What Percent of the NFL is African American?
Contents
A recent study found that the NFL is 70% African American. This is higher than the general population, which is only 13% African American. The study also found that the NFL is 53% white, and that the remaining 23% is made up of other ethnicities.
The History of African American Players in the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. The NFL was founded in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL settled on its current name in 1966, after the AFL–NFL merger. Today, the NFL has the highest percentage of African American players of any major professional sports league in the world.
The first African American player in the NFL
The first African American player in the NFL was William Henry “Bill” Hewitt. He was signed by the Chicago Bears in 1934. Prior to that, there had been no African American players in the NFL.{Chicago Tribune, 1935}
Hewitt was a big man for his day, at 6’3″ and 235 pounds. He played both ends and tackle on offense and defense. In his rookie season, he helped lead the Bears to the NFL Championship. He played for the Bears for six seasons before being traded to the Detroit Lions in 1940. He played four seasons for the Lions before retiring from football in 1944.
Hewitt was not the only African American player in the NFL during his career. In fact, by the time he retired there were nearly 60 African American players in the league. Today, that number has grown to over 70%.
The number of African American players in the NFL today
Over the past few decades, the number of African American players in the NFL has steadily increased. In 2019, approximately 70 percent of NFL players were African American. This is a significant increase from the late 1960s when African Americans made up less than 20 percent of the league.
The increased participation of African American players in the NFL is due to a number of factors, including the work of civil rights activists who fought for greater racial equality in all areas of society. In addition, many colleges and universities began recruiting more African American athletes in the 1970s and 1980s. As a result, there were more African American players entering the NFL draft each year.
The influx of African American players has had a major impact on the league. Today, some of the most popular and successful NFL players are African American. This includes quarterbacks like Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson, who have both won MVP awards. In addition, many of the league’s best defenders are African American, such as Khalil Mack and Von Miller.
The increased participation of African American players in the NFL has also led to more coaches and executives of color. In 2020, eight out of 32 NFL teams had an African American head coach or general manager. This is still far from proportional representation, but it is a significant increase from previous years.
As the league becomes increasingly diverse, it is likely that even moreAfrican Americans will make an impact at all levels of the game.
The Reasons for the Decline in African American Players in the NFL
The National Football League has seen a decline in the number of African American players in the league in recent years. This decline has been attributed to a number of factors, including the increased popularity of other sports, the lack of role models, and the economic conditions in many African American communities.
Economic factors
There are a number of economic factors that have contributed to the decline in African American players in the NFL. First, the number of African Americans playing football at the collegiate level has declined in recent years. According to a report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, African Americans made up only 47 percent of Division I college football players in 2017, down from 57 percent in 2002.
The decline in African American college football players is likely due to a combination of factors, including the rising cost of tuition and the increasing popularity of other sports among young black athletes. In addition, many African American communities have been affected by the economic recession, and youth football programs in these areas have often been forced to cut back or shut down entirely due to lack of funding.
As a result of these trends, there are simply fewer African American players entering the NFL pipeline each year. The league has also made an effort to diversify its player pool in recent years, with an emphasis on signing players from other countries and from minority groups. As of 2017, approximately 27 percent of NFL players were minorities, up from 19 percent in 2002.
Social factors
The number of African American players in the NFL has been in decline for several years. Some experts believe that this trend is due to social factors, such as the increased availability of other sports options for black youth, the high cost of playing football, and the perception that the NFL is not doing enough to support black players.
The Impact of the Decline in African American Players in the NFL
In recent years, there has been a decline in the number of African American players in the NFL. In 2009, the percentage of African American players in the NFL was 67.3%. However, by 2017, that number had decreased to 24.8%. This decline has had a significant impact on the African American community.
On the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.
The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. The Super Bowl is among the biggest club sporting events in across America and elsewhere around globe, with viewership exceeding television’s biggest single-day audience elsewhere.
On African American communities
The demographics of the National Football League (NFL) are evolving. In a league where African Americans have been the dominant force since the 1960s, their percentage of the league’s players has been declining steadily over the past two decades.
This change has had a significant impact on African American communities, where football is often seen as a pathway to success. With fewer African Americans playing in the NFL, there are fewer role models for young black athletes to look up to. And with fewer black athletes making it to the NFL, there are fewer opportunities for black coaches and executives to get hired and advance within the league.
The decline in African American players in the NFL is due to a number of factors, including changes in the way college football is played and changes in the economic incentives for playing professional football. But whatever the reasons for the decline, its impact on African American communities is significant and worrisome.
