Tampa Bay Buccaneers secondary coach Raheem Morris and Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin often greet former Redskins quarterback Doug Williams with a playful, "Hey, Rosa Parks."
A fitting title for the first, and only, African-American quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.
For one night, there's little doubt we all rode up front with Doug Williams.
Since his historic Super Bowl XXII performance, we've seen two more black quarterbacks, Steve McNair and Donovan McNabb, start in the Super Bowl, Warren Moon inducted into the Hall of Fame and two black head coaches, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith face off on Super Sunday.
NFL fans have been thrilled by a number of black quarterbacks including the likes of Donovan McNabb, Vince Young, Steve McNair, Jason Campbell, David Garrard, Byron Leftwich, Tavaris Jackson, Cleo Lemon, Daunte Culpepper, Anthony Wright, Charlie Batch and even the former electrifying, now prison bird, Michael Vick.
This season 14 of the NFL's 32 franchises had a black quarterback on their roster. The Raiders, Ravens, Jaguars and Falcons each featured two. Furthermore, two black quarterbacks have been chosen No. 1 overall in the draft, Vick in 2001 and Raiders' JaMarcus Russell in 2007.
All unthinkable outcomes when Williams first entered the league as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer in 1978.
"Doug's spectacular performance in Super Bowl XXII was historic not only because he smashed Super Bowl records," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, "but because he helped smash stereotypes."
May young quarterbacks continue to find inspiration in his larger-than-life Super Bowl feat.
A fitting title for the first, and only, African-American quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.
For one night, there's little doubt we all rode up front with Doug Williams.
Since his historic Super Bowl XXII performance, we've seen two more black quarterbacks, Steve McNair and Donovan McNabb, start in the Super Bowl, Warren Moon inducted into the Hall of Fame and two black head coaches, Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith face off on Super Sunday.
NFL fans have been thrilled by a number of black quarterbacks including the likes of Donovan McNabb, Vince Young, Steve McNair, Jason Campbell, David Garrard, Byron Leftwich, Tavaris Jackson, Cleo Lemon, Daunte Culpepper, Anthony Wright, Charlie Batch and even the former electrifying, now prison bird, Michael Vick.
This season 14 of the NFL's 32 franchises had a black quarterback on their roster. The Raiders, Ravens, Jaguars and Falcons each featured two. Furthermore, two black quarterbacks have been chosen No. 1 overall in the draft, Vick in 2001 and Raiders' JaMarcus Russell in 2007.
All unthinkable outcomes when Williams first entered the league as a Tampa Bay Buccaneer in 1978.
"Doug's spectacular performance in Super Bowl XXII was historic not only because he smashed Super Bowl records," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said, "but because he helped smash stereotypes."
May young quarterbacks continue to find inspiration in his larger-than-life Super Bowl feat.
1 comment:
This is a great piece that you wrote. As someone that knows Doug personally, he truly understands and embraces his part in history.
But the great thing about him is that he still remains humble about his accomplishments.
Go to http://www.blackathlete.com/artman2/publish/Football_7/Williams_MVP_Performance_Still_Resonates.shtml to read more on Doug's historic game.
Plus visit www.bqb-site.com for everything on the black quarterback.
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