When Doug Williams walked off the field victorious at Jack Murphy Stadium after a 42-10 beat down over John Elway and the Denver Broncos 35 years ago, he headed for one man; Eddie Robinson.
Together, the two of them, player and coach, made history.
Williams broke barriers by becoming the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl. But Robinson, his legendary coach at Grambling, made the moment possible.
The coaching icon was a racial optimist who believed that a successful Black pro quarterback could ease integration across the nation. With every passing touchdown, Black leadership and intelligence would be proven and terrible tropes would dissipate.
This wasn’t about Robinson’s ego. This was about America’s heart and Williams’s victory was just the beginning.
In the last thirty-five years, we have witnessed other memorable and historical Black moments in Super Bowl history. Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith becoming the first two Black head coaches to face off. Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb and Colin Kaepernick coming up just short in their quest to be only the second Black QB to win a Super Bowl. Russell Wilson accomplishing that feat in 2014, and Patrick Mahomes’ thrilling victory over the 49ers.
But what we’re about to witness at SB LVII, where two Black starting quarterbacks will face off for the first time in Super Bowl history, manifests a sight Black football fans have been dreaming about for decades.
Yet none of those moments would be possible without Eddie Robinson.
And when Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts meet Sunday night, they will be stepping through a door that Robinson pried open sixty years ago.
Eddie Robinson’s Quest
In the middle of the civil rights movement, Eddie Robinson set out to change professional football.
He wanted to develop a professional Black quarterback, one so good that the pros could not use one of their familiar and lazy excuses to deny him an opportunity. In the past, the pros claimed the Black quarterback couldn’t lead. They couldn’t read defenses, learn a playbook, throw accurate passes, or communicate effectively with teammates.
Why waste your time on developing a Black quarterback that might not pan out, some asked, when you could play him right away at another position? Merit mattered, but a man’s color counted more. For the Black quarterback, there was a special equation.
Quarterback + Black = Cornerback.
Robinson, however, remained unfettered.
At Grambling, he modified his run-oriented offense to become more pro-oriented. He integrated long bombs and recruited quarterbacks that fit the mold of a pro quarterback.
And to further eliminate doubt, Robinson told his guys not to run. That’s why we have running backs, he’d tell his field generals. Over the years, Robinson produced great ones like James Harris, Matthew Reed, and Doug Williams. While Harris got his shot, Matthew Reed’s 4.5 forty had NFL teams trying to move him to tight end.
Then came Doug Williams, the best of the bunch.
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