnerable and likely to sustain more serious injuries. But many say today's athletes are so much better conditioned than their predecessors and many team trainers now agree that mobile quarterbacks are in no more danger than those who stay in the pocket and face one blitz after another.

Racism aside, another major obstacle for Black quarterbacks hoping to play in the NFL has been teams' unwavering mind-set when it comes to their offensive structure. Typically, coaches have been unwilling to change their offensive philosophy to take advantage of the multiple talents that many Black quarterbacks showcased. Instead, despite the quarterback's previous successes in pro-style offenses in college, they were almost always asked to switch positions if they exhibited any versatility. So, many ended up as wide receivers or members of the defensive backfield.

That's what happened to Tony Dungy, now the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When his college career ended at the University of Minnesota in 1977, he had become the most prolific passer in the university's history. But despite his college success, not one single team selected him in the NFL's then 12-round draft. He later signed as a free agent with the Pittsburg Steelers, who immediately told the 6-footer that he was too short to play quarterback and shifted him, first, to wide receiver and then to safety, where he played for three seasons. Even today, he says he was a victim of"perception," a perception that killed his chance to repeat what he had done in college. And he's still bothered by the fact that, he says, he was at least as good (if not better) as some of the White backup quarterbacks who fit the mold that coaches desired.

Dungy, unlike James Harris, chose not to resist a move from quarterback. Harris, though, defied those who tried to move him to another position after the Buffalo Bills drafted him in the eighth round in 1969. He had been voted the Black college player of the year during his final year at Grambling, and he believed that his skills were comparable to anyone else's on the team. That level of confidence paid off when he became the first African-American to start at quarterback during his rookie year in Buffalo.