GLENDALE, Ariz. (KDVR) — Welcome to Glendale, Arizona, the site for this year’s Super Bowl. And history will be made, as Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts become the first duo of African American quarterbacks to start for the Big Game.
But the history of African American quarterbacks in the Super Bowl goes back 35 years, with the one and only Doug Williams, the first Black quarterback to both start and win in the championship game.
“I think I got a little emotional last night, just to know that it was going to be two Black quarterbacks playing in the Super Bowl, something that transpired for me about 35 years ago,” Williams said. “And when that clock went down to zero, man, a cold chill went through my body knowing that we do have two Black quarterbacks playing in the Super Bowl.”
Inspiring young men to dream big
When it comes to trendsetters and barrier-breakers, look no further than Boulder, Colorado, the new home for Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, a two-time Super Bowl champion and the only man to play in a Super Bowl and a World Series. He’s now looking to become the first African American head coach to win a national championship.
When Coach Prime looks at the Mahomes and Hurts matchup, he sees a future of young people inspired.
“I absolutely love it. I’m here for it. It’s a tremendous step in the right direction,” Sanders said. “Because there’s a little shorty out there watching this saying, ‘You know what? That’s going to be me one day.’ And they just allow a multitude of young men to dream.”
While the next generation will witness history on Sunday, many of the older generations have been waiting for this day for a very long time.
“That you can watch someone from an ethnic group who was said that it was impossible to achieve these particular things,” said Nick Ferguson, formerly of the Denver Broncos.
“So these two guys are going out there, not just trying to bring a Super Bowl home to their winning areas, but this is historic for so many reasons,” Ferguson said. “And it’s not just an African American thing, because let’s be real about it, these are two quarterbacks who just happen to be African American.”
No matter who wins on Sunday, history, once again, will be made at the Super Bowl in Glendale, because if Patrick Mahomes wins, he will become the first African American quarterback to have multiple Super Bowl wins. And if Hurts wins, he will be the fourth African American quarterback to hoist the Lombardi trophy.
