Marlin Briscoe, who was the first Black starting quarterback in the Super Bowl era, died at age 76 on Monday, according to a report from the Associated Press. Briscoe died of pneumonia at a California hospital.
Briscoe was a star quarterback at Omaha University, but the Denver Broncos drafted him as a wide receiver in 1968. The Broncos eventually gave him an opportunity at QB and he did not disappoint, passing for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 308 yards and three more scores on the ground in five starts.
Despite his impressive performance as a rookie, the Broncos did not plan to play Briscoe at quarterback in 1969 so he asked to be cut. Denver granted his request, but Briscoe unfortunately did not get an opportunity to play QB with another team.
Briscoe went on to play wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, earning a Pro Bowl nod in 1970. He later won a pair of Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins as a receiver, including Miami’s perfect 17-0 season in 1972.
After three seasons with the Dolphins, Briscoe went on to spend time with the San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions and New England Patriots. He caught 224 passes for 3,537 yards and 30 touchdowns during his nine-year career.
The Broncos named their season-long diversity coaching internship the “Marlin Briscoe Diversity Coaching Fellowship” last summer.
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