On Monday, Marlin Briscoe died at age 76 in Norwalk, California, due to pneumonia. Many football fans may not know Briscoe’s name, but they should. Briscoe remains an important — if shaded — part of professional football history as the first Black starting quarterback of the modern era. Fritz Pollard had played quarterback in the earliest days of the NFL, but as the league started to filter Black players out, a “strategy” that led to the outright banning of all Black players from 1934 through 1945, it would be a very long time before any Black quarterback had any shot at all in the American professional leagues. No matter the talent of the player, no matter the potential, Black players were not allowed to play the “positions of intelligence” (quarterback, middle linebacker, certain offensive line positions, certain defensive back positions), and Briscoe was unfortunately caught in the crosshairs of that reality — even and especially after he showed the ability to play credibly at the highest level.
RIP to “The Magician.”
Marlin Briscoe was a pioneer who shattered barriers, making history as the first Black starting quarterback in the Super Bowl era.
Our deepest sympathies go out to Marlin’s family, friends and former teammates. pic.twitter.com/sOuygcaUO4
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) June 27, 2022
