What better way to celebrate Black History Month than to also commemorate a milestone in the biggest game in football?
For the first time, two Black quarterbacks will start in the same Super Bowl Sunday in Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles .
Mahomes is a two-time NFL Most Valuable Player and will attempt to earn his second championship win after winning Super Bowl LIV over the San Francisco 49ers in 2020.
Hurts wants to join the legacy of starting Black quarterbacks to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, joining Doug Williams ― the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl (XXII, Washington Redskins), Russell Wilson (XLVIII, Seattle Seahawks ), and Mahomes.
Tallahassee is home to two legendary Black quarterbacks in Charlie Ward and Willie Simmons .
Ward, a Thomasville, Georgia native, quarterbacked the Florida State Seminoles to a 1993 NCAA National Championship while being named the Heisman Trophy winner ― the first quarterback, Black or white, in school history to accomplish both feats.
Ward, a former two-sport athlete at FSU (football and basketball), is the boys basketball coach at Florida High in Tallahassee. He led his team to a FHSAA Class 3A state championship in 2022 .
"It's indicative of where we come from when you start talking about having Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl because that was a rarity during my time," Ward said. "Doug Williams being the first to win a Super Bowl was something as a Black quarterback that was a big feat.
"Now, we have progress to where we have both teams that have Black quarterbacks. That's a sign of our times today. We've made great progress in developing in our community in having opportunities just like everyone else."
Simmons, from Quincy, is the head football coach of Tallahassee's Florida A&M Rattlers .
Simmons was an All-American at Shanks High School, ranked tenth nationally at quarterback and played collegiately at Clemson and The Citadel.
"We're all excited to see two great quarterbacks and ambassadors for the game go head-to-head and make history," he said. "I hate that we're still making history by Black athletes in 2023, but whenever we can, we're excited about it.
"Personally as a former quarterback, I have a great appreciation and admiration for them."
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A sense of pride comes with being a Black quarterback.
The NFL season began with a record 11 Black starting quarterbacks.
"When there's not too many of us that's come through, you are always grateful for being in that number to represent your family and your team," Ward said. "Regardless of where we go, we're always going to be Black and we're going to be grateful for those opportunities that we were afforded."
After a Heisman and national championship winning career, Ward didn't go to the NFL. His draft stock wasn't high as league scouts developed concerns about his 6-foot-2 and 190-pound frame.
Instead, he declared for the NBA Draft and was selected 26th overall by New York Knicks in 1994. Ward went on to enjoy a 12-year NBA career at point guard in a league dominated by tall athletes as
He's the first and only Heisman winner to play in the league.
That wasn't the last time that a Black quarterback was slighted.
More recently, rumors sparked that Baltimore Ravens quarterback, 2019 NFL MVP Lamar Jackson was asked to switch from quarterback to wide receiver ahead his 2018 draft day. The Louisville Heisman-winning quarterback has since flourished as an NFL quarterback.
To some, these instances could be to mask the stigma that Black quarterback can't lead a professional football franchise even if the skill is there.
"Leadership doesn't have color. It just needs opportunity," Ward said. "When we prepare ourselves mentally and physically for the challenges that come with it, you just have to go out and get it done. I don't care what color you are. You got to be ready for the moment.
"I'm grateful that I had coaches that pushed me and teammates that were there to support what I brought to the table."
Fritz Pollard was the first Black quarterback in league history while playing for the for the Hammond Pros in 1923 during the Pre-Super Bowl era. By then, he'd already become the first Black coach when he was named a co-coach for the Akron Pros.
In 1968, Marlin 'The Magician' Briscoe became the first Black starting quarterback in the Super Bowl era for the Denver Broncos .
He went on to become a Pro Bowler and a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Miami Dolphins (VII, 1973), (VIII, 1974) ― but as a wide receiver.
Later quarterbacks that would come before Ward's time was Warren Moon ― the first and only Black quarterback enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Randall Cunningham, who had a similar game to Ward as a dual-threat.
"Randall Cunningham was mobile, but he wanted to throw the football more than he wanted to run it," Ward said. "In today's time, you have quarterbacks that are more mobile and are put in offenses very similar to what they had in college with the read option and (run pass option).
