Patrick Mahomes and Jalen hurts will be making history in Super Bowl LVII as the first pair of Black starting quarterbacks in Super Bowl history. Mahomes is just one of three Black quarterbacks to win the Super Bowl (Doug Williams and Russell Wilson are the others), and has been the best quarterback in the league for several years now.
Arguably the face of the NFL, Mahomes has been inspiring many young Black quarterbacks with his play on the field and his leadership off it. The Super Bowl matchup against Hurts is significant to Mahomes and the future of the position.
"To be on the world stage and have two Black quarterbacks start in the Super Bowl -- I think it's special and I've learned more and more about the history of the Black quarterback since I've been in this league. And the guys that came before me and Jalen set the stage for this and now I'm just glad we can kind of set the stage for the kids that are coming up now," the Chiefs quarterback said Thursday. "It'll be a great game against two great teams and against another great quarterback. So, I'm excited to go out there and try to do what we can to win against a great team."
Just like young Black quarterbacks who will be watching Mahomes and Hurts in the Super Bowl, Mahomes believed he could get to that stage by watching Donovan McNabb, Russell Wilson and other greats reach the game's biggest stage.
"I think you've seen over time whenever a guy like Doug Williams or Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb go out and plays great football against other guys, it gives other guys like me and Jalen chances to have this platform and have this spot on an NFL team," Mahomes said. "If we can continue to show that we can consistently be great, I think it'll just continue to open doors for other kids growing up to follow their dreams and be a quarterback of an NFL team and it's good that we have guys like Jalen on the other side because he's a great person and obviously a great quarterback."
Hurts appreciated the significance of what he and Mahomes were able to accomplish, also looking up to the previous generation that give him this opportunity. Guys like Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb and Vick paved the way for the Eagles quarterback to get to the biggest stage.
"I think it's history. I think it's something worthy of being noted. It's come a long way," Hurts said. "I think there's only been seven African American quarterbacks to play in the Super Bowl. To be the first in something is pretty cool, so I know it will be a good one.
"I think anyone like Mike Vick, Cam [Newton], Randall Cunningham, McNabb, all those type of guys are guys that a lot of young kids looked up to, a lot of young Black kids as well, Steve McNair, all of those guys."
A decade from now, Mahomes and Hurts will be in that
