Marlin Briscoe, first Black starting up quarterback in AFL, member of undefeated 1972 Dolphins, dies at 76
Marlin Briscoe, who became the to start with Black commencing quarterback in the American Soccer League a lot more than 50 a long time ago, died Monday.
His daughter, Angela Marriott, informed The Associated Press that Briscoe, 76, died of pneumonia at a healthcare facility in Norwalk, California. He experienced been hospitalized with circulation challenges in his legs.
Briscoe, who was born in Oakland in 1945 and was four when his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, was a star quarterback for Omaha University just before the Denver Broncos drafted him as a cornerback in the 14th round in 1968. Briscoe explained to the staff he’d return property to become a instructor if he couldn’t get a tryout at quarterback. Denver agreed to an audition, and the 5-foot-10 dynamo nicknamed “The Magician” just about rallied the Broncos to victory as a reserve from the Boston Patriots on Sept. 29 just before earning the historic get started on Oct. 6.
“He’s designed an huge contribution to the activity,” Marriott mentioned. “I hope that he proceeds to get acknowledged for the contributions that he made. He was so very pleased of that achievement.”
Briscoe started five game titles that year. He was runner-up for AFL rookie of the 12 months right after passing for 1,589 yards and 14 touchdowns and speeding for 308 yards and a few scores.
In a commence in opposition to the Buffalo Payments, Briscoe passed for 335 yards and 4 touchdowns. Booker Edgerson, a Payments cornerback at the time, recalls having burned for 1 of all those touchdowns. The previous AFL All-Star and member of the Bills’ Wall of Fame thinks Briscoe could have been a Hall of Fame quarterback if not for racism.
“He would have been a person of the top quarterbacks that they’d be speaking about suitable now,” Edgerson claimed. “He would’ve been an additional … he would have been in there prior to Warren Moon.”
Denver did not give Briscoe a possibility to contend for the quarterback occupation in 1969, and did not present an rationalization. Edgerson recollects Briscoe telling him he did not come to feel the Broncos were ready to completely dedicate to a Black quarterback.
Briscoe turned Edgerson’s teammate in Buffalo the subsequent calendar year. James Harris was Briscoe’s roommate with the Expenditures in 1969, and Briscoe aided Harris grow to be the initial Black quarterback in the AFL to open up a time as a starter.
“It was at the time when Black quarterbacks were being currently being denied, so you tried to make confident you ended up best ready for the chance when it arrived,” Harris mentioned. “I was a lot superior off simply because Briscoe was my roommate.”
In 1974, Harris played for the Los Angeles Rams and grew to become the initial Black quarterback to earn an NFL playoff activity. He also was Pro Bowl MVP that period.
In the meantime, Briscoe gained a vacation to the Professional Bowl as a receiver for Buffalo in 1970 and received two Super Bowls as a receiver with the Miami Dolphins. He was on the undefeated 1972 Dolphins crew.
For all he accomplished, Briscoe hardly ever forgot the point that he dropped his starting up work in Denver with no prospect to earn it back again.
“It bothered him,” Harris explained. “Although he created the swap, he was disappointed. In get to however accomplish what he did below individuals instances — discouraged, unhappy — to be centered more than enough to be a higher achiever at a further placement took a distinctive makeup, a exclusive person.”
Briscoe was inducted into the Faculty Soccer Corridor of Fame in 2016, and the Broncos named a range coaching fellowship in his honor ahead of the 2021 season.
Very well just after his enjoying times, Briscoe remained outspoken about racial injustice. He was happy to have moved the needle in 1968, but he advised The Involved Push in 2018 he was upset that numerous strides manufactured in his working day experienced been misplaced.
“I grew up in the ’50s and the ’60s, when all that stuff was rampant, but you knew in which you stood,” Briscoe said. “Today, you thought that all people attitudes had been nonexistent or filtered absent to some degree, but with the Trump-isms, his philosophy has brought out of the woodwork that old-time believed approach. That is frightening — it definitely is.”
