Jerry Rice, Walter Payton and the 30 best HBCU football players of all time

5. Doug Williams, quarterback, Grambling State

There is a legend that before Super Bowl XXII, quarterback Doug Williams was asked, “How long have you been a black quarterback?” Williams has always been a quarterback of firsts throughout his career.

While blacks were either not smart enough or disciplined enough to play quarterback, Williams was the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.

Williams’ firsts did not start there, however. Like many high school quarterbacks of his day, Williams was asked by many larger schools to switch positions. The Zachary High School standout wanted to play quarterback, and legendary head coach Eddie Robinson let him do so.

While at Grambling, Williams won 36 games and three SWAC titles. Williams led the NCAA in passing yards, total yards, touchdown passes, and yards per play as a senior.

This stellar season led to Williams becoming the second black quarterback (Sandy Stephens, 1961) to finish top five in Heisman voting.

The only NFL coach to work Williams out was a young offensive coordinator named Joe Gibbs. As a result, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, under Gibbs’ advice, picked Williams in the first round, making Williams the first black quarterback to be a first-round draft pick.

While in Tampa, Williams led the Buccaneers to their first playoff appearances and first Conference title game in franchise history.

After a stint in the USFL, the only coach to call Williams after the USFL folded, Joe Gibbs who was now the head coach of the Washington Football Team. The rest is history.

Not a bad series of firsts.