Rise of the Black Quarterback: What it means for America by Jason Reid is a solid account of racial injustice in the NFL from the early days of its founding through Fritz Pollard, Marlin Briscoe, Doug Williams, and Warren Moon to the rise of Russell Wilson, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.
I first became interested in this book, because I knew that it would extensively feature Marlin Briscoe and the Denver Broncos. Unfortunately, shortly after receiving an advance copy of the book, Marlin passed away.
What’s striking about this book is the litany of little things that people did to ensure that the thumb racial inequality was firmly pressed upon what the book calls “thinking man positions,” inside linebacker and quarterback.