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Home , Andre Ware, Cam Newton, Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Dwayne Haskins, JaMarcus Russell

Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/May 3, 2019 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com and Today’s NFL

(VILLAGER NEWS) - By John Harris Jr. | VILLAGER Sports Columnist Oklahoma only black quarterback as Five years passed be- Kyler Murray joined a well as the first undrafted fore another black quarter- growing list of black quar- quarterback inducted into back was taken in the first terbacks selected in the the Pro Football Hall of round when (now first round of the NFL Fame, had to prove himself Tennessee) grabbed Alcorn when the Arizona Cardi- in the Canadian Football State’s Steve McNair with nals made him the No. 1 League before the NFL the No. 3 overall pick. As overall pick last week. would touch him. McNair blossomed into a Murray is the fifth black Seattle’s Russell Wil- star, black in LSU’s Russell the first over- quarterback taken first son, arguably the best the 1999 draft benefitted all pick in 2007. Kansas overall in the draft. Prior to black quarterback in the when (Oregon) State’s Murray, league and among the best was selected No. 3 by Cin- closed out the decade for (2015), QBs in the NFL, period, was cinnati, Donovan McNabb black quarterbacks se- (2011), Jamarcus Russell a third-round draft pick in (Syracuse) was taken No. 4 lected in the first round (2007) and 2012 - the same year black by Philadelphia and when Tampa Bay selected (2001) were selected No. 1 quarterback Robert Griffin (Central him No. 17 overall in 2009. overall in their respective III was drafted No. 2 over- Florida) went No. 11 to Auburn’s Newton be- drafts. all. Through his first seven Minnesota. came the first black quar- In the history of the seasons, Wilson has been NFL teams came to terback since Russell taken NFL Draft, a total of 22 named to six Pro Bowls realize that black quarter- with the No. 1 overall pick black quarterbacks have and started in two Super backs, just like their white in 2011. Baylor’s RG III been selected in the first Bowls, winning counterparts, needed the went to Washington with round. Half of those 22 XLVIII. He recently signed a opportunity to prove the second overall pick in (11) have been selected in contract making him the themselves as well as a 2012. Buffalo took Florida the last 10 drafts, including highest-paid player in team to believe in their tal- State’s EJ Manuel with the five in the last three drafts. Kyler Murray league history. ents. Not every black quar- No. 16 pick in 2013, and Ohio State’s (Photo/Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports) Minnesota selected joined Louisville’s Teddy ness to spend long hours in quarterback, the top pick Bridgewater with the last Murray as the second black the film room, Arizona in the draft, the Cardinals quarterback picked in the pick in first round of the took Murray No. 1 overall traded last year’s first- 2014 draft. The following first round in this year’s anyway. That wasn’t al- round selection, Josh draft, going No. 15 overall year, Florida State’s Win- ways the case for black Rosen, a white quarter- ston went No. 1 overall to to Washington. quarterbacks, who have back, after they selected Although teams Tampa Bay. been forced to navigate a Murray. Black quarterbacks drafting multiple black gauntlet of negativity to Compare the NFL’s quarterbacks in the first hit the jackpot in 2017 earn their rightful place in treatment of Murray with when Clemson’s Deshaun round of the same draft is the pay-for-play league. these two superstar quar- no longer front-page news Watson went No. 14 to In fact, Arizona not terbacks: Houston and quickly show- - it’s now occurred twice in only made Murray, a black , the the last three drafts - the cased star potential as a 2019 draft marks the first rookie before suffering a time more than one black season-ended knee injury. quarterback was selected Kansas City traded up to in the first round when a steal Tech’s Patrick black quarterback was Mahomes with the No. 10 drafted No. 1 overall. pick. Both quarterbacks led Despite some their teams to the playoffs naysayers among NFL in their second season. scouts who questioned Mahomes became only Murray’s leadership skills the third black quarterback and his alleged unwilling- to be named league MVP, joining Newton and McNair. A year ago, Baltimore selected Louisville’s with the last pick Warren Moon in the first round. Jackson The NFL has come a terback drafted in the first replaced veteran starter long way, baby. round succeeded. Ware in the lineup For too long, the his- and Smith never made it midway through his rookie tory of black quarterbacks big. However, McNair, season and guided the in the NFL was a shameful McNabb and Culpepper all struggling Ravens to the one. Team decision makers joined the upper echelon playoffs. As a result of didn’t believe that black of NFL quarterbacks. Their Jackson’s performance, quarterbacks were smart success led to tak- Baltimore traded Flacco, a enough to absorb thick ing Virginia Tech’s Vick white quarterback, to Den- NFL playbooks and be the with the No. 1 overall pick ver. leader of men. That think- in 2001. Yes, the NFL has ing started to change when Marshall’s Byron come a mighty long way. Grambling’s Doug Will- Leftwich was the next But it still has a long way iams, the first black quar- black quarterback taken in to go. The league is not terback selected in the first the first round, going No. entirely colorblind as evi- round in the NFL Draft, in 7 to Jacksonville in 2003. denced by the lack of black 1978, was named MVP of Auburn’s Jackson head coaches and execu- Super Bowl XXII a decade Campbell followed two tives currently in the later. Two years after Will- years later, in 2005, taken league, but it’s nice to see iams’ triumph, Houston’s by Washington with the NFL teams finally coming became the No. 25 pick. Tennessee se- around when it comes to second black QB selected lected giving black quarterbacks a in the first round of the NFL standout with fair chance to succeed or Draft, going No. 7 overall to the No. 3 overall pick in fail just like their white Detroit. 2006, and Oakland made counterparts.