Shannon Sharpe is pushing back on Pittsburgh Steelers QB Russell Wilson’s recent comments. Earlier this week, Wilson told Essence magazine his success has opened doors for black quarterbacks in football. But Sharpe believes there were plenty of pioneers before Wilson arrived.
On the latest episode of Sharpe’s Nightcap podcast with co-host Chad Johnson, Sharpe reacted to Wilson’s statement.
“So what role did Doug Williams play? The first African-American quarterback to actually get to and win the Super Bowl and win MVP,” Sharpe told Johnson. “So what about Shack Harris? What about Joe Gilliam? So what did Marlin Briscoe did? Jack Harry? Steve McNair? They opened no doors? Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick? It was you?”
For context, here’s Wilson’s quote he gave to Essence.
“I think about those guys before me, but when I came into the league, there were only a few of us,” Wilson said via the article posted by Okla Jones. “It was Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, myself and a couple others. For me to be able to go to back-to-back Super Bowls, and win one of them, I think I opened up a lot of doors.”
Some of this discussion is semantics. Sharpe argued Wilson was taking full credit, while Johnson believed Wilson was including himself as one of the black quarterbacks to open doors for others. Sharpe is correct by pointing out a relatively lengthy history of black quarterbacks and notable achievements well before Wilson broke into the league in 2012. Williams being the most notable, the first black quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl. Others that Sharpe named are worth mentioning, too. The Steelers had Joe Gilliam, a physically gifted quarterback with a tremendous arm, but someone who dealt with racist comments during his time in the NFL and a drug addiction that sunk his career, and eventually took his life.
Going back even earlier in history, there was Marlin Briscoe, originally a quarterback who moved to wide receiver. He starred at wide out, making a Pro Bowl, but always resented the idea he wasn’t smart enough to play quarterback, the stereotype at the time. And there’s even Willie Thrower, a Western PA native who became the first black quarterback in NFL history when he threw 8 passes for the Chicago Bears in 1953.
For Sharpe, he wished Wilson would’ve put himself as part of that larger group who paved the way. Johnson believed Wilson’s comments weren’t intentionally framed to put himself in a class by himself.
“I think moreso for Russell’s sake, he was speaking on behalf of the modern day era,” Johnson told Sharpe. “Younger kids, younger generation. A generation that probably won’t know about the Doug Williams, the Steve McNairs, the other quarterbacks you named that were black that have won. The kids in today’s era might not recognize or now about them. So I think, in a sense, Russell Wilson was speaking on behalf of his era and the era of younger generations kids that are playing right now.”
Sharpe understood the point but said there needs to be a better appreciation for history and for names like Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon, Doug Williams and others not to be erased from football’s memory. That’s probably the best and most salient point to make. With the NFL now over 100 years old, and professional football existing since the 1890s, there’s plenty of history to learn. And unfortunately, plenty that has been forgotten.
“I just don’t know what he was hoping to accomplish. By saying what he said,” Sharpe concluded. “He opened doors? Huh? No, it was the guys who came before you who had success who opened doors for you.”
Wilson’s comments likely weren’t meant in a selfish way. Still, it’s a chance to remember those who came before him to pave the path for Wilson to play the position. Wilson was an undersized, two-star recruit who 50 years ago, probably wouldn’t have been given the chance to play quarterback and have the remarkable career he’s enjoyed.
Catch the whole conversation below.
