“When you come to Grambling,” Robinson instructed Harris, “in 4 years, America might be prepared for a Black quarterback.”
Throughout these 4 years, Harris intently adopted the progress of different Black quarterbacks, typically heading to the library on Monday mornings to analysis how that they had performed that weekend. Harris stood 6-foot-4 and labored since highschool to customise his recreation because the pocket passer professional groups needed. However as he watched the careers of his contemporaries hit lifeless ends, he practically walked away from the game.
Harris made it clear to groups earlier than the 1969 draft that he wouldn’t change positions. When he was not drafted till the eighth spherical, he took it as his cue to as an alternative start a educating and training profession.
“I simply thought it wasn’t value it,” Harris, 75, mentioned. “I had no probability.”
Robinson satisfied Harris to stick with soccer. If he didn’t, Robinson instructed him, it might be even longer earlier than Black quarterbacks obtained a good alternative.
Harris reported to camp with the Buffalo Payments and was quickly throwing passes to Briscoe, who made historical past the earlier yr as the primary Black beginning quarterback. However after throwing for 14 touchdowns that season, a Denver Broncos rookie file, Briscoe was relegated to a backup position and finally signed with the Payments — as a receiver.
‘Joe Wouldn’t Have Achieved That’
After being drafted by the Patriots, Jackson appeared primed to catch on as a beginning quarterback. The league appeared to need this, too, as a result of Commissioner Pete Rozelle despatched an assistant to Boston as soon as per week to test in with Jackson and ask him how he was being handled. However the Patriots had employed a brand new coach, Clive Rush, after Jackson was drafted. Irrespective of how he carried out in observe, Jackson mentioned, Rush would inform him, “Joe wouldn’t have achieved that,” referring to Joe Namath, whom he’d coached with the Jets.
