Doug Williams, the first black quarterback to win a Super Bowl, says it’s time to “open the doors” for more Black head coaches

The historic confrontation between Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Galen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles as the first head-to-head match between Black quarterbacks in the Super Bowl He didn’t lose out on Doug Williams, the first black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl in over three decades.

“I know there are a lot of young people across the country, realizing that if it was a dream, it could happen,” Williams, 67, told CBS News this week. “Because it happened to these guys.”

In Williams’ eyes, who is he Senior Adviser to Washington’s Leaders For team boss Jason Wright, the impact of having two of the best Lions quarterbacks in the big game on Sunday has really started with Mahomes and Hurts – this season. AP NFL MVP and Runner-up, respectively. However, Williams, who has been a college and high school coach, believes teams across the league need to work on hiring more black coaches.

“It is time to open the doors to more black coaches,” he said, adding that he wanted owners to “open their hearts and minds” to coaches who deserve to lead teams in the NFL — a league made up of 70% of players are of color.

“There are so many men of color, black men out there that deserve the chance to be a coach,” he said.

There are currently only six color head coaches in the NFL, including DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans, Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Todd Bowles of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Robert Saleh of the New York Jets, and Ron Captain of Washington. Rivera and Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell addressed some of the NFL’s diversity concerns during the annual Super Bowl press conference on Wednesday, saying “it’s never enough.”

Williams also spoke about the legacy of black quarterbacks in the league — who have long been subjected to racial stereotypes — and what he calls the brotherhood of black quarterbacks in the NFL.

“I think every black quarterback knows that this role hasn’t always been easy for us,” he told CBS News. “It’s so much easier for the guys playing this week than the guys behind them. Because when I think about those two guys [Mahomes and Hurts]I can’t help myself thinking of James Harris, Joe Gilliam, Warren Moon, and Marilyn Briscoe. All players who didn’t get the same chance to equal chance these two guys had. You should think of those guys who had the talent but weren’t allowed in.”

But he sees progress on this front. Eleven starting quarterbacks in Week 1 this season were black. When the postseason came around, five of the 14 postseason teams had a black quarterback, according to 247 sports. Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are expected to be potential top picks when they enter the league. And on Sunday, Mahomes and Hurts headline Super Bowl LVII at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Before I won the Super Bowl [with the then-Washington Redskins]He said, “There hasn’t been a black quarterback in the Super Bowl. It’s only been 35 years, so I think it’s appropriate to talk about it. Now, the most important thing now is, we’ve done it, let’s stop talking about it and just accept who the quarterback is and let’s go with it.” “.

As for whether he’s rooting for Mahomes or Hurts on Sunday, Williams has already won.

“All I can answer is the fact that I can’t lose,” he said.