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The historic matchup between Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles as the primary head-to-head matchup between Black quarterbacks within the Tremendous Bowl has not been misplaced on Doug Williams, the primary Black quarterback to start out and win a Tremendous Bowl greater than three a long time in the past.
“I do know there’s quite a lot of younger guys throughout the nation, understand that if it is a dream, it may occur,” Williams, 67, informed CBS Information this week. “As a result of it occurred for these guys.”
Within the eyes of Williams, who’s the Washington Commanders’ senior advisor to staff president Jason Wright, the impression of getting two prime Black quarterbacks within the massive recreation on Sunday has already taken impact with Mahomes and Hurts – this season’s AP NFL MVP and the runner-up, respectively. Nevertheless, Williams, who was a school and highschool coach, believes groups across the league must work on hiring extra Black coaches.
“It is time to open the doorways for extra Black coaches,” he stated, including that he desires homeowners to “open up their coronary heart and their thoughts” to deserving coaches to steer groups within the NFL – a league made up of 70% of gamers of coloration.
“There’s an terrible lot of men on the market of coloration, Black guys on the market that deserve the chance to be a coach,” he stated.
There are solely six head coaches of coloration presently within the NFL, which incorporates the Houston Texans’ DeMeco Ryans, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Todd Bowles, the New York Jets’ Robert Saleh, the Washington Commanders’ Ron Rivera and the Miami Dolphins’ Mike McDaniel.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed a few of the NFL’s range issues throughout the annual Tremendous Bowl information convention on Wednesday, saying “it is by no means sufficient.”
Williams additionally mirrored on the legacy of Black quarterbacks within the league – who had been lengthy subjected to racist stereotypes – and what he calls the fraternity of Black quarterbacks within the NFL.
“I feel each Black quarterback is aware of that this function wasn’t all the time straightforward for us,” he informed CBS Information. “It is quite a lot of straightforward for the blokes taking part in on this week than it was the blokes behind. As a result of once I consider these two guys [Mahomes and Hurts], I can not assist myself to consider James Harris, Joe Gilliam, Warren Moon and Marlin Briscoe. All the blokes again then who didn’t get the identical alternative to equal alternative as these two guys received. You gotta take into consideration these guys who had the expertise however simply wasn’t let within the door.”
However he sees progress on that entrance. Eleven quarterbacks who began on Week 1 of this season had been Black. When the postseason got here round, 5 of the 14 postseason groups had a Black quarterback, in keeping with 247 Sports activities. Potential prime picks Bryce Younger and C.J. Stroud are projected to be NFL starters once they enter the league. And on Sunday, Mahomes and Hurts are headlining Tremendous Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
“Earlier than I gained the Tremendous Bowl [with the then-Washington Redskins], there was no Black quarterback within the Tremendous Bowl,” he stated. “It is simply 35 years in the past, so I feel it is becoming to speak about it. Now, crucial factor now, we have carried out it, let’s cease speaking about it and settle for whoever the quarterback is and let’s go along with it.”
As for whether or not he is rooting for Mahomes or Hurts on Sunday, Williams already gained.
“All I can reply is the truth that I can not lose,” he stated.
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