NFL icon Doug Williams delivers damning indictment of mainstream analysis (EXCLUSIVE)
Doug Williams became the first black quarterback to win a nfl/super-bowl" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Super Bowl in 1988. His Washington Redskins defeated the Denver Broncos 42-10 in Super Bowl XXII. He made headlines this week when talking about Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. He was critical of how football pundits assessed Hurts' talent during his time with the University of Alabama.
Doug Williams believes that experts may have underestimated Hurts' intelligence on the field due to his race. During an appearance on "The Ballfather Podcast," the Washington Commanders executive and former Grambling State head coach said:
"These people talk about, 'He's just an athlete who can run,' Williams said. "They refuse. But the ones who refused to say, 'Hey, this guy's pretty smart in the pocket.' They hate to give that Black quarterback that title that he's a thinking man. They always want to find something else to deal with.
"They just want to say 'great athlete, he's strong, he can do this.' Now, he can think he's strong, he can run, he can do whatever he wants to do. But at the end of the day, he is a pocket quarterback with the ability to escape if he has to, and when they will plan a call for running, he can do that, too."
Hurts has emerged as one of the NFL's brightest young quarterbacks, leading the Eagles to Super Bowl LVII. He threw for 3,701 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in 15 games this season.
Hurts was the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year with Alabama in 2016. The Crimson Tide lost to the Clemson Tigers in the National Championship that year. He led Alabama to the national title in 2017.
Tua Tagovailoa, who completed Bama's comeback in the 2017 national championship game, took over as the starter in 2018. Hurts transferred to the University of Oklahoma for his senior season. He was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year and selected to the 2018 All-Big 12 first team.
Hurts was taken 53rd overall by the Eagles in the 2020 NFL Draft. Tagovailoa was selected fifth overall in 2020. He is the Miami Dolphins' starting quarterback.
Doug Williams on watching Jalen Hurts at Alabama and with the Eagles
Doug Williams was impressed with how Jalen Hurts performed in college and during the NFC Championship game against the San Francisco 49ers.
"I remember (when) Jalen was at Alabama ... everybody was saying that, you know, he's just an athletic quarterback, he can run the football and he actually looks like he's built like a running back," Williams said. "Now, don't get me wrong. But let me say this, what Jalen has done for himself, you talking about this gotta be hard work.
"This guy does deserve all the credit in the world because he has the belt, and to the quarterback who has a pocket pass who just happens to have the ability to run if he needs to. That's who he is. I mean, you said you stand to stand back and then you see him just stand back there and make that throw the ball."
"Just like the other day, that first pass to (DeVonta) Smith to the left side. You know what, no running in that. He didn't rush himself. He stood back there like any other quarterback. Tom Brady was standing back there. Guy came over, boom. Safety went one way, he went the other way. You've got to give him his credit, man."
Hurts is hoping to become just the fourth black quarterback in NFL history to win a Super Bowl. The Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Super Bowl LVII on February 12.