TEMPE, Ariz. – Two quarterbacks who led their teams to conference championships will make history Sunday when Patrick Mahomes leads the Kansas City Chiefs against Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles, marking the first time two Black starting QBs will vie for the Lombardi Trophy.
Another Black quarterback made history long before their time when Doug Williams was the first ever to start and win the big game, leading Washington to a 42-10 win over Denver, earning MVP honors in Super Bowl 22.
FOX4’s Harold Kuntz got to talk with Williams about his legacy and what this moment means to him.
“A memory comes to me every day I get up, knowing that I played in the first Super Bowl for a Black quarterback, and was able to win it,” Williams said.
“The thing that I think about more than anything, the guys who did not have an opportunity to play back then, Marlin Briscoe, James Harris, David Mays, John Walton. Thirty-five years ago was too late, the league has been in existence almost 100 years.”
When discussing the upcoming matchup, Williams said this game features two of the brightest young stars the NFL has.
“This is a historical moment. You’ve got two young Black quarterbacks that can play. They still talk about Jalen as a running quarterback, but that’s not fair to him. Jalen can stand in the pocket and throw with the best of them, he just so happened to have the ability to run better than the rest of them,” Williams said of the Eagles’ signal caller.
“Patrick Mahomes for the last five years… I don’t even know how you explain Patrick. He exemplifies what a superstar is like playing quarterback, because he can do anything that a lot of other people can’t do. And he’s tough, he’s smart,” Williams said of Kansas City’s QB.
Williams continued to expound on Mahomes’ mental prowess, saying that operating a “Run and Shoot” offense in college at Texas Tech may have not revealed just how sharp he is, but it’s on full display with the Chiefs as he’s shown the ability to innovate and make plays when it appears impossible.
He also admired Mahomes’ grit in playing through a high ankle sprain during the AFC Championship against the Cincinnati Bengals.
“I don’t how many players would have played this past weekend. That last run told me who Patrick Mahomes really was. He’s not about Patrick, if he was about Patrick, he wouldn’t have played. He’s about the Kansas City Chiefs,” Williams said.
Looking ahead, Williams said he believes half of the starting quarterbacks in the NFL will be Black in the next five years and takes pride in the generation carrying his legacy forward.
“It’s a great feeling, because when you meet up and see the guys, you can feel the ultimate respect they have. They don’t have to say anything, but the way they come up and greet me is a good feeling to know they respect what has happened, they respect history,” Williams said.
