Promoting NFL minority hiring

Jet, March 31, 2003

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Caption: PROMOTING NFL MINORITY HIRING: Attorneys Johnnie Cochran (far, r) and Cyrus Mehri (2nd, r) discuss the state of minority hiring in the NFL with former NFL players (l-r) Kellen Winslow and Warren Moon. The NFL minority coaches and executives recently formed a group designed to ensure Blacks receive equal consideration for all league job openings. The group, named the Fritz Pollard Alliance after the first Black coach in the NFL, was formalized at a meeting in Washington that honored Bobby Mitchell, who played with the Washington Redskins. He also was that team's former assistant general manager and the NFL's first Black executive. Mitchell (seated, below) was presented the inaugural Paul "Tank" Younger Award and Winslow presents him a jersey with his old playing number. Winslow is executive director of the group that consists of one representative elected by non-playing minorities on each of the 32 teams. Mehri and Cochran will be the lawyers for the group. Currently, there are three Black coaches and four minority football executives in the NFL.