Black quarterbacks have always experienced difficult journeys while reaching for stardom in the NFL. Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon believes that former Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton is the latest black play caller to face racism in the NFL.
During a recent interview with CBS Sports, Moon brought attention to Newton’s unfair treatment by the white media and some football fans.
“A lot of the criticism he’s receiving is unfortunate and racially based,” Moon said. “I thought we were all passed this. … He’s being held to different standards from white quarterbacks. I thought we were passed all this stuff about African American quarterbacks, but I guess we’re not.”
Football analyst Nolan Nawrocki blasted Newton in a recent draft preview by saying that Newton is “Very disingenuous — has a fake smile, comes off as very scripted and has a selfish, merits makeup. Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that invites trouble … always will struggle to win a locker room.”
Nawrocki’s assessment of Newton was outlandish considering that Newton had enough poise, on and off the field, to lead Auburn to the national championship.
And it also appears that Nawrocki is taken back because Newton displays an overt form of confidence and is the antithesis of a submissive black athlete.
Moon will be criticized by some white-owned media outlets for injecting race into the discussion involving Newton. But Moon, who was forced to play for several years in Canada due to racist practices by NFL owners during the ’80s, knows that Newton’s skin color will be judged differently by NFL teams, the media and fans. –amir shaw
