The Evolution of the Black Quarterback in the NFL

On October 29, 2017, Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson made a landmark statement by throwing for over 400 yards each in their week 8 matchup.
Although African American quarterbacks have been seen as more athletic rather than cerebral, many black quarterbacks have shown to be exceptional signal callers in the NFL.
As of week 8 of the 2017 NFL season, there are eight starting quarterbacks who are African Americans. These players include Brett Hundley (Packers), Cam Newton (Panthers), Jameis Winston (Buccaneers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Jacoby Brissett (Colts), Deshaun Watson (Texans), and Tyrod Taylor (Bills).
According to Sports Illustrated, Marlin Briscoe was the first African American quarterback to start an NFL game. He started five games for the Denver Broncos in 1968.
In 1974, James Harris led the Los Angeles Rams to a 10-4 record and became the first African American quarterback to start in a playoff game as well as the first named to a Pro Bowl.
In the 1980’s the NFL saw the first African American quarterbacks to emerge as household names.
Despite having subpar starts to their careers, Warren Moon and Randall Cunningham put up exceptional numbers, en route to being selected to multiple Pro Bowls, All-Pro Teams, and winning MVP Awards.
In 1987, Grambling State Alumni, Doug Williams, became the first African American to start and win a Superbowl for the Washington Redskins.
In the 1990’s, multiple African American quarterbacks emerged to take the NFL by storm. These prolific signal callers included Jeff Blake, Tony Banks, Jay Walker, Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper and Steve McNair.
Each of these players went on to have respectable careers and rack up many accomplishments.
In the 2001 NFL Draft, Michael Vick became the first African American quarterback selected with the first overall pick.
While not regarded as a field general, he was `known for being the best pure athlete to play the position. In his second year, he took the NFL by storm with his exciting play making ability and innovative style of play.
With Vick’s amazing play on the field, many NFL General Managers (GM’s) started looking for black quarterbacks in hopes that they could resemble his play.
Unfortunately, this was not the case, as many of these quarterbacks could not replicate Vick’s abilities. While David Garrard, Jason Campbell, Quincy Carter, and Byron Leftwich had respectable NFL careers, none of them could compare to the ability of Vick.
As the late 2000s and 2010s came around, a new breed of black quarterbacks came along to revolutionize the position.
Although their success did not last, Vince Young and Robert Griffin III, had exceptional rookie campaigns. Cam Newton, Russell Wilson, Dak Prescott, and Jameis Winston have been able to sustain their success.
Since 2011, these four players have amassed 8 Pro Bowls, one Most Valuable Player Award, one Super Bowl win, three Super Bowl Appearances, and 9 playoff appearances.