What Percent of the NFL is Black?

The NFL is 70% Black. That’s according to a recent study that looked at the racial makeup of all professional football players.

Introduction

African Americans now make up 69 percent of the NFL, according to a recent study. That’s up from just over 40 percent in 2001. The study, conducted by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida, also found that the NFL is 75 percent black and Hispanic.

The History of African Americans in the NFL

African Americans have been playing in the National Football League (NFL) since its inception in 1920. Fritz Pollard and Bobby Marshall were the first African American players in the league. Pollard was also the league’s first African American coach. The number of African American players in the NFL has increased steadily since then. In 2016, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stated that twenty-seven percent of NFL players were African American.

The history of African Americans in the NFL is one of increasing opportunity and integration. In the early years of the league, there were very few African American players and most teams were all white. As the league grew in popularity, more African American players began to join teams. By the 1960s, a few African American players had become stars and some teams began to integrate their rosters. In 1967, Robert Lary became the first black player to be named All-Pro. In 1970, Ernie Ladd became the first black player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1971, Mel Blount became the first black player to be named Defensive Player of the Year.

The number of African American players in the NFL peaked in 2001 at sixty-eight percent. Since then, the percentage of African American players has decreased slightly, but remains high at around sixty-five percent. The decrease is due to a number of factors, including an increase in opportunities for African American athletes in other professional sports leagues and college football programs

The Percentage of African Americans in the NFL Today

African Americans have been playing in the National Football League (NFL) since its inception in 1920, but their numbers have been relatively small. In the late 1960s, African American players began to increase in numbers and today they represent approximately 70 percent of all NFL players.

The following is a breakdown of the percentage of African American players on NFL teams by position:

-Quarterbacks: 14 percent
-Running backs: 58 percent
-Wide receivers: 64 percent
-Tight ends: 33 percent
-Offensive linemen: 21 percent
-Defensive linemen: 67 percent
-Linebackers: 58 percent
-Defensive backs: 63 percent

The Reasons for the Decrease in the Percentage of African Americans in the NFL

Since the Colin Kaepernick protests began in 2016, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of African American players in the NFL. In fact, according to a recent study by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, the percentage of black players in the NFL has declined by nearly 5% since then.

So what explains this decrease? There are a few possible explanations.

First, it’s possible that the protests themselves have discouraged some African American players from pursuing a career in the NFL. After all, if you’re considering a career in a league that you believe is actively discriminatory against black players, it’s likely that you would look elsewhere.

Second, it’s also possible that the decline is simply a result of the small number of African American players who are eligible for the NFL draft each year. While there are many talented African American college football players, the pool of eligible prospects is still relatively small compared to other groups.

Whatever the reasons for the decline, it’s clear that the NFL has a diversity problem. In a league that is supposed to be representative of America as a whole, African Americans are woefully underrepresented. If the league wants to regain its lost ground, it will need to take active steps to address this issue.

The Future of African Americans in the NFL

African Americans currently make up 70% of the NFL, but that number is slowly declining. In recent years, the league has seen efforts to increase diversity, but the issue of race is still a sensitive one. The future of African Americans in the NFL is uncertain, but there are some promising trends that suggest that the league will continue to be a place where African American athletes can thrive.