Rookie quarterbacks Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Anthony Richardson have already made history!
On Thursday (April 27), Alabama’s Young (selected by the Carolina Panthers with the first pick), Ohio State’s Stroud (selected by the Houston Texans with the second pick), and Florida’s Richardson (selected by the Indianapolis Colts with the fourth pick) became the first-ever trio of Black quarterbacks to be selected in the top 5 of the NFL Draft. The milestone also marked the ninth time in NFL Draft history that quarterbacks were taken back-to-back to open the first round and only the second time in NFL history that three Black quarterbacks were drafted in the first round since 1999, when Donovan McNabb was selected second, Akili Smith was selected third, and Daunte Culpepper was selected 11th.
The historic draft night comes months after Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes made history at the 57th Super Bowl, becoming the first two Black quarterbacks to square off for the title game. Additionally, with the Chiefs' Super Bowl win, Mahomes became the first Black two-time Super Bowl champion.
The history of Black quarterbacks in the NFL dates back to 1923, when Fritz Pollard broke the color barrier and was the first to play in the league. However, it wasn’t until 1978 that a Black quarterback was drafted in the first round — Grambling State’s Doug Williams, who sent 17th to Tampa Bay. It was nearly a decade later that Williams became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.
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