"The game is kind of different and everyone has their strengths. Lamar Jackson came in as a runner, but now he's developing more as a passer and using his legs to help him get out of trouble. It's all based upon the work that they put in to get their teams there."
Ward is a fan of Mahomes and holds a fraternal connection to Hurts.
He just wants to see a competitive game and is excited to watch six former Seminoles play.
"I like Patrick Mahomes and it will be interesting to see how he does," Ward said. "Jalen Hurts is a fraternity brother (Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.). This is not something new to him because he's been in championship games before. I'm looking forward to see how they both react.
"I'm also looking forward to seeing the Seminoles that will get an opportunity to play like Josh Sweat (Eagles) and Derrick Nnadi (Chiefs) ."
Simmons rose to stardom through the quarterback position.
In high school, he earned the moniker 'Shotgun' from his high school public address announcer at Shanks for his strong arm.
Then, Simmons became a three-time letterman for Clemson while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in services (sports) marketing in three years ― the fastest of any football player in school history.
Most notably, he replaced an injured Woody Dantzler to help Clemson erase a 17-0 deficit to defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels, 38-24 in 2000 .
After Clemson, he transferred to The Citadel and became the 2003 All-Southern Conference First Team quarterback and led the Bulldogs to their first non-losing season in 10 years.
Following college, Simmons had a brief professional football career with the Sioux City Bandits of the United Indoor Football League before embarking on a victory-filled coaching career.
"As a former quarterback, we always have the idea in the back of our minds that we got to prove we were capable of playing the position and leading a team. It's a lot of those same stigmas as a minority head coach," Simmons said.
"It's unfortunate that we still have to face some of that, but we've always been resilient people and we'll continue to break down these barriers."
Simmons' three-year tenure as Alcorn State's offensive coordinator (2012-2014) intertwines him with a quarterback like the late great Steve 'Air' McNair, an alumnus of the HBCU.
McNair was the first Black quarterback to be named NFL MVP in 2003 while playing for the Tennessee Titans .
Then came quarterbacks like Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick .
McNabb was a bigger quarterback that could run the ball as he went to six Pro Bowls in 13 seasons. Vick was the first Black quarterback to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft ― getting selected by the Atlanta Falcons out of Virginia Tech in 2001.
Vick was an explosive quarterback that earned him four Pro Bowl nods as he led a new generation of speedy signal callers.
"Early on, the Black quarterbacks that had the chance to play at the professional level were all kind of pocket passers. Doug Williams was a big guy with a strong arm and Warren Moon was a pocket guy," Simmons said.
"Then when we started getting closer to the 90's, Randall Cunningham was that first true dual threat guy that could really, really run, but also had a cannon for an arm as well. As time progressed, you started to see the athletic, true dual-threat type guys ― Michael Vick was revolutionary in how he changed the game and made quarterback run game a vital part at the professional level.
"Now you look up and it's not just minority quarterbacks. Josh Allen (Bills) runs that ball a lot. The quarterback run game has become a part of the NFL game. And that can be largely attributed to the success of a guy like Michael Vick, Donovan McNabb and now Lamar Jackson."
Simmons is conflicted on who he thinks will raise the Lombardi Trophy.
He's intrigued by Hurts' ability to overcome adversity while acknowledging the greatness of Mahomes.
"Jalen Hurts story is so compelling just by what he's been able to overcome ― being benched at Alabama and not being given much of a shot to be a professional quarterback. Even this year, people are still kind of doubting his ability as a quarterback to lead a team. You love to see the underdog story come out on top," Simmons said.
"We all know how great of a player Mahomes is. It's hard to go against a guy as talented as Pat Mahomes. He's a generational talent. I don't know if we've ever seen a quarterback with his complete skillset and will probably be a long time before we see another one come along.
"I'm just excited to see two dynamic quarterbacks and two really good football teams. I think this would be a very entertaining Super Bowl."
Who: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Where/When: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona at 6:30 ET
How to watch: Fox
Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Super Bowl Sunday: Black QB's, Ward, Simmons excited historic contest
