what happened to the kentucky quarterback Will Lewis Wasn’t funny. It felt cruel to see someone experience their most humiliating moment on a night in which their dreams were supposed to come true. But for African-Americans — or at least for me — the irony was impossible to ignore. For decades, this league (NFL) and the game has dehumanized, disrespected, and even blackballed black quarterbacks. And don’t forget about the day four – lamar jacksonEither way – either one of them made history, it was White who stuck to the other side of the coin – for once.
The first round of the NFL Draft wasn’t some kind of vengeful redemption. It was the next step in reforming a flawed system.
A Historic Night for Black NFL QBs
Thursday, April 27, 2023, will go down as one of the most important days in football history, as it was the day the league officially made black quarterbacks more prized than their white counterparts. earlier in the day, lamar jackson announced that he and the Baltimore Ravens had agreed in principle on a Five-year, $260 million contract extension ($185 million guaranteed) – making him and Jalan Hearts The two highest paid players in the NFL.
a few hours later, Bryce Young becomes the No. 1 overall pick Because he is the new face of the Carolina Panthers. CJ Stroud was next at No. 2 for the Houston Texans, as they became the first two black quarterbacks to ever go 1-2 in the NFL Draft. choose two later, Anthony Richardson finished fourth Overall Indianapolis Colts.
Three black quarterbacks were taken in the top 5 – think about that for a moment.
Another milestone for the Black QB
Now think back to January 31, 1988. That was the day Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to start a Super Bowl, win a Super Bowl, and take home the Super Bowl MVP. Recall on April 21, 2001. The day Michael Vick made history as the first black quarterback to be drafted with the No. 1 pick. And then reflect on what we saw at Super Bowl LVII in February as Patrick Mahomes and the Hurts First time the NFL’s biggest game featured two black quarterbacks,
All of those dates and moments lead us to what happened Thursday night in Kansas City. Because from the Super Bowl to the NFL Draft, 2023 has been a historic year for Black quarterbacks.
Now back to the white quarterback.
Will Levis, all the hype?
Over the past few weeks, Lewis had been experiencing what comes automatically with his whiteness—privilege. Slowly, but surely, his name skyrocketed in mock drafts as he became an interesting prospect that teams were starting to take more seriously. were there Internet Rumors That He Could Go As High As No. 1 Overall, And he was selected in the top 10 by ESPN’s analytics.
It did not happen. We don’t know when Lewis will be drafted. It can happen on the second day or even on the third day. Your guess is as good as mine, as we’ve never seen anything like it, with “iconic” white quarterbacks waiting in purgatory while their black counterparts celebrated at their draft parties.
But, who knows, it just might be the best thing that ever happened to Lewis’ career. Five years ago, Jackson was left in the green room because he was the last pick of the first round. As of Thursday, the former consensus MVP was the highest paid player ever in the game.
Despite how bad things have been and still are for Black coaches in the NFL, the tide is rapidly turning for Black quarterbacks. And that’s why Thursday night felt so good. Despite what a bad evening it was for Will Lewis, it was a monument to any black boy or man who has ever been in the center, or in the making of a firearm. Quarterback is the most popular and important position in all sports. And on Thursday, the NFL finally acknowledged that the black men who play it are not only valuable, but more needed than ever.