Who Was the First Black Quarterback in the NFL?

Many people know that Doug Williams was the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, but few know that he was actually the third black quarterback in the NFL. Find out who the other two were and learn a little bit about their stories.

Early Black Quarterbacks

Fritz Pollard

Fritz Pollard was the first black quarterback in the NFL. He played for the Akron Pros in 1919 and the Hammond Pros in 1920. He was also the league’s first black head coach, serving as co-head coach of the Pros in 1921.

Willie Thrower

Willie Thrower is widely considered to be the first black quarterback in NFL history. He played one season for the Chicago Bears in 1953. While Thrower’s career was short-lived, he paved the way for other black quarterbacks to have successful careers in the NFL.

Thrower was born in 1933 in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He played college football at Michigan State University, where he became the first black quarterback to start for a major college team. After his graduation from Michigan State, Thrower was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 13th round of the 1953 NFL Draft.

During his rookie season with the Bears, Thrower appeared in three games, completing 12 of 24 passes for 195 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for a touchdown during his sole season with the Bears. After his release from the Bears following the 1953 season, Thrower never returned to play in the NFL again.

While his career was brief, Willie Thrower’s place in history as the first black quarterback in NFL history is secure. He opened the door for other black quarterbacks to have successful careers in professional football.

The Modern Era

In 1978, the first black quarterback to start in an NFL season opener was James Harris of the Buffalo Bills. He was also the first black quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards and 20 touchdown passes in a season. In the modern era, the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl was Doug Williams, who led the Washington Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII.

James Harris

James Harris was born in Monroe, Louisiana on July 26, 1949. He was the quarterback for the Buffalo Bills from 1969 to 1973 and the Los Angeles Rams from 1974 to 1977. In 1969, he became the first black quarterback to start an NFL game.

Harris played college football at Grambling State University, where he was a two-time All-American. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 1969 NFL Draft. He became the Bills’ starting quarterback midway through his rookie season. He played for the Bills for four seasons before being traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1973. He played four seasons with the Rams, before retiring from football in 1977.

During his NFL career, Harris threw for 11,381 yards and 70 touchdowns. He was named to one Pro Bowl team and was voted the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1969. After his playing career, Harris worked as a television commentator and as a scout for several NFL teams. He was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 1987 and into the Grambling State University Hall of Fame in 1999.

Marlin Briscoe

In 1968, Marlin Briscoe became the first African American quarterback to start in an NFL game. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 14th round of the 1968 NFL Draft and played for them for two seasons. He then went on to play for the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and San Diego Chargers. He was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.

The Modern Era

According to Sports Illustrated, Marlin Briscoe was the first black quarterback to start an NFL game in 1968. He was a 14th round pick by the Denver Broncos and was moved to quarterback after being originally drafted as a wide receiver. He started in place of an injured Steve Tensi and went on to have a successful career, playing for the Buffalo Bills, New England Patriots, and San Diego Chargers.

Doug Williams

Doug Williams was the first black quarterback to start in an NFL game, as well as the first to win a Super Bowl. He was drafted in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and played for them from 1978 to 1982. In 1983, he was traded to the Washington Redskins, where he played for five seasons. He led the Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XXII, becoming the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Williams continued to play in the NFL until 1989, when he retired from professional football.

Donovan McNabb

Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and basketball for Syracuse University.

The Eagles selected McNabb with the second overall pick in the 1999 NFL draft. He spent eleven seasons with the team, nine of which he was the starting quarterback. During his tenure with Philadelphia, he led the team to six NFC East division championships, five NFC Championship Games, and one Super Bowl appearance. Upon his release from the Eagles after the 2009 season, he was signed by the Washington Redskins where he played for one year before being traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 2010. After one season with the Vikings he was released and signed by Rex Ryan to be a member of New York Jets as a backup quarterback and mentor to Mark Sanchez but was later released before taking a snap with them.

McNabb ranks fifth all-time in NFL passing yards (37,276) and thirtieth all-time passer rating (82.5). He is also tied for sixth all-time in rushing yards by a quarterback (3,459) and is ranked seventh among rushing quarterbacks in touchdowns (25). His 41 touchdown passes in 2000 are ranked 16th as of 2018.

The Future

Russell Wilson

Russell Wilson was born on November 29, 1988, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Wisconsin during the 2011 season, and was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Wilson started his professional career as a backup to Seahawks starter Tarvaris Jackson. In week 11 of the 2012 season, Jackson suffered a concussion, and Wilson became the Seahawks’ starting quarterback. During his rookie year, Wilson led the Seahawks to a 10-6 record and helped them make it to the playoffs.

Colin Kaepernick

Colin Kaepernick is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at the University of Nevada, where he was named the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Offensive Player of the Year twice. Kaepernick was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He became the 49ers’ full-time starting quarterback in 2012 and helped lead the team to Super Bowl XLVII that year.During the 2014 season, his first as a starter for a full season, Kaepernick helped lead the 49ers to their first NFC Championship since 1994. The following season, he fueled a return to the NFC Championship game by completing 69.1 percent of his passes for 3,369 yards with 20 touchdowns and only eight interceptions, while also rushing for 639 yards and eight touchdowns as he was named to his first Pro Bowl. In 2016, Kaepernick sat or kneeled during pre-game renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest police brutality and racial inequality in America.