Sometimes it takes the perspective of history to realize how truly pioneering some individuals are; in the case of Marlin Briscoe, the first black professional quarterback of the modern era, almost thirty five years passed before his courage of being first was recognized and appreciated in the public spectrum. A spectacular athlete at Omaha South High School, where he earned All-City and All-State honors, it was at the Omaha University (now University of Nebraska-Omaha) where the legend of the “Magician” began to take shape. In his outstanding senior season in 1967, Briscoe was named a First-Team All-American, passed for 2,283 yards, 25 touchdowns and led the Indians to a Central Intercollegiate Conference title.
Briscoe re-wrote the record books for the school that year, setting the single game marks for most passing yards, total offense and passes completed, while setting overall school records for total offense, passing yards, passing attempts and completions, while setting 22 school records during his career. Briscoe remains third All-Time at UNO with 5,114 passing yards, second in touchdown passes with 53 and third in total offense with 6,505.
Drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1968 as a defensive back, Briscoe actually negotiated his own contract, with a stipulation that he be given a three day tryout at quarterback. He so impressed Broncos coaches that when the Denver starter went down, Briscoe was called upon, becoming the first black starting quarterback in modern football. Briscoe finished off his historic rookie campaign with 1,897 yards in total offense and 14 touchdowns; many of his Bronco rookie records would stand until Hall of Famer John Elway would break them some twenty years later.
Even with this tremendous success, Briscoe was still considered too small to play the position, and was released and signed in Buffalo as a wide receiver, where he earned a trip to the Pro Bowl in 1970. He was traded to the Miami Dolphins in 1971 where he played a key role in the Dolphins perfect 17-0 seasons, and would go on to earn two Super Bowl rings with the team. Despite his tremendous record as a athlete, it was not until a 2006 Nike ad campaign that the country finally began to see what people in the Omaha community already knew: what a tremendous player and pioneer Marlin Briscoe was and still is through his various youth football camps and the Field Generals program, that helps promote black athletes as quarterbacks and preserve the history of African-Americans at the position.
The year following Briscoe’s successful debut with the Broncos, four black quarterbacks were drafted, thus beginning a slow, but crucial, change in perception that helped transform football at all levels. Today, because Briscoe took that first step, over a dozen African-Americans are NFL quarterbacks.
