Today's Black QBs might not know Marlin Briscoe, but they owe late pioneer a huge debt | Opinion
Briscoe’s career embodied one of the ugliest chapters in NFL history while also providing a glimpse into a future where quarterbacks of color would dominate the league.
Mike JonesYoung Warren Moon suddenly had a new hero.
The 12-year-old Los Angeles native loved football, and he loved playing quarterback for his Pop Warner team. But Moon never saw anyone who looked like him on the pro ranks. He did root for Roman Gabriel, the Los Angeles Rams standout and trailblazing Filipino-American.
But then, Moon discovered Marlin Briscoe – a Black man who, after being forced to convert from college quarterback to NFL cornerback, got his shot at his natural position with the Denver Broncos when the team's veteran passers were sidelined with injury.
“Marlin the Magician,” as Briscoe was dubbed, parlayed a fourth-quarter relief effort in 1968 into a five-game stint as the starting quarterback to close out his rookie season.
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