Déjà Vu All Over Again, Again- Stereotypes and the NFL Draft
By: Rev. Dr. Robert M. Spooney
Most people may not admit it but an undercurrent fact that has followed African-American athletes in all sports is the stereotype. I believe that the debacle in the NFL involving the draft of Shedeur Sanders has made that point abundantly evident and clear. Although an unbelievably gifted and talented quarterback with impeccable statistics in all categories, a proven leader on the field and off the field, a precision passer and someone who had no problem in putting in the work to be the best that he could be his position or in the classroom, his stock in the draft fell drastically simply because of unspoken stereotypical intangibles.
The stereotypes? Too cocky to be coachable, does he have the mental makeup to lead grown men? How will he handle adversity at the Pro level? This young man exhibited confidence in all levels of the game of football and in his life, however, unfortunate as it may seem when African-American men show confidence especially in the predominantly white world it is often also called arrogance or aggression. And if the truth be told it’s all based on a stereotyping that dates back to slavery and segregation when black men who showed confidence were often betrayed as someone who was threatening and who needed to be “put in his place.” On the other hand when white athletes or white men in general show confidence in anything they are often called assertive or strong leaders, it is no doubt a double standard. And no one wants to call it like it is. The same traits, boldness, self-assurance and passion get labeled differently depending on who’s expressing them. I know from firsthand experience.
I graduated from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee Florida at the end of the Winter Quarter of 1973 with a Bachelor of Science degree in history and a minor in education and political science. Once I graduated my immediate goal was to secure gainful employment. Since I had taken several business courses as electives, several professors in the School of Business thought I had a good business I.Q. and encouraged me to look outside of the education field. So I interviewed with several major corporations of that time and after a period of accepted a position with Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph company in Orlando, Florida. I was hired as the first African-American equipment sales representative in the marketing department in Central Florida. After a week of orientation I was shipped off to Atlanta Georgia to attend the company Basic Training Sales School which was located in the Atlanta Merchandise Mart on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, Georgia. I was taught the basics of telephony and sales accounting. Needless to say I was motivated because I felt like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders. It was as if I was what representing my people. Because of my upbringing and the life skills developed at Florida A&M, I was not hesitant to stand and accept whatever challenge that was thrown my way. Needless to say, during that training I heard the undercurrent murmuring that I was the “arrogant black kid from Florida” I graduated in the top of my class of 12 cohorts. All by the way were white. I retired from Southern Bell/Bell South (the name was changed in 1982) in 1994 as a national sales manager which was equivalent to an assistant vice president in rank after heeding the Lord’s call to serve in His ministry. Doing my career I was more often than not the only person of color in any meeting or in any major leadership role. During my career I do not recall being called arrogant or cocky by any people of color but I sensed that perception from many of the white people who were my peers and who were subordinate to me.
So, here’s the take away from my story: when I was employed by Bell South some sales managers, some executives and some employees could not stand or imagine a young Black man running a sales team and the ugly truth is that today some scouts, some executives, and some fans still can’t imagine a young Black man commanding the huddle without suspicion. I’m convinced that was the case for my brother –in law, the late Ken Riley, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame, Class of 2023. Ken was an All-American Quarterback at Florida A&M, a four year starter and was drafted in the 6th round of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals as a cornerback by coach Paul Brown. He’s in the NFL Hall of Fame as a cornerback but if given the chance he could have easily been in as a quarterback. However the stereotype was the order of the day. The NFL loves Black bodies that are fast, strong and bruising. But when it comes to the mind of a quarterback, the leadership, the command, the intellect some people still hesitate when that mind is wrapped in Black skin. I believe Shedeur Sanders is a general on the field. He is a thinker, a reader, a processor. If he wore different skin, the conversation would be more about his maturity beyond his years and his NFL ready mentality rather than his supposedly arrogance and cockiness. It is a shame that we still have to fight through the fog of ignorance. Shedeur Sanders deserves better. And football deserves better too.
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