When people ask who was the first black qb in the nfl, they usually want a simple name and a date. But football history is never that clean. If you're looking for one person to pin a medal on, you're going to get three different answers depending on who you ask and how they define "first."
Honestly, it’s a bit of a mess.
You’ve got the pioneer from the 1920s, the guy who broke the mid-century "color barrier," and the man who finally got to start a season under center in the modern era. To understand why this matters, you have to look at a league that spent decades basically pretending Black men couldn't think fast enough to lead a huddle. It sounds ridiculous now, but that was the "logic" of the time.
The 1923 Pioneer: Fritz Pollard
If we are talking strictly about the first person to ever take a snap in the NFL, the answer is Fritz Pollard.
Most fans haven't heard of him, which is a shame. Pollard was a superstar at Brown University and eventually joined the Akron Pros in 1920. Back then, the NFL was brand new and looked nothing like the multi-billion dollar machine we see on Sunday nights now.
In 1923, playing for the Hammond Pros, Pollard officially became the first Black quarterback in NFL history.
He wasn't just a player, either. He was a player-coach. Imagine trying to call plays and lead a team in an era where fans would literally scream slurs at you from the sidelines and defenders were trying to take your head off—not just to win the game, but because of the color of your skin. Pollard used to have to dress in a separate locker room or even at a nearby hotel because he wasn't allowed in the same facilities as his white teammates.
Then, the league changed. By 1933, a "gentleman’s agreement" among owners effectively banned Black players from the NFL entirely. It stayed that way for thirteen years.
The Re-Integration: Willie Thrower
Fast forward to 1953. The "ban" had been over for a few years, but the quarterback position was still strictly off-limits.
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Enter Willie Thrower.
He had a great arm—they called him "The Pro"—and he had already made history as the first Black quarterback in the Big Ten at Michigan State. In 1953, he was playing for the Chicago Bears. On October 18, against the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears' starter was struggling. Coach George Halas (yes, that George Halas) signaled for Thrower.
He stepped onto the field and became the first Black quarterback to play in the "modern" NFL era.
He went 3-for-8 for 27 yards. Not exactly Hall of Fame numbers, right? But the stats didn't matter. The fact that he was out there at all was a massive shift. Unfortunately, the "experiment" didn't last. Thrower was released after that season and never played in the NFL again. He ended up playing in Canada, which became a common theme for Black QBs for the next fifty years.
The First "Modern" Starter: Marlin Briscoe
Now, if you ask someone "who was the first black qb in the nfl to actually start a game," you’re talking about Marlin Briscoe.
This happened in 1968 with the Denver Broncos. Briscoe was a 14th-round draft pick. The Broncos didn't even want him to play quarterback; they wanted him at cornerback. Briscoe had to negotiate a trial period just to prove he could play the position he'd played his whole life.
Injuries eventually forced the coach's hand.
On October 6, 1968, Briscoe became the first Black starting quarterback in the AFL (which merged with the NFL shortly after). He was electric. He threw 14 touchdowns that year, which stood as a Broncos rookie record for decades until John Elway came along. He was nicknamed "The Magician" because of how he moved.
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But here’s the kicker: despite his success, the Broncos didn't want him back at QB the next year. They wanted him to move to receiver. He eventually did, becoming an All-Pro wideout for the Buffalo Bills and winning two Super Bowls with the Dolphins.
James Harris and the Season Opener
We can't talk about these "firsts" without mentioning James "Shack" Harris.
In 1969, playing for the Buffalo Bills, Harris became the first Black quarterback to start a season opener. This is a big distinction. It wasn't because of an injury to someone else. It wasn't a mid-game swap. The team looked at the roster in training camp and decided he was the best man for the job from Day 1.
Harris later went to the Los Angeles Rams and became the first Black quarterback to win a playoff game in 1974. He also made the Pro Bowl that year.
Why Did It Take So Long?
You might be wondering why there are so many "firsts." Why wasn't it just one guy who opened the door and everyone followed?
The reality is that for decades, "racial stacking" was the norm in pro football. Coaches and scouts believed in a hierarchy of intelligence. They thought Black athletes were naturally gifted runners (receivers, running backs, defensive backs) but lacked the "cerebral" capacity to play quarterback.
Basically, if you were a Black QB in college, you were almost always told to switch positions if you wanted to make the pros.
Warren Moon is the perfect example. Despite being a superstar at the University of Washington, he went undrafted in 1978 because he refused to change positions. He had to go to the Canadian Football League (CFL), win five straight championships, and prove he was better than everyone else before the NFL finally gave him a shot at age 28.
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Moon eventually became the first Black quarterback inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Turning Point: Super Bowl XXII
If the 1920s and 60s were about getting on the field, the 1980s were about proving Black quarterbacks could win the biggest game of all.
Doug Williams did that in 1988.
The build-up to Super Bowl XXII was filled with reporters asking Williams incredibly awkward (and often racist) questions about being a "Black quarterback." He ignored the noise and put on a clinic. He threw four touchdowns in a single quarter—a record that still feels insane—to lead the Washington Redskins to a 42-10 blowout of the Denver Broncos.
That game basically killed the argument that a Black man couldn't lead a team to a championship.
Key Facts to Remember
If you're in a debate at a sports bar and need the quick version, here’s the breakdown:
- Fritz Pollard (1923): The first ever to play QB in the early NFL.
- Willie Thrower (1953): The first to play in the modern, post-reintegration NFL.
- Marlin Briscoe (1968): The first to start a game in the modern era.
- James Harris (1969/1974): The first to start a season opener and the first to win a playoff game.
- Doug Williams (1988): The first to start and win a Super Bowl.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Researchers
If you want to dive deeper into this history, don't just look at the NFL record books. The NFL's history of exclusion means some of the best Black quarterbacks of the 20th century never played a snap in the league.
- Check out the CFL archives: Players like Bernie Custis and Chuck Ealey are legends in Canada because they weren't allowed to play QB in the States. Their stats are mind-blowing.
- Look into the "Fritz Pollard Alliance": This is the organization that currently works with the NFL to promote minority hiring in coaching and front-office positions. It gives a great perspective on how these early struggles evolved into modern policy.
- Watch the Super Bowl XXII highlights: Honestly, just go to YouTube. Seeing Doug Williams' second quarter against Denver is a masterclass in pocket passing that still holds up by 2026 standards.
The story of the first Black quarterback isn't just about football. It's a timeline of a league—and a country—slowly getting out of its own way. We went from Fritz Pollard dressing in a hotel room to Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson winning MVPs. It's a long road, but these names are the reason that road exists.