Are There Any Black Kickers In The NFL?

We take a look at whether there are any black kickers in the NFL, and if so, how they have fared in the league.

Introduction

It is widely believed that there are no black kickers in the NFL. This is a widely accepted “fact” even though there have been a handful of black kickers in the NFL over the course of its history. The most notable black kicker in the NFL is probably former Philadelphia Eagles player David Akers.

The History of Black Kickers in the NFL

Although there have been a few black placekickers in the NFL, they remain a rarity. Marv Bateman, who played for the Miami Dolphins from 1974 to 1984, was one of the first. In recent years, other black kickers in the NFL have included Shawn Powell (Buffalo Bills), Derek Dimke (Chicago Bears) and Cody Parkey (Philadelphia Eagles).

The percentage of black players in the NFL has been slowly but steadily increasing since the league’s inception. In 2017, about 70 percent of NFL players were black. But that number drops to just two percent when looking specifically at kickers and punters.

There are a number of possible explanations for this discrepancy. One is that kicking is often seen as more of a “thinking man’s” position – unlike other positions on the field, kickers don’t have to rely solely on brute strength to do their job well. As a result, some coaches may be more likely to give kicking positions to white players, who they perceive as being smarter.

Another explanation is that many black athletes come from inner-city neighborhoods where organized football teams are not as common as they are in white suburban neighborhoods. As a result, black athletes may be less likely to have had the opportunity to develop their kicking skills at an early age.

Whatever the reasons for the lack of black kickers in the NFL, it’s clear that it is still very much a white man’s position.

The Current Black Kickers in the NFL

There are only a handful of black kickers in the NFL today. The most notable is Cairo Santos of the Kansas City Chiefs. Other active black kickers in the NFL include Cody Parkey of the Cleveland Browns, Marshall Koehn of the Miami Dolphins, and Greg Joseph of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

While there has been an increase in the number of black players at other positions on the football field, the number of black kickers has remained relatively static over the years. Part of this may be due to stereotypes aboutblack players not having the necessary skills to excel at kicking. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that there is a distinct lack of diversity among NFL kickers.

The Future of Black Kickers in the NFL

As the game of football becomes increasingly competitive, more and more attention is being given to the importance of special teams. In particular, the role of the kicker has become more vital, as these players are often called upon to make crucial field goals that can mean the difference between winning and losing.

Interestingly, although the kicking game has become more important in recent years, there has not been a significant increase in the number of black kickers in the NFL. In fact, there are currently only two black kickers in the league, Jason Elam of the Denver Broncos and Mike Vanderjagt of the Indianapolis Colts.

Given the increasing importance of special teams in today’s game, it seems likely that we will see more black kickers emerge in the NFL in the coming years. With their natural athleticism and ability to generate powerful leg strength, black players have all the necessary tools to be successful at this crucial position. It will be interesting to see if this trend begins to emerge in the next few years as teams increasingly look to add playmakers on special teams.