🏈 A Jalen Hurts National Championship Win Will be First for Alabama with a Black Quarterback

[JoshB]

How many have we won with a Hawaiian?

One after Monday but it will be won with one on the bench.

 

[bamaledge]

WTF? Jalen's black?
I thought he was just the Alabama qb

 

[TerryP]

WTF? Jalen's black?
I thought he was just the Alabama qb

He's a Texan, boy. Git it right!

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

This is tiring. Do all blacks have to pull for Alabama just because the QB is black while UGA has a white QB? I do understand why folks might want to celebrate these types of things, but it isn't like we haven't tried to win one with a black QB before. Just never got lucky enough to have everything fall into place to win it. If Jalen is QB when we win a National Championship he will be very special to me, but because he is one of very few who have won a championship at Alabama and not because of anything to do with his race.

 

[JoshB]

This is tiring. Do all blacks have to pull for Alabama just because the QB is black while UGA has a white QB?

LMAO what?

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

Sorry. I have a friend who was really upset earlier because she is constantly told that as a black person she is expected to support certain things no matter what because it would be "good for blacks". The media often pushes that same narrative. I guess the whole hting was kind of raw with me when I first read the article.

 

[JoshB]

Sorry. I have a friend who was really upset earlier because she is constantly told that as a black person she is expected to support certain things no matter what because it would be "good for blacks". The media often pushes that same narrative. I guess the whole hting was kind of raw with me when I first read the article.

That's society as a whole. Easy to just blame the media but I've seen and heard plenty of white folks cheering on a "good" white running back or receiver simply because they liked seeing a white skill player doing well and have seen plenty of black folks that cheer on a black QB or even black coach because they like seeing them do well. Both of those situations pretty much come from stereotypes and wanting to shit on those stereotypes. Now, as far as people thinking just because you're black you shoot root for a black player or vice versa, that's bullshit and anyone with that mindset isnt helping anyone.

 

[rocknthefreeworld]

Well aware of those folks on both sides. I have family who would have complained about Bama having a black QB, but in much worse terms. I say would have but when we had them I heard them complain about it loudly. Honestly, thinking about it now, I would actually like Jalen to win it this year so I can look at them and ask them if they want to give it back since a black man won it.

 

[OldPlayer]

I can't believe this is something to note.

 

[JoshB]

Well aware of those folks on both sides. I have family who would have complained about Bama having a black QB, but in much worse terms. I say would have but when we had them I heard them complain about it loudly. Honestly, thinking about it now, I would actually like Jalen to win it this year so I can look at them and ask them if they want to give it back since a black man won it.

Same here. I also have a cpl of family members that I would consider deeply racist that you will find rooting and being a fan of black football players. Its a weird scenario.

I can't believe this is something to note.

I cant believe that people once believed that black players shouldnt play with white players and that black people "cant" play QB...

 

[Sgt. Lincoln Osiris]

That's pretty much been confirmed with the mindsets that coaches/GMs (for the NFL, etc.) had about black QBs. They couldnt play QB or center because they supposedly weren't smart enough. Condridge Holloway busted that myth at QB and Sylvester Croom busted the center myth at Alabama. Holloway has told the story about Bear Bryant being honest with him and saying that he would love to have him as his QB but didn't feel that the state was "ready" for a black QB. I think thats been one of the things that some people could argue against Bryant is that he was maybe too slow to pushing these issues but it really does come off as him wanting to protect the players themselves.

I think one of my favorite quotes from him was after he finally was able to integrate the team, a reporter asked him how many black players he had and he said "none." The reporter asked how many white players he had and he answered the same. "I just have players."

I remember stories about him intentionally scheduling the home/home with USC and their black players running all over our white boys being instrumental in integration.

 

[rolltide66]

Clarence Davis (born in Birmingham, AL) graduated from the University of Southern California and was a 1969 All-American. Davis played at East Los Angeles College and Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles prior to that.
In 1970, he was part of USC's "all-black" backfield (the first one of its kind in Division I (NCAA) history), that included fullback Sam Cunningham and quarterback Jimmy Jones. Davis was one of the five USC African American starters (along with Sam Cunningham, Jimmy Jones, Charlie Weaver and Tody Smith), that played against an all-white University of Alabama football team, winning 42-21 in Birmingham on September 12, 1970. This game was historically significant, because it played a key role in convincing the University of Alabama and its fan base to accelerate the integration of its football team.

 

[JoshB]

I remember stories about him intentionally scheduling the home/home with USC and their black players running all over our white boys being instrumental in integration.

Holy cow, I've read books and watched documentaries regarding that lol Such an awesome story. The legend has been overblown in certain aspects (the claim that Bear Bryant went into the USC locker room, grabbed Sam Cunningham and took him into the Bama locker room and said "THIS is what a football player looks like" was a myth. Never happened, though Bryant did make that quote to his players more along the lines of "THAT is a football player, boys.") but it is without question that Bryant set that game up to prove a point. He had already brought 3 black players onto the team but they were all freshmen and wouldnt play until the next year (Wilbur Jackson being one of them). Bryant knew the biggest way to get the fans and people of the state to accept it was to watch those same black players so many in the state didnt think were "good enough" to play with the white players not just play with them but dominate. Evidently the talk around town from fans after the game was along the lines of "we damn sure better get us some of them colored boys pretty quick."

