Why the Super Bowl is ‘an important moment for a lot of black quarterbacks and young men to come’

CNN
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For Doug Williams, the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, watch NFL Conference Championship Games Sunday was an emotional moment.

Almost 35 years after winning the Super Bowl with the then-Washington Redskins, Williams happily watched as Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts He led the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles to the big game of the year.

Now, for the first time in history, Two black quarterbacks will face each other In the Super Bowl when the Chiefs and the Eagles meet at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12.

“It was really a pleasure,” said Williams. CNN Sport“To see this happen today and to know that we’ve come so far and that we still have a long way to go.”

If the Eagles prevail in Super Bowl LVII, Hurts will become just the fourth black quarterback to win an NFL championship after Williams in 1988, Russell Wilson with the Seattle Seahawks in 2014 and Homes, who could be the first black quarterback to win multiple titles, in 2020.

Hurts has already made history after passing Cam Newton for the most rushing moment in a season during the Eagles’ NFC Championship win against the San Francisco 49ers, while Mahomes overcame an ankle injury and threw for 326 yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals.

There is hope that their actions on the field can inspire future generations.

“I know these guys are going to be excited and ready to play,” Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields told CNN.

“But it’s definitely a big moment for a lot of the Blacks, the young QBs who come along and get inspired and maybe say to themselves: ‘This could be me one day.'” ”

Growing up, Fields was so inspired by another black quarterback, Newton, that he wore the Carolina Panthers’ famous No. 1 jersey since eighth grade.

But the 23-year-old understands how his contemporaries are also helping to develop the central midfielder position.

“Jalen and Patrick can do a lot of cool things on the field in terms of throwing the football and being able to extend the play with their feet,” says Fields.

“It’s great – getting the first Super Bowl [with] Two black quarterbacks are definitely a historic moment for sure.”

Speaking to reporters Monday, Chiefs coach Andy Reid, who also spent 14 years with the Eagles, said he was more focused on the fact that players like Mahomes and Hurts are “really good” rather than “your color.”

“As we go, you will never have to ask a question like that again,” he said.

“I understand why you’re asking, sure, but it’s a tribute to the kids, they’re both great players. I’m happy for both of them.”