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Jennifer King: 1st Black Positions Coach in NFL

Welcome To Black Mail, where we bring you Black History:  Special Delivery!!

In December 2021, Jennifer King made history when she was named assistant running backs coach for the Washington NFL franchise. King is the second female assistant coach in the NFL. Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line coach Lori Locust is the first. 

Born in 1984, King is a native of Reidsville, North Carolina, her professional coaching career began with coaching basketball. She is the former head coach of the women’s basketball team at Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She led the team to a national championship in 2018. King previously played football with the Women’s Football Alliance. While coaching basketball, she was introduced to former Carolina head coach Rick Rivera. After expressing her interest in coaching football, he invited her to join the team as an intern. She also completed an internship with Rivera as part of the Washington franchise. The team then hired her as an assistant running backs coach in 2021. As a black woman in a male-dominated sport, King says that a woman doesn’t feel excluded or “othered”. She feels she has earned the respect of the team.

Continue reading “Jennifer King: 1st Black Positions Coach in NFL” →
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Doug Williams: 1st Black Quarterback To Win A Super Bowl

Welcome To Black Mail, where we bring you Black History:  Special Delivery!

Doug Williams was born in Zachary, Louisiana on August 9, 1955.  After high school, he played at Grambling State University; leading them to three conference championships in four years between 1974 and 1977.  Williams was recognized by the Associated Press as a first-team All-American in 1977 and finished fourth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in health and physical education from Grambling and was drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round of the 1978 NFL draft.  No African American quarterback had ever been drafted prior to the 6th round before Williams.  He remained the lowest compensated quarterback in the NFL despite leading Tampa to the playoffs 3 out of 5 seasons.  Williams then joined the Oklahoma Outlaws of the United States Football League (USFL).

Continue reading “Doug Williams: 1st Black Quarterback To Win A Super Bowl” →
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Charles Haley: 1st Five Time Super Bowl Champion

Black History: Special Delivery!!

Charles Haley is the first five-time super bowl champion. He is one of only two such players to do so. The other player to do so is Tom Brady. Haley won two Super Bowls championships with the 49ers and three with the Cowboys. He was a defensive starter in all five championship games.

Haley was inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in 2015.

Sources:

http://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2016/11/25/charles-haley-fear-no-evil-book

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ninersnation.com/platform/amp/2017/6/10/15775010/tom-brady-five-super-bowl-rings-charles-haley

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Burl Toler: 1st African American NFL Official

Black History:  Special Delivery!!

 

bud-toler
Bud Toler (1928-2009) 1st African American NFL Official

 

Burl Toler (1928-2009) takes his place in history as the very first African American official in the National Football League (NFL).  Toler is also known for his career as a college football player at the University of San Francisco.  The team was undefeated and untied in 1951 but was denied a bowl game because of their refusal to leave two African American players behind, Burl Toler and Ollie Matson.  Toler later became a 9th round draft pick for the Cleveland Browns but never played a game for the team due to a knee injury he sustained in a college game.

Toler began officiating for the NFL in 1965; making him the first African American official in a major American professional team sport.  Toler’s career spanned 25 years as a head linesman and field judge in the NFL.  He was also the first African American official to work in a Super Bowl Game.  Toler retired in 1990.

While Toler was the first African American official in the NFL.  Johnny Grier was the first African American to be an NFL referee.  In professional football there are several on-field officials.  Many times, these roles can be referred to as a “referees”.  So technically speaking, Grier was the first African American “referee” in the NFL.  However, Toler remains the first African American official in the NFL.  Toler died at the age of 81 in 2009.

 

Sources:

http://thegrio.com/2009/08/21/first-black-nfl-official-dies-at-81/

http://www.sfgate.com/sports/article/Burl-Toler-NFL-s-first-black-official-dies-3288983.php

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“… Most Of The Black Quarterbacks, They Like Running, Because They’re Probably Used To Running From The Law.” – Dexter Manley

Black History:  Special Delivery!!

Former NFL Player and two time Super Bowl champion, Dexter Manely joked, “… most of the black quarterbacks, they like running, because they’re probably used to running from the law.”    Check out the video.

Continue reading ““… Most Of The Black Quarterbacks, They Like Running, Because They’re Probably Used To Running From The Law.” – Dexter Manley” →

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Dr. Bennet Omalu: Discovered CTE Disease in NFL Players

Black History:  Special Delivery!!

Dr. Bennet Omalu
Dr. Bennet Omalu

Dr. Bennet Omalu is an associate clinical professor of pathology at UC Davis.  Omalu discovered the neurological disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in retired professional football players.  He is also chief medical examiner of San Joaquin County. CTE has received much attention in the media especially in professional football. Currently the disease can only be diagnosed post mortem.

The NFL has challenged the legitimacy of this discovery of CTE by Dr. Omalu.  Click here to see the video and view the transcript of an interview Dr. Omalu did with NPR in 2013.

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