What Would the Super Bowl Be Without Diversity?
Imagine if Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts were labeled “DEI hires,” a term some political figures and organizations use to undermine the true achievements of embracing diversity.
Mahomes and Hurts prove how much diversity matters by leading their teams back to the Super Bowl, establishing a rematch of the only two Black quarterbacks to face off in the big game.
While Black quarterbacks have played in and won Super Bowls, no other Super Bowl has featured a pair of Black starting quarterbacks before Mahomes and Hurts faced off in Super Bowl LVII.
A Historic Matchup
Hurts, who was drafted in 2020, posted MVP-worthy stats throughout the 2022-23 NFL season. In an interview with ESPN, Philadelphia’s left tackle Jordan Mailata called Hurts “one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen in my life.” Mailata added, “Second year as a full-year starter, and he’s taking us to the Super Bowl?”
Mahomes, meanwhile, started for the Chiefs in what was his third Super Bowl appearance in five seasons. The 27-year-old is just one of three Black quarterbacks to win a Super Bowl, leading the Chiefs to a title in 2020 over the San Francisco 49ers. He fell short the following year in a loss to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Hurts and the Eagles secured their spot in Super Bowl LVII after dominating the 49ers 31-7. Mahomes and the Chiefs clinched their spot after eliminating Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in a game that came down to the wire.
A Legacy of Overcoming Barriers
Two years ago, when Mahomes and Hurts led their teams to the 2023 Super Bowl in Arizona, former Michigan State University quarterback Jimmy Raye made the trip to witness history and premiere the NFL-produced film The Indelible Legacy of Jimmy Raye.
Raised in Fayetteville, North Carolina, during the height of segregation in the 1950s and ’60s, Raye became a standout quarterback in high school and went on to become one of the first Black players to start at the position for a Division I college football program.
In 1966, Raye became the first Black starting quarterback at Michigan State University and the first Black quarterback from the South to win a national title. But despite proving his ability to lead on the field, the NFL denied him the opportunity to play quarterback professionally. Instead, he was converted to defensive back, where he suffered a career-ending injury.
Raye’s experience was not unique. For decades, Black quarterbacks faced systemic discrimination that kept them from leading teams at the highest levels of the sport.
The NFL’s History of Exclusion
The NFL’s racial barriers date back to the early 20th century. In 1923, Fritz Pollard became the first Black quarterback in the league, playing for the Hammond Pros. But by 1933, league owners agreed to ban Black players from leading at quarterback. The following year, the NFL had no Black players for the first time in its 14-year history. The unofficial ban on Black quarterbacks lasted until 1946.
Even after the ban was lifted, opportunities were scarce. As the league gained prominence in the 1960s, most Black quarterbacks were forced into other positions. Raye never got the opportunity to prove himself as an NFL quarterback, but he cheered on those who did, like Joe Gilliam, James Harris, Warren Moon, and Randall Cunningham.
Doug Williams made history in 1988 by becoming the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, and Russell Wilson followed in his footsteps in 2014. In total, only three Black quarterbacks—Williams, Wilson, and Mahomes—have won the Super Bowl.
“When Doug Williams won the MVP in the Super Bowl, I was thrilled,” Raye shared with me during the week of the 2023 Super Bowl. “And when Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith coached against each other as the first two Black head coaches in the Super Bowl, we were making progress. And then as the numbers increased with the number of Black quarterbacks in the league, it was inevitable that we would get two starting in the Super Bowl. And the same thing would be true if coaches were given the opportunity. Not denied. Given the opportunity for a more level playing field in the National Football League.”
The Broader Fight for Diversity
The push for a level playing field extends beyond football. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives were created to address historical inequities across industries. But in recent years, these initiatives have come under attack, with political leaders and corporations rolling back their commitments.
An attack on diversity is an attack on the fabric of American values—values that claim to uphold equality and opportunity. It is a dangerous regression that could deny qualified candidates a fair shot simply because DEI has become a political scapegoat.
But the numbers speak for themselves. The World Economic Forum’s report Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 4.0 found that companies with diverse employees have “up to 20% higher rate of innovation and 19% higher innovation revenues.” In sports and beyond, diversity fuels success.
A Legacy for the Next Generation
I spoke with Hurts during the 2023 Super Bowl about what it meant to be part of history.
“It’s a historic moment,” Hurts told me. “To everyone who laid the foundation before me, it’s transcending. Something so historic, it’s a big deal because no one is used to it. It’s good to be an encouragement to anyone watching, knowing it can be done. I think it’s an opportunity to honor all of the Black quarterbacks before me. It’s encouraging to the future. There are a lot of kids who have aspirations to play the position. People may tell them that they can’t do it, but they can. If you’re determined to do something, nothing worthy having comes easy. Believe in yourself and keep fighting.”
In two weeks, Hurts and Mahomes will again prove the power of diversity. The question remains—will the rest of the nation take heed?
This piece draws from the reporting of: Natasha Dye | People
Get your misrepresented DEI propaganda garbage in while you can. DEI programs had nothing to do with the players mentioned success.