European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 10, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday november 1d. 19b7 the stars and stripes Page 23 nil s still no snap for Black by roys. Johnson new York Nett once he effects of pro fool Bah s recent Power Suruj Glt Between the owners and the payers subside and a new Valinna football league Champion is crowned the current season will most Likely be remembered . But in future years in might also be remembered As the season when pro football showed signs of overcoming us most lingering phobia apprehension Over the use of he Black quarterback. Before the strike and for the firs time in league history three Black players be longed to thai exclusive club starting quarterback in Llic nil. Two of them. Warren Moon of hous ton and Randall Cunningham of Phila Delphia were already in their jobs at the Start of the regular season. The third. Doug Williams of Washington look Over minutes after the season began when i he redskins starter. Jay Schmo Cdr suffered a shoulder injury. With Schroeder recovery Williams has returned to the Bench but in his seven year career he has thrown for More Yard than any other Black quarterback in nil history. Even More critical to the emergence or the Black quarterback is How the wave of talented Black players in College will be accepted by the nil several major col lege teams have been gum cd by Black quarterbacks this season including the nation s two highest rated teams. Okla homa which lost Jim dec Hulic Wayford the season saturday and Nebraska. At Syracuse. Don Mcpherson a senior has led he Orange Baek to prominence with a perfect record and a top 10 ranking while other schools like Notredame Michigan and Southern Cal have also had Success this year with Black quarterbacks. Bill Nunn retired last year after 20 years As a scout for the Pittsburgh steel ers. As the team s assistant director of player personnel he was responsible for scouting the predominantly Black cot Leges. There was always an unwritten Rule Are they smart enough?1" Nunn said. It was something you knew Bandsaw. I think it s ridiculous that there have always been those kind of labels. Where the change is going to have to come from is with the colleges. Schools Tike notre Dame. Pittsburgh Michigan Stair and Michigan Are beginning to develop Quality Black quarterbacks. They la have to make in there first because if you can t play in the College How can you play in the nil while tar from being a cause for Cele bration the successes of Moon cunning Ham and Williams in the pros suggest that whatever remaining scepticism there is about the ability of a Black quarterback to guide an nil team is waning. 1 p1 shows eagles Randall Cunningham oilers Warren Moon. Black members of nil s exclusive standing quarterback club and Many other obstacles remain the Good news is that the sport can finally acknowledge that color does thave anything to do with a player s leadership abilities said or. Tom Tutko professor of psychology at san Jose slate University who has written on the subject of Black and leadership. But the bad Cwi is , if the Black quarterback fails to do Well he s still Apt to be picked on for his color not his performance it s been 34 years since a Strong armed Young Man from Michigan state named aptly enough Willie thrower became pro football s first Black  signed As a free agent with the Chicago bean in 1953, seven Yean after four players broke the color Barrier of pro fool Bah s Modem Era. He spent one season under George Halas who was then head coach and backing up Georg Blanda threw Only eight passes completing three for 27 Yards the next season he moved on to the Canadian league where he played four More seasons. In 1953, thrower was still one of Only four Black players on the bears roster. In thai sense limes have changed dramatically in the nil Blacks currently make up about 40 percent of the league s . But their entrenchment at several key positions such As running Back and wide receiver has not coincided with Prosperity Atic game s most celebrated position. Of the 190 players who have thrown at least 25 passes in the nil since inc mid-1960s, Only nine Are Black and one of those is Walter Huyton. Others such As James Harris and Evans enjoyed vary ing degrees of Success amid their frustrations. And still others such As Marl in Riscoe were mostly frustrated. To blame the dearth of Black Quarter backs on some sort of pervasive racism in the league As Many critics have done would be oversimplifying a condition created by a number of factors. What is More Concrete and confirmed through interviews with coaches and former and current nil players is the existence Ofa mind set one that combines inarguable realities and unyielding stereotypes concerning the Black quarterback. Most prevalent among the realities is the Scarcity of role models that could influence a Young Black athlete to pursue a career As quarterback. There s a cyclical effect from having no role models upon which a Young perspective Black quarterback can catapult his Success said Billy Joe head coach at Central state of Ohio one of the nation s highest ranked teams among the pre dominantly Black colleges. So Many of them la Ai the pros and think that s just nut the position for  was t a problem for Fred Solomon the former san Francisco 4