[msb-alumni] Marlin Briscoe, first Black starting quarterback in AFL, dies at 76

From: Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 27 Jun 2022 17:23:22 -0400

BlankMarlin Briscoe, first Black starting quarterback in AFL, dies at 76

Marlin Briscoe, who became the first Black starting quarterback in the American
Football
League more than 50 years ago, died Monday. His daughter, Angela Marriott, told
The
Associated Press that Briscoe, 76, died of pneumonia at a hospital in Norwalk,
California.
He had been hospitalized with circulation issues in his legs.

Briscoe, an Omaha, Nebraska, native, was a star quarterback for Omaha
University before the
Denver Broncos drafted him as a cornerback in the 14th round in 1968. Briscoe
told the team
hed return home to become a teacher if he couldnt get a tryout at quarterback.
Denver agreed
to an audition, and the 5-foot-10 dynamo nicknamed The Magician nearly rallied
the Broncos
to victory as a reserve against the Boston Patriots on Sept. 29 before earning
the historic
start on Oct. 6. Hes made an immense contribution to the sport, Marriott said.
I hope that
he continues to get recognized for the contributions that he made. He was so
proud of that
achievement. NEVER MISS A MOMENT: Follow our sports newsletter for daily
updates Briscoe
started five games that season. He was runner-up for AFL rookie of the year
after passing
for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushing for 308 yards and three scores.
Denver didnt
give him a chance to compete for the quarterback job in 1969, so he asked to be
released. He
became a Pro Bowl receiver with the Buffalo Bills. James Harris was Briscoes
roommate with
the Bills in 1969, and Briscoe helped Harris become the first Black quarterback
in the AFL
to open a season as a starter. It was at the time when Black quarterbacks were
being denied,
so you tried to make sure you were best prepared for the opportunity when it
came, Harris
said. I was a lot better off because Briscoe was my roommate. In 1974, Harris
played for the
Los Angeles Rams and became the first Black quarterback to win an NFL playoff
game. He also
was Pro Bowl MVP that season. Meanwhile, Briscoe won two Super Bowls with the
Miami
Dolphins. He was a receiver on the 1972 Dolphins team that finished with a
perfect season.
Briscoe never forgot the fact that he lost his starting job in Denver without
explanation.
It bothered him, Harris said. Although he made the switch, he was disappointed.
In order to
still accomplish what he did under those circumstances frustrated, disappointed
to be
focused enough to be a high achiever at another position took a special makeup,
a special
guy. Briscoe was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2016, and
the Broncos
named a diversity coaching fellowship in his honor before the 2021 season. Well
after his
playing days, Briscoe remained outspoken about racial injustice. He was proud
to have moved
the needle in 1968, but he told The Associated Press in 2018 he was
disappointed that many
strides made in his day had been lost. I grew up in the 50s and the 60s, when
all that stuff
was rampant, but you knew where you stood, Briscoe said. Today, you thought
that all those
attitudes were nonexistent or filtered away to some degree, but with the
Trump-isms, his
philosophy has brought out of the woodwork that old-time thought process. Thats
scary it
really is.

[msb-alumni] Marlin Briscoe, first Black starting quarterback in AFL, dies at 76

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