By Ray Richardson
Contributing Writer
On Jan. 31, 1988, Doug Williams became the first Black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl. Williams threw four touchdown passes against the Denver Broncos to lead Washington to a 42-10 victory in Super Bowl XX.
Williams was named Super Bowl MVP. His performance helped erase the myth that Black quarterbacks were not capable of leading NFL teams to a championship.
Since Williams, five Black quarterbacks have started in the Super Bowl — the late Steve McNair with the Tennessee Titans; Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks; former Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton, former San Francisco 49ers signal caller Colin Kapernick and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
Ray Richardson is a freelance contributor to The Wave. He can be reached at rayrich55@gmail.com.
