Marlin Briscoe played nine seasons in the AFL/NFL.

It’s difficult to be the first to accomplish anything, but it’s especially trying when the critics are saying that your goal is unattainable because of your race. Those were some of the nicer things said by football fans and “experts” about the perceived inability of African Americans to play the quarterback position in professional football. Marlin Briscoe began his journey to change that perception in 1968.

Briscoe became the first African American starting quarterback in professional football when he suited up for the Denver Broncos in the third game of the 1968 season. Although he never faced the outlandish racism dealt to baseball’s Jackie Robinson, Briscoe’s path wasn’t a straight one, and it wasn’t until recently that the moniker of “black quarterback” was eliminated from the football vocabulary.

The starting point of Briscoe’s journey was a three-day tryout in the summer of 1968. As a quarterback for the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Briscoe set 22 school records and was an All America at quarterback, but the small-school star was drafted by Denver to play cornerback. Briscoe, knowing that the Broncos were one of the few professional teams at that time to open their training camp to the media and public, negotiated his own contract that included a clause guaranteeing him a three-day tryout at quarterback. During his tryout, Briscoe impressed the Broncos fan base and media contingent with his ability to both throw and run the football.

Although he performed well in his brief tryout, Briscoe was named the starting cornerback entering the regular season. Then, just as Briscoe’s dream of playing quarterback started to deteriorate, a series of events changed the way we view the position. Steve Tensi, Denver’s starting quarterback, went down with a collarbone injury. Denver hadn’t scored an offensive touchdown in their last three pre-season games and in the first two regular season games, pressuring the coaching staff to make a change. Briscoe was named the starting quarterback in the third game of the regular season.

“They (Denver’s coaching staff) were really pressured by my performance in that three-day camp,” said Briscoe. “That three-day camp was the only reason that I had the opportunity to be a starting quarterback in the AFL.”

Briscoe’s season was a success, leading Denver with 1,589 yards passing and 14 touchdowns in only 11 games. Against the Buffalo Bills, Briscoe established career highs in passing yards (335) and touchdowns (4) in a 34-32 win. It seemed that Denver had stumbled upon a young superstar quarterback that could lead the franchise for a decade or more. Unfortunately for Briscoe, Denver would never give him another opportunity to play quarterback.

“After the season, I went home because I had six credit hours left to get my degree,” said Briscoe. “When I was at home finishing up my degree, I heard through the grapevine that Denver had acquired a quarterback from Canada and they were holding off-season quarterback meetings. I wasn’t even invited. After I received my degree, I snuck into Denver and was standing outside the office while those guys (Denver’s quarterbacks and coaching staff) were in a meeting. When they came out, they couldn’t even look at me. At that point, I knew that I was not going to get the opportunity to either succeed or fail. I was not going to get a fair shot.”

Despite his promise and success as a young quarterback, Briscoe would have to switch teams and positions just to stay in professional football. Briscoe, in only one year, experienced all of the highs and lows that professional football had to offer.

“I went to training camp (in 1969) and it was obvious that the way camp was going, they weren’t going to give me a shot even though I was doing well, and did well the previous year,” said Briscoe. “I asked for my release, thinking that I would have another opportunity because of the success that I had, but that didn’t arise. Nobody seemed to be interested in me so the only way I was going to stay in the NFL was to switch positions.”

Briscoe made the best of a bad situation. As a wide receiver, Briscoe accumulated 3,537 yards and 30 touchdowns in eight years. He was named NFL All Pro in 1970 after catching 57 passes for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns for the Buffalo Bills and was an integral member of the Miami Dolphins Super Bowl Champion teams in 1972 and 1973.

Today, Briscoe is further helping pave the way for African American quarterbacks in the NFL. Briscoe is a member of “The Field Generals,” an organization founded by and composed of NFL African American quarterbacks who are dedicated to teaching and preserving the history of the African American quarterback. Members of “The Field Generals” include Doug Williams, Randall Cunningham, Warren Moon, James Harris, Vince Evans and Briscoe. The Field Generals will discuss race relations in both collegiate and professional football at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana on February 22.

“Our goal is to keep the legacy of the black quarterback in the eyes of the public so that minorities who aspire to be quarterbacks will be inspired to be good citizens who become the best that they can possibly be,” said Briscoe. “We want to work with young kids to set an example. With the trials and tribulations that we had, overcoming racism during our play as quarterbacks in the National Football League, we want to let these kids know that anything is possible and they can achieve what they want. Not just in football, but in life as well.”

Briscoe’s struggles and success have helped a wave of African American quarterbacks succeed, and more importantly have the opportunity to succeed in the NFL. Today, there are over a dozen African American quarterbacks in the NFL, including six starting quarterbacks. The NFC Championship Game featured Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick, the first time in NFL history two African American quarterbacks squared off in a Conference Championship Game. Briscoe’s fingerprints are all over these NFL superstars and the stars of tomorrow.

“If I have a legacy, I proved that a black man can think, throw and lead on the professional level,” said Briscoe. “Even though I never had a chance to complete my career as a quarterback, four black quarterbacks were drafted the following year. If I had failed, the process would have taken a lot longer. I’m proud of that accomplishment.”

It takes a special person to become the first. Briscoe stood up to his trials and tribulations and came out on top. He was trailblazer, a pioneer and a leader in his profession. He was a Field General.