Two Black quarterbacks are starting in the Super Bowl... finally - Marlin Briscoe paved the way for the Denver Broncos in 1968
Marlin Briscoe would be proud, but probably wonder why it took so long to get here.
For the first time in Super Bowl history, two Black quarterbacks, Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, will be starting the biggest game of the season Feb. 12. While the achievement, coinciding with Black History Month, no less, is worth celebrating, we have to honor the man who paved the way for Mahomes and Hurts.
Doug Williams, the first Black QB to win a Super Bowl, deserves a ton of credit for breaking down racial stereotypes when he piloted Washington to a 42-10 demolition of the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII, but almost 20 years before Williams was shredding the Broncos’ defense with four touchdown passes, Briscoe proved the color of a QB’s skin made zero difference in leading a team to success.
In 2022, Briscoe died at age 76.
In the spring of 1968, Denver selected Briscoe in the 14th round of the AFL Draft. He was the No. 357th overall pick, meaning the Broncos likely didn’t see much promise in him. At 5-11, and a shade under 180 pounds, Denver wanted to use the fleet-footed Briscoe at cornerback. He had other plans. Briscoe, a star signal-caller at Omaha University (now Nebraska-Omaha), saw no reason why he shouldn’t get a shot at quarterback in the pros. In college, he led OU to three conference titles, compiling a 27-11 mark. Briscoe smashed 22 program records in Omaha. Instead of waiting, anxiously hoping Denver would give him a snap or two under center, Briscoe demanded it.
He told the Broncos to either give him a shot at quarterback or he’ll go home and become a teacher. Denver relented.
On Sept. 29, 1968, Briscoe came off the bench, sparking a fourth-quarter rally that almost led the Broncos to a comeback win over the Boston Patriots, falling 20-17. A week later, in a 10-7 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Briscoe made history as the first Black player to start a game at quarterback in the Super Bowl era. Splitting time with Steve Tensi, Briscoe completed 4 of 11 passes for 34 yards, helping 0-3 Denver to its first win of the season.
After his death, his daughter, Angela Marriott, told the Associated Press, “He was so proud of that achievement.”
In a 55-24 loss to the San Diego Chargers, Briscoe relieved the injured Tensi and, according to NFL Films narrator Pat Summerall, “put on a wild show.”
“He was pressured and battered by managed to rush for 68 yards, more than twice as much as any other Bronco runner,” Summerall said.
While Denver struggled through a 5-9 season, Briscoe received four more starts, finishing 2-3. Briscoe fired four TD passes against the Bills on Nov. 24, still a franchise rookie record. He finished second in the AFL Rookie of the Year race, passing for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns. Nimble and quick out of the pocket, Briscoe displayed a running ability rarely seen in QBs prior to his arrival. He rushed for 308 yards, hitting the end zone three times.
An NFL Films highlight package on YouTube shows Briscoe’s flashy style.
“Marlin displayed the ability to rollout and scramble. He brought additional excitement to the Bronco attack,” the narrator says. He moved as if creating magic on the field, thus earning the nickname “The Magician.”
Thinking he did enough to at least earn the right to compete for Denver’s starting QB spot, Briscoe was looking forward to the 1969 season. The Broncos didn’t see it that way, intending to plug in Pete Liske as the starter. Briscoe pushed back. He asked for his release.
Signing with the Buffalo Bills, Briscoe reluctantly traded his No. 15 jersey for No. 86. He was now a receiver/flanker. He didn’t like it. His heart remained at quarterback. However, Briscoe didn’t cause waves. He made the most of his opportunities and reached the Pro Bowl after a standout 1970 season. Briscoe hauled in 57 receptions for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns.
If Briscoe couldn’t fulfill his dream of being a starting QB, he was damn sure going to help someone else do it. In ‘69, the Bills drafted James Harris, a strapping 6-4, 210-pounder out of Grambling State. Despite having the physical tools, Harris needed guidance. And he already knew the color of his skin would be an unjust barrier to breaking through as a starting QB. Briscoe roomed with Harris, giving him pointers on what it took to become a starter. The eager rookie soaked in all of Briscoe’s knowledge.
“I was a lot better off because Briscoe was my roommate,” Harris told the AP in 2022.
Backing up Bills legend Jack Kemp, Harris started one game in ‘69. But Harris’ moment in the sun came several years later. In 1974, Harris became the first Black QB to win a playoff game, leading the Los Angeles Rams to a 19-10 victory over Washington in the Divisional Round. Harris made the Pro Bowl in ‘74 and was the game’s MVP. Yet, despite playing 10 seasons and earning a 25-16 record, Harris never started a full season in the NFL.
Briscoe, meanwhile, bounced around the league, suiting up for six teams in nine seasons. He won two Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins and was a reserve wide receiver on the 1972 squad that finished a perfect 17-0.
In 2016, Briscoe was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame and in 2021, the Broncos honored the trailblazer with a diversity coaching fellowship aimed at creating more opportunities for minority coaches. However, despite Black players comprising nearly 70 percent of the league, the NFL is severely lacking in hiring Black head coaches.
While he carried the frustration of not getting a fair shake at QB, Briscoe wasn’t bitter. He took pride in his achievement and celebrated the milestones created by Williams, which paved the way for Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, Michael Vick, Lamar Jackson and countless other Black quarterbacks who just wanted a level playing field.
Now, it’s Mahomes’ and Hurts’ time to make history.
After retiring in 1976, Briscoe continued to be an outspoken advocate for civil rights. In 2018, speaking to the AP, Briscoe was grateful for his barrier-breaking season 50 years earlier, but was concerned the strides he and many other Black athletes made was taking a step back.
“I grew up in the ‘50s and the ‘60s, when all that stuff was rampant, but you knew where you stood,” Briscoe said. “Today, you thought that all those attitudes were nonexistent or filtered away to some degree, but with the Trump-isms, his philosophy has brought out of the woodwork that old-time thought process. That’s scary -- it really is.”