Quarterblack: Shattering the NFL Myth ANNOTATION
Williams became the first black to make it big at a position previously reserved for whites. Without Doug Williams, the game of professional football would still be living under a veil of prejudice, but with one fell swoop, he shattered the myth that a black quarterback could not rise to the pinnacle of pro football.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Although the majority of players in pro football are black, few are or have ever been quarterbacks. One of the most successful was Williams, who helped to convert the lamentable Tampa Bay Buccaneer franchise into a winner and then, after a stay in the short-lived U.S. Football League, led the Washington Redskins to a Super Bowl victory in 1988. Newly released by the Redskins at age 35, his gridiron career probably over, Williams, with freelance writer Hunter, here has his say about the game and about racism in football. Whether the prejudice against black quarterbacks exists because owners and coaches believe that blacks are not intelligent enough to play the position, or because managers feel that players will not respond well to black leaders, Williams cannot resolve. His testimony, however, is sure to cause a stir. Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)
Library Journal
MVP in the 1988 Super Bowl but recently released by the Washington Redskins, Williams, a bitter ex-quarterback, tells the story of a black athlete's satisfactions and disappointments. From a humble, supportive Louisiana family, he developed as a player under famed Grambling coach Eddie Robinson and began his professional career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1978. The death of his first wife, injuries, and the prejudice he found against black quarterbacks dogged his career. His assertion that black athletes, especially quarterbacks, suffer crippling discrimination lifts this above the routine sports bio. Sports collections should consider.-- Morey Berger, formerly with Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.
School Library Journal
YA-- Football fans, and especially Redskin fans, will enjoy this fast-paced autobiography of the first black quarterback in the NFL. Williams covers not only his personal life, including the death of his first wife, but also his collegiate and professional career in football. He has personal opinions on many subjects: his team members and players on other teams; the quarterback controversy with the Washington Redskins; and the NFL's position on black quarterbacks. Williams has always been a class act, involved in community activities with children and with drug prevention programs, and his story is sure to appeal to young adults.-- Pat Royal, Crossland High School, Camp Springs, MD -
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