I think the coolest thing you watch is "Three Days at Foster". Its a documentary Keith Dunnivant made (he wrote "The Missing Ring" book too) a few years ago about the integration of the football and basketball teams. It talks about that game in great detail. There is a great Starz documentary about it too but it plays into some of the myths too, while Dunnivant concentrated on the real stories. I interviewed him about it when it came out and got to see an early screening, really great stuff.

Keith Dunnavant Talks About New Documentary ‘Three Days at Foster’

 

[bamachine]

Clarence Davis (born in Birmingham, AL) graduated from the University of Southern California and was a 1969 All-American. Davis played at East Los Angeles College and Washington Preparatory High School in Los Angeles prior to that.
In 1970, he was part of USC's "all-black" backfield (the first one of its kind in Division I (NCAA) history), that included fullback Sam Cunningham and quarterback Jimmy Jones. Davis was one of the five USC African American starters (along with Sam Cunningham, Jimmy Jones, Charlie Weaver and Tody Smith), that played against an all-white University of Alabama football team, winning 42-21 in Birmingham on September 12, 1970. This game was historically significant, because it played a key role in convincing the University of Alabama and its fan base to accelerate the integration of its football team.

It may have helped convince the fans but Bama already had it's first black player on the team, he just could not suit up for the USC game because he was a freshman and back then freshman could practice but not suit up on game day. Bryant had been trying to get Bama to allow him to sign black players for many years, by that point. He even tried, unsuccessfully, to get Texas A&M to integrate, before he even got to Bama.

Also, I just kinda skimmed over that article but I did not see the name of Walter Lewis in there. Sure, Bama did not win a national title while he was there but it is not like Sims broke the color barrier at QB for Bama.

 

[TUSKtimes]

While walking through a used book store recently I noticed a book titled The Big Book of Black Quarterbacks. I should have picked it up, I guess, but it wasn't on my "want list" that afternoon. It only covered black QB's in the NFL--not really my sport as you know.

That brings me to this. It would be interesting to see how many black quarterbacks were playing collegiate football in the '60's and '70's. I suspect the bias they couldn't play that position existed.

Huge bias. The false narrative being, they couldn't read defenses and they couldn't lead. I remember a little of the Condredge Holloway recruitment to Alabama and it went that coach Bryant wanted him to play DB. So, he hightails it up to Knoxville and the rest is orange folklore. Holloway was from my hometown and many a time I wondered what he would have done in the wishbone.

 

[TerryP]

I remember a little of the Condredge Holloway recruitment to Alabama and it went that coach Bryant wanted him to play DB.

How much does that have to do with the color of his skin? Today we're still dealing with coaches that want QB's to play defensive back.

 

[TUSKtimes]

How much does that have to do with the color of his skin? Today we're still dealing with coaches that want QB's to play defensive back.

Did you watch Condredge play QB at Tennessee?

Besides, coach Bryant told Condredge that Alabama wasn't ready for a black QB.

 

[TerryP]

Did you watch Condredge play QB at Tennessee?

I grew up in Huntsville so the Condredge family story(s) are ones I'm familiar with: both father and son. (Did you know his dad was the first black employee at NASA working at Marshall SFC?)

Did I watch him? In the fall of '72, his first season playing for the Vols, I was getting my ass spanked daily: in Kindergarten. So, no. Not really. But yes, I have in old films.

Besides, coach Bryant told Condredge that Alabama wasn't ready for a black QB.

There's a few versions of that story tossed about. I've also heard Bryant wasn't a fan of him playing baseball and football.

It's about like the Cunningham stories. There's a lot of them out there. You're missing my thought here though. Even today we're seeing coaches look at QB's and see them as DB's. That's nothing new to football.

 

[TUSKtimes]

I grew up in Huntsville so the Condredge family story(s) are ones I'm familiar with: both father and son. (Did you know his dad was the first black employee at NASA working at Marshall SFC?)

Did I watch him? In the fall of '72, his first season playing for the Vols, I was getting my ass spanked daily: in Kindergarten. So, no. Not really. But yes, I have in old films.


There's a few versions of that story tossed about. I've also heard Bryant wasn't a fan of him playing baseball and football.

It's about like the Cunningham stories. There's a lot of them out there. You're missing my thought here though. Even today we're seeing coaches look at QB's and see them as DB's. That's nothing new to football.

No, it's not. Coach Bryant did it often enough himself. (see Tommy Wilcox) And lot's of our QBs and others played baseball. (see "Butch" Hobson )

To understand Holloway's recruitment without being able to smell, taste and feel the race problems in the deep south culture would make this exercise today a total waste of time. Coach Bryant was doing all he could to get Bama into the enlightened age with black athletes and when you look back and read how hard he was trying to change the narrative for football he did what he could do. But he knew it would take time and conditioning to make it happen.

At the time of Condredge's recruitment, nothing visible had happened yet with Alabama football and it's not so farfetched to say no one could imagine the acceptance of a black QB, perhaps even coach Bryant. A Tennessee assistant and Holloway himself said that Governor Wallace even tried to recruit him to Tuscaloosa. Was that set up by coach Bryant as well? Many have speculated the USC back to backer, was designed as part of the southern culture initiation about what was already down in Tuscaloosa and soon to makes its debut. Coach Bryant was certainly smart enough to set all this up. But, it was still early for the University of Alabama and nothing was seen yet on the field. Had Holloway been recruited in 1975, who knows.

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

If you've never seen the documentary Against The Tide then you need to catch that one. Lot of facts in the film about Bama vs USC 1970.