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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Glenn Erby

Averion Hurts on his son Jalen facing Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl: It’s huge for the culture

The topic of whether black quarterbacks could be successful in the NFL has been ongoing since Fritz Pollard became the first to play the position in the league in 1923 and Doug Williams was the first to start and win a Super Bowl for Washington in 1988.

Ten days from now, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts will be the first Black quarterbacks to face off in a Super Bowl.

The NFL had 11 black quarterbacks start regular season games in 2021, and the father of one MVP candidate believes the matchup will be huge for the culture.

“I think it’s huge,” said Averion Hurts. “We understand how it was and how it’s been for a long time and the narratives that used to be out there on what African Americans could do at the quarterback position.”

The Channelview High School head coach echoed Nick Saban’s recent comments about Hurts’ commitment to the process.

“That’s just him by nature. He is a very driven, very determined person. Whatever he sets his mind to, he locks in on it and he goes for it,” said Averion Hurts. “He’s very steadfast in what he believes in and he doesn’t allow any outside factors to deter him.”

Mahomes became the third Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl in 2020 and is aiming to become the first Black quarterback in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowls, while Hurts could become the fourth Black quarterback to win the Lombardi Trophy.

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