Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles will be the first black quarterbacks to meet in the Super Bowl on Sunday. A historic duel in an American society where the racial question remains significant.
Even before kickoff, Monday, February 13 at 12:30 a.m. (French time), the 57th Super Bowl will go down in history. For the first time, two black quarterbacks will face off in the NFL title game, the United States American Football Championship. On the one hand, Patrick Mahomes will lead the game for the Kansas City Chiefs, on the other, Jalen Hurts will guide the Philadelphia Eagles.
This duel could and should be anecdotal. But in an American society where the racial question remains particularly significant, this is not trivial. The two interested parties also took up the subject in front of the press during the week preceding the Super Bowl.
Just named best player of the regular season for the second time, Patrick Mahomes will play his third Super Bowl at 27 years old. “Having two starting black quarterbacks, I think is special. I’ve learned a lot about the history of black quarterbacks since the start of my league career,” told the player at a press conference. “I think it’s historic and it deserves to be highlighted. It’s been a long road. There have only been seven African Americans in the Super Bowl before me”said Jalen Hurts, who will become the eighth on the lawn at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
The first is Doug Williams, winner in 1988 with the Washington Redskins. “The tree that hid the forest”nuance Corentin Sellin, historian specializing in the United States but also NFL consultant for The L’Equipe channel.
Why in a league mainly represented by black players (56% of players in 2022), the central and honorary position of quarterback, a sort of playmaker, has been so often reserved for white players, who represent 25% of the contingent? This owes nothing to chance, but rather to stereotypes.
“African American players were limited to subordinate roles”
“It is a sport based on the specialization of tasks between those of design and those of executionexposes Corentin Sellin. For a very long time, African Americans have been confined to line positions, to subordinate roles.” This phenomenon has a name, the racial stacking. “That is to say that the distribution of players to different positions is not done in a rational way, but is based on expected stereotypes of a category rather than on intrinsic qualities”deciphers Rodolphe Perchot, doctor in social psychology whose work focuses on social categorization, thehe effects of stereotypes on behavior and phenomena of discrimination.
In other words, thehe tactical positions and perceived as more prestigious, quarterback in mind, were thus reserved for white players, perceived as more intelligent and organizers. Positions requiring running speed, such as cornerback (depth defender) or wide receiver (receiver), were rather reserved for black players. “We presuppose skills only with regard to the category”explains Rodolphe Perchot.
This discrimination can be even more subtle. “In the 90s or 2000s, African-American quarterbacks systematically had to be runners since they were considered, in advance, less good at passing the ball.assures Corentin Sellin. An American studypublished in 2010 and conducted over four different NCAA seasons (the college championship), shows that African-American quarterbacks attempted, on average, almost twice as many runs as their white counterparts but 12% fewer passes.
Rare role models to identify with
“False ideas can cause real effects”, picture Rodolphe Perchot. This is called the pygmalion effect. “When we are the target of the stereotype, we will sometimes behave according to the behavior that is expected of uscontinues the researcher. It is an effect of the stereotype through which athletes will conform. The coach expects me to be a fast runner so I will be.”
“Before, when we were African-American, the players we identified with were not quarterbacks. If you don’t have representation, young people won’t identify”says Sébastien Sejean, the fourth Frenchman in history to have signed in the NFL – without having played there – and now a consultant for The L’Equipe channel. “Athletes censored themselves on their quarterback careers because they thought a glass ceiling was going to stop them”confirms Rodolphe Perchot.
“It’s an encouragement for the next generation of quarterbacks. This kid of 4 or 5 years old, in Houston, Philadelphia, Texas, Louisiana or wherever in the world, realizes that no matter what we say or what what we think of him, he can do it.”
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurtsat a press conference
This racial segregation by position tends to gradually fade, with the emergence of stars in the quarterback position like Mahomes and Hurts, but also Lamar Jackson (elected MVP in 2019), Russell Wilson (champion in 2013) or Kyler Murray. This season, 21 black quarterbacks have thrown at least one pass, an NFL record. “It’s a perennial movement for ten years that can no longer be called into question.notes Corentin Sellin. MBut there is still a very long way to go, especially in the positions of coaches and head coaches, where this segregation is still extremely strong.
At the end of the 2022 regular season, only two African-American coaches were at the head of an NFL franchise, or 6%. As far as owners go, Pakistani-American Shahid Khan (Jacksonville Jaguars) is the only major minority owner. “The day there will be an African-American, we will have taken a big step”concludes Sébastien Sejean.
