"Even if it helps just one person in the same situation as my great-grandfather, with the odds stacked against them, to persevere and make something of themselves, then it was worth it.". Randall Cunningham, one of the most electrifying players in NFL history, was a first-team All-Pro twice. He founded a newspaper, and set up an investment fund and a company trading coal. He earned the next start against the Cincinnati Bengals, making him the first black quarterback to start in the AFL. By February 1933, there had been 13 black players in the NFL. Both dealt with being steered toward other positions. Frederick (Fritz) Pollard played for, and would coach, the Akron Pros in the American Professional Football Association, which would later be renamed the NFL. ", "Bernie was one of the great pioneers in our sport and our league, and he changed professional football with his courage and leadership," said Bob Young, caretaker of the Tiger-Cats. Fritz Pollard was the first black quarterback in the NFL - and its first black coach. Non-subscribers can read and sort comments but will not be able to engage with them in any way. "Offensive co-ordinators tend to come from quarterbacks, and head coaches from offensive co-ordinators, so the pipeline is thin for African-Americans because of discrimination against black players in so-called 'thinking' positions.". "The league was challenged with a report showing that, essentially, African-Americans were the last hired and first fired," says Duru, who worked with the FPA from its inception. "[At one game], parents threw a baby bottle at me. Both he and Halas were at that meeting of team owners in 1933, when Marshall pitched the idea of banning black players. Mike McCarthy was the Argonauts' general manager and remembered how Mr. Custis filled out his scouting reports. "Bernie Custis, the first black professional quarterback in the modern era starting with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1951, should be revered as well for being one of our best. His is a story for too long left untold. Moon said of a game he played for Houston in 1990. Though he’s happy more black athletes are playing quarterback at the professional level, Briscoe sees parallels with his experiences even five decades years later. If you are looking to give feedback on our new site, please send it along to, To view this site properly, enable cookies in your browser. Custis’s story of character and perseverance is certainly worth sharing, along with his unusual tie to Hall of Famer Al Davis, whose relationship with Custis began during their college days together at Syracuse University. Briscoe started five games that season and was runner-up for AFL rookie of the year, attracting strong crowds to games and energizing a franchise that had yet to establish a winning tradition. NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport sheds additional light on the courting of the star QB, who also drew interest from the Bears and Saints. They knew he'd be targeted because of his size and skin colour.