As the 2016 draft rolls around 32 NFL teams will be looking for a draft class
that will either change their organization around or propel playoff contenders
into Super Bowl Champions. For the majority of teams in the NFL, the
quarterback position is often a position of great need. History has shown
that great quarterbacks can be found in any round. A couple of examples of this
include the 6th round selection of Tom Brady and the 3rd round
selection of Joe Montana. However, the most highly touted quarterbacks
coming out of college will most certainly land somewhere in the first
round. There is such a premium surrounding this position that an average
quarterback can land a contract that is about the same or higher as any other
position in the NFL. Sam Bradford an average quarterback by all accounts
just signed a two year 36-million-dollar contract this off season. Some
might say that the quarterback position is the most glamorous in all of
professional sports. However, for every success story in the NFL, there
are many more disappointments. Perhaps one of the greatest draft busts of
all time is Jamarcus Russell. A black quarterback coming out of LSU in
2007, Russell had arguably one of the strongest arms the NFL draft had ever
seen. By the time the NFL draft rolled around the Oakland raiders
selected him with the 1st overall pick with a contract worth 61
million dollars. Unfortunately, this was the peak of his potential.
Coming into training camp overweight, he created concerns of his dedication of
football. By the end of his short career he garnered a 7-18 record as a
starter, and consequently created an unfair stigma for black quarterbacks in
the future. Constant character issues are always brought up by NFL scouts
when grading African American quarterbacks. As well as character
concerns, pure football intelligence is almost always put into question every
year. A prime example of this racist stereotype is Cam newton coming out
of college. Despite his success at Auburn, the big knock on Cam was
character issues and whether or not he had the football intelligence to read
NFL defenses. While this was a legitimate concern due to the type of
offense he ran at Auburn, other quarterbacks in the 2011 draft weren’t stuck
with the same stigma. Of the 4 other quarterbacks in the first round, no
other quarterback was more scrutinized than Cam Newton. From his
incidents at Florida to allegedly taking money to go to Auburn. Despite
clear discrepancies in talent, Blaine Gabbert, Christian ponder and Jake Locker
managed to go high because they were “safe”. Of the four quarterbacks drafted
only Cam newton had the talent to warrant a first round selection. While
Cam newton managed to get drafted first overall that year, he has continued to
carry an unfair stereotype despite vastly improving upon his character.
This is why when the 2016 draft comes around beware of the bias that comes with
the NFL draft and Black quarterbacks.
Naturally I was drawn to this article because it deals with football, clashed with issues of race and leadership. I find the assumption that scouts look for character flaws and leadership skills to be very true. I have had multiple friends enter the MLB draft and can confirm this from my friends, but the assumption that certain teams would forgo getting a more than talented enough player based off of character flaws is interesting to me. Part of me is not surprised because in retrospect, that player is an investment. Like any investment, you are hoping for a high return so you want the best possible investment that is available for your organization. But the either half of me, says that should not play a part in the process of picking who can help your team and who can't, that the bottom line. The truth is that it comes down to the management of the organization. If management sees fit to weigh in character flaws, and a lack of leadership then you know who they will not be getting in the NFL draft, but if they do not exercise that opinion, than they will be drafting the best possible player.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very real issue in sports. I feel that the majority of scouts amongst sports happen to be white, and their biases and perceptions over time effect the landscape of sports. Throughout all sports you typically tend to see character flaws associated to African Americans. I think it stems from the nature of the scouts themselves, as they are the information system the organization leans on in drafting players
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