Say what you need about Baltimore quarterback Tyler Huntley getting a berth to look in Sunday’s Pro Bowl recreation in Las Vegas. No, his season isn’t what you’d sometimes take into consideration for such an honor. He was a fourth alternate who received into the sport as a consequence of a wave of accidents. He made 5 begins, together with the playoffs, and ended the common season with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Stuff occurs typically.
But right here’s what’s cool about it: Huntley’s presence within the Pro Bowl is a leaping off level for some noteworthy quarterback dialogue each in South Florida and the NFL.
On Sunday, two native quarterbacks, Huntley, who attended Hallandale High, and Seattle’s Geno Smith, who attended Miramar High, will seem within the Pro Bowl. That’s noteworthy progress for the Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade space, a tri-county area recognized for producing NFL expertise at nearly each place however quarterback.
Huntley and Smith are two of six NFL quarterbacks this season who hailed from South Florida, becoming a member of the Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson (Boynton Beach High), Miami Dolphins’ Teddy Bridgewater (Miami Northwestern High), Cleveland Browns’ Jacoby Brissett (Dwyer High), and the New York Jets’ Mike White (University School).
Five of the six NFL quarterbacks from South Florida are Black, and each of the world’s Pro Bowl quarterbacks are Black.
Black quarterbacks are doing massive issues regionally and nationally.
Next week, for the primary time, two Black quarterbacks — Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes — will begin within the Super Bowl. That’s noteworthy progress for the NFL and Black quarterbacks, seven of whom have beforehand began a Super Bowl (Washington’s Doug Williams, Tennessee’s Steve McNair, Philadelphia’s Donovan McNabb, San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick, Seattle’ Russell Wilson, Carolina’s Cam Newton, and Mahomes).
I began watching soccer within the early ‘70s.
It’s been throughout my lifetime, through the time I used to be in highschool and school, that for probably the most half, soccer management in any respect ranges — highschool, school and professional — didn’t suppose Blacks had the psychological capability to play quarterback.
Times are altering.
Five Black quarterbacks made playoff begins this season — Hurts, Mahomes, Huntley, Smith and Dallas’ Dak Prescott.
Eleven Black quarterbacks had been Opening Day starters in 2022.
Three Black quarterbacks have gained the NFL MVP award up to now seven years — Jackson in 2019, Mahomes in 2018, and Newton in 2015.
Three of the seven quarterbacks at Saturday’s Senior Bowl are Black (Louisville’s Malik Cunningham, BYU’s Jaren Hall, and Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, who isn’t taking part in as a consequence of a knee harm).
Three Black quarterbacks (Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Alabama’s Bryce Young, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson) are projected as first-round picks in April’s NFL draft.
This represents progress and alternative.
The NFL isn’t synonymous with racial equality on many fronts, together with quarterback. It nonetheless has a protracted approach to go.
But with Mahomes and Hurts beginning within the Super Bowl, and the progress we’re seeing among the many total variety of Black NFL quarterbacks, it’s good to see, particularly throughout Black History Month, that the league has come a good distance.
That brings us again to the six South Florida NFL quarterbacks.
As I mentioned earlier, 5 are Black.
White is … nicely, I’ll allow you to end that sentence.
We can nonetheless joke, proper?
But significantly, having six NFL quarterbacks from a area recognized for producing at nearly each place however quarterback is important.
Those South Florida quarterbacks additionally signify progress.
Consider their taking part in types and tales. Each made no less than one begin this season, and so they’re not all lower from the identical fabric. They’re not all working quarterbacks or drop-back passers or dual-threat guys. They didn’t all come from prime highschool applications or attend big-time faculties.
Jackson, the dual-threat man, is a former MVP, the very best of the bunch and is deservedly looking for a brand new contract price greater than $200 million.
Smith, the drop-back passer, was nearly written off earlier than discovering success this season.
Bridgewater, the eight-year veteran, got here again from a devastating knee harm earlier in his profession.
White performs quarterback in one of many world’s hardest markets and performed towards Buffalo this season with cracked ribs.
Huntley spent a lot of the season as a backup behind one of many league’s prime quarterbacks, Jackson, earlier than being pressed into motion as a consequence of Jackson’s harm for December and January video games, an important video games of the season.
Brissett, a five-game starter for his hometown Dolphins in 2021, was an 11-game starter for Cleveland this season till embattled starter Deshaun Watson returned from his suspension and took over.
It’s good to know South Florida is producing all types of quarterbacks with all types of profession arcs.
Take a glimpse on the Pro Bowl on Sunday.
Yeah, I do know … it’s freakin’ flag soccer. But let’s give it an opportunity.
You by no means know.
You would possibly see one thing you want, perhaps even in a type of two South Florida quarterbacks.
If nothing else, maybe you’ll see Smith and Huntley and be reminded of progress Black quarterbacks have made on a number of ranges.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com