NFL Week 1 Record: Is Race Important?

Well, the first week of the NFL has come to a close and it set a record for having nine African Americans starting at the quarterback position and many of them have been drafted within the last three years.

Now, one reason this has been brought to our attention is because recently our country celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and 50 years ago there were not many black quarterbacks (Milwaukee Community Journal).

This past week the following QB's started

1. Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay Buccaneers,  5 Years in the NFL
2. Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins, 2 Years in the NFL
3. Colin Kaepernick, San Fransisco 49ers, 3 Years in the NFL*
4. Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks, 2 Years in the NFL*
5. EJ Manuel, Buffalo Bills, Rookie 
6. Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, 3 Years in the NFL 
7. Terrelle Pryor, Oakland Raiders, 3 Years in the NFL 
8. Geno Smith, New York Jets, Rookie 
9. Mike Vick, Philadelphia Eagles, 12 years in the NFL

I do think it is important to say that I am glad the NFL recognizes that it has "moved forward" because early on most African American players were moved to other positions such as running back and wide receiver. But, something that caught my attention this week is the distinction that Stephan A. Smith made on First Take during the middle of the week, when asked about this topic. He kept pointing out the run game and athleticism of these athletes compared to their white counterparts. When referring to Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, Stephan A. talked more to their arm and their drop back style of play and how they were not known for being running quarterbacks.

Smith's comments then began to remind me of a conversation I had in a class last semester, Sociology and Psychology in Sport, when we talked about this topic as well. When asked why were there not more black quarterbacks early on, most responded by saying racism. Two of the main reasons were that whites were still seen as the superior race and had the decision making skills that were better suited for the job of leading the team.

Now back to the question in the title: Is race important? The fact that I received a notification on this from ESPN, that Stephan A. Smith was discussed it, and I'm blogging about it, it must be important. Right? Personally, I do not understand why anyone's race, ethnicity, or background should determine how well they do at their job. These nine players are paid to go out and play every week and they should not be seen primarily as AFRICAN AMERICAN quarterbacks. If Aaron Rodgers, quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, is just a quarterback then let these nine as well as any quarterback in their position should just be looked at as a quarterback. Let their talent speak for them and not their skin color.




Websites used: http://www.communityjournal.net/nfl-season-opens-with-9-starting-black-quarterbacks/
                         NFL specific team pages for players experience in the league