Doug Williams (NFL) newest HBCU Connect member!
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Posted By: Mercy C. on November 30, 2005 To visit Doug's profile/guestbook, click here: http://hbcuconnect.com/alumnidb/cgi-bin/se... Doug Williams was the first black quarterback in the NFL in the early 80s, the first quarterback from an HBCU and one of the newest members to the HBCUConnect family. Williams shares his thoughts and knowledge from sports to school…to you. How did you find HBCUConnect.com? “I don’t even know what I was doing. It was HBCU so it caught my attention…I don’t even remember.” A graduate from Grambling State University, Williams played football his whole school career, majoring in health and physical education. About Grambling, Williams said, “I had a great time in college, best time of my life.” He played football since 8th grade, along with baseball and basketball. Why did you choose Grambling? “Back then your choices were slim anyway, I grew up knowing Grambling.” What did you get from going to an HBCU? “I came out of [high] school in the early 70s and integration was just coming up. [I wanted] to have a good college life, to get an education and meet people.” How did you feel being described as the black quarterback? “That was all true; you can’t get around the truth, that’s what I always would’ve been. I knew exactly who I was and what I was.” How did you feel being a ‘first’ back in 1988? “I don’t even feel anymore, it was a game for me, it was work. It was 18 years ago; I’m not one to get hyped about a lot of stuff.” How has football changed your life? “My life is the same; you don’t let football change your life because you can’t do it forever.” Williams stopped playing football in 1989 because “you can’t play it for a lifetime,” he said. In 1988, Williams led the Washington Redskins to victory in the Super Bowl XXII, which made him MVP. What obstacles did you face in your career? “The defensive players.” (LOL) What do you do now? “I work for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the front office. I do a lot of different things, personnel, athletes, finding players.” Do you give a lot of opportunities to HBCU students? “The league is about whether or not they can play. It’s all about ability; it doesn’t matter where they come from.” How is college football different from the NFL? “It’s all about who you work for, in college its different cause it’s more fun. You don’t have a choice to work for who you want to work for [in the NFL].” Do you think football has changed in the past few years? “The game hasn’t changed, its more money involved in it than there used to be. It’s a lot tougher; you gotta be prepared year round.” What advice do you have for HBCU students trying to make it to the NFL? 1- “The worst thing a kid could do is say “I’m going to be a football player”…you have to go to school and get a degree. You don’t control whether or not you get a chance to play pro football.” 2- “People make decisions on whether or not you’re good enough to play for them.” 3- “It’s something you gotta be real about, at the end of day you have to say am I talented enough to play?” 4- “First and foremost get your degree, and let the chips fall where they fall…” Where do you see yourself in the future? “I’m in the future now.” Williams is 50 years old and a native of Louisiana, right outside of Baton Rouge. He currently lives in Tampa, Florida working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Williams has played with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1978-82, he also played for the US Football League (Oklahoma) and he later joined the Washington Redskins in 1986. Before coaching the Grambling Tigers, Williams was a head coach at Morehouse. He also worked as a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
Comments
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supp gee.... keep doing, doing what u do best >> www.georgesimons.ws Thursday, December 1st 2005 at 9:39PM |
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I think there is an error here. Doug Williams was not the first Black NFL quarterback. He is perhaps the best known. James Harris from Grambling was. He broke in with Buffalo and also played with San Diego. Saturday, December 3rd 2005 at 12:29AM |
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Mr. Williams, my mother, Loretha Bradley went to GSU with you back in the day. She has funny memories of her times in undergrad. She even told me about this funny nickname you had back then... I wont mention it though. Very impressive record in the league and the game. Way to represent and great words of wisdom. Saturday, December 3rd 2005 at 2:02AM |
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