This year’s Super Bowl will be a win-win for the culture as the clash between Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes will mark the first time two Black quarterbacks have faced off in the Super Bowl.
Hurts led the Eagles to a 14-3 record this season and the top overall seed in the NFC. Mahomes also led his team to a 14-3 record this season and a share of the top overall seed in the AFC with the Bills.
Now that history has already been made, let’s take a look at the history of the two quarterbacks and the history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL.
Super Bowl LVII will feature two Black starting QBs for the first time in Super Bowl history 🙌 @brgridiron pic.twitter.com/ndXuqUDXmh
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 30, 2023
History of Black QBs in the Super Bowl
NFL owners and general managers once believed that Black men were not smart enough to play the position of quarterback. Now, they are dominating the position and their play style seems to be duplicated at every level of football.
The season started with 11 starting black quarterbacks, and that number could be even higher at the start of the 2023 season. C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young seemed to be locks as top five picks that will be the future franchise quarterbacks for whichever teams draft them. Jordan Love is also waiting to take over for the Packers, as they are seemingly finally ready to move on from Aaron Rodgers.
Russell Wilson and Mahomes are only quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl since Doug Williams broke through in 1988 to win it for the Washington Redskins (now Commanders). There have been only seven quarterbacks to play in the game: Doug Williams, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Colin Kaepernick, Cam Newton, Wilson, and Mahomes.
Wilson (2) and Mahomes (3) are the only Black quarterbacks to play on multiple Super Sundays. Hurts will look to become just the fourth Black quarterback to win the big game and Mahomes looks to become the first Black quarterback to win multiple Super Bowls.
Killing Black Stereotypes
The “Black quarterbacks are not smart enough to play the position” stereotype is pretty much now dead. Guys like Lamar Jackson, who certain brainless GMs suggested would serve better as a running back, have won MVP at the QB position.
And the stereotype that “Black men are not active fathers in their children’s lives” need to die with it.
Hurts’ father, Averion Hurts, has been present and active in every step of his life. Hurts grew up as a coach’s kid and was coached by his dad for the majority of his life. He taught Hurts to play the position of quarterback and stand up to adversity. He was there when he committed to Alabama. He was there the night Hurts was benched in the 2018 national championship game. He was there when Hurts decided to transfer to Oklahoma. He’s also been there every step of the way of Hurts’ NFL journey so far.
Patrick Mahomes Sr, & Averion Hurts are present fathers that raised great men. The narrative of the absent black father is pushed through the media. So, let’s remember to push this as well. Salute to you both for changing the narrative. I know Jalen & Patrick appreciate you. pic.twitter.com/yFyLbzDmy1
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) January 30, 2023
The same thing goes for Patrick Mahomes Sr and his son. Mahomes Sr. juggled being a professional baseball player and fatherhood from 1992-2003. He played for six different MLB organizations but still made time for his family. He taught his son how to throw his first football and baseball. He also gave him the genes to make those ridiculous throws we see every Sunday in the fall.
Former football player and now NFL analyst Ryan Clark went on Fox’s “Get Up” and gave the two fathers praise.
“So many times the narrative about black fathers and Black families are that we come from broken homes and they have these stories they want to tell at the Super Bowl. Well let’s tell this story,” said Clark. “So many times we focus on the big picture and miss the small picture, the NFL has come so far as it pertains to this position from how these men were raised by their fathers and now how they are leading locker rooms.”
