That it's no big deal Cowboys have 3 black QBs actually says a lot

06/03/2001

By Jean-Jacques Taylor / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING – A few weeks ago, the phone rang in Reggie Collier's Manhattan apartment. The voice on the other end wanted to know what it was like to be a black quarterback for America's Team.

Louis DeLuca / DMN Quarterback Tony Banks throws a pass during practice at Valley Ranch.

"There's no place in the league like Dallas," Collier said last week. "Everyone knows who you are, and there's no way to escape it. I think it will help him because he was in a similar situation at Georgia. He's probably not going to play much this season, so I told him to stay patient and be ready when his time comes."

No one knows whether Carter's opportunity will come this season or next season. But it's clear that Carter, who's close to signing a five-year contract worth about $4 million, represents the Cowboys' future.

Carter, though, finds himself in a situation no other black quarterback has experienced: He's competing with two other black quarterbacks for playing time.

When the Cowboys open training camp next month in Wichita Falls, Dallas will become the first team in NFL history to have black quarterbacks in their first three spots on the depth chart.

Tony Banks, who signed a free-agent contract in the off-season, is the starter. Anthony Wright, who started two games last season and played in two others, will compete with Carter for the backup job.

"I'm amazed that the Cowboys have three black quarterbacks on their roster," Collier said. "What it means is that teams want to win, and it doesn't matter what color you are if you're doing that."

It also means that NFL franchises have changed their attitudes of what a quarterback should look like. In 1986, there were four black quarterbacks in the NFL. Today, there are 22.

In Dallas, the local media has spent little energy chronicling the Cowboys' new quarterback setup. And it's rarely discussed on sports talk radio.

Louis DeLuca / DMN The Cowboys are the first NFL team to have three black quarterbacks on their depth chart, from left: starter Tony Banks and backups Anthony Wright and Quincy Carter.

Marketing QBs

They won three Super Bowls in four seasons in the '90s. Their stars – Emmitt Smith, Troy Aikman and Michael Irvin – were charismatic and marketable individuals. And their owner was the most aggressive in professional sports.

For 10 years, the names of Aikman, Smith and Irvin were synonymous with America's Team.

Now, Smith is nearing the end of his career. Aikman and Irvin have already retired. That means owner Jerry Jones must market a group of new players, most of whom are not household names. He has put the emphasis on the quarterback position.

Although the Cowboys finished last in the NFL in run defense last season and defensive tackle appeared to be the club's biggest need, Jones drafted Carter. Some critics suggested this was a marketing ploy because Jones needed an exciting player to keep Texas Stadium packed and his coffers full.

David Carter, a principle with the Los Angeles-based Sports Business Group. said Jones doesn't need gimmicks to market the Cowboys.

"He's been a guy who will take risks and make them pay off," Carter said. "He's found a way to get things done in terms of marketing for years. He's not a cookie-cutter owner.

Michael Ainsworth / DMN Cowboy quarterbacks Tony Banks (3), Anthony Wright and Quincy Carter (17) go through passing drills during the Cowboys mini-camp.

"Jones is such a visible owner and he has such a presence that the spotlight is always going to be on him. That alone will help him market the team."

Jones said he has never discussed whether the club needed to change its marketing approach because he was going to have a black quarterback. The Cowboys, he said, market themselves.

A survey last year revealed the Cowboys had the most recognizable sports logo in the world.

"If we're having success, we're probably going to have good quarterback play," Jones said. "It's about arm strength and mobility and reading defenses. People who can do that come in all shapes and sizes."

A year ago, few would have predicted this lineup of quarterbacks for the Cowboys, but Dallas waived Troy Aikman in March in a salary cap-related move. Jones considered obtaining the services of Ryan Leaf, but couldn't get a deal done. Eventually, Dallas signed Banks and drafted Carter. Wright was already in the fold.

Now, this quarterback trio will play in the shadows of Aikman, a future Hall of Famer.

"Whether you're a white or black quarterback doesn't matter if the team is 4-12," Carter said. "It's going to be hard for anyone taking over for Troy Aikman because of the charisma and personality that he had. Besides, every quarterback is going to be measured against him and the things he did, just like every coach is compared to Tom Landry."

Mark Clayton of the Marketing Arm, the firm that represents Carter, said winning and character sell to Madison Avenue.

"Does Jerry miss having a player like Troy Aikman? Yes," Clayton said. "If Quincy wins a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys, he'll have the same marketing appeal as Aikman because he has character."

Subtle changes

"It was very difficult to be a black player [in Dallas] in the '70s, and the problems ran the gamut," said former fullback Robert Newhouse (1972-83), the Cowboys director of player assistance and development. "There were social and economical issues and it was hard because you were young and confused about the world anyway."

Calvin Hill said being a member of the Cowboys awarded black players certain privileges, but that didn't mean they didn't ever have to deal with issues of discrimination.

"I remember [ex-Cowboys cornerback] Mel Renfro having to file a lawsuit so he could live in a North Dallas apartment complex," said Hill, "and I remember when [former tight end] Pettis Norman was traded after marching with Operation Push. I marvel at how much more cosmopolitan Dallas is than when I first came here."

The Cowboys organization was one of the first to aggressively scout historically black colleges in its quest to find the best players.

"It shows that the NFL and the world has changed so much," Wright said. "It gives hope to players coming into the league, especially black quarterbacks, that they're going to get a fair shot if they're capable."

In the '70s, the Cowboys signed free agent Drew Pearson (1973) and drafted Ohio State's Cornelius Green (1976), each of whom had played quarterback in college for running-oriented teams.

Pearson became one of the best receivers in franchise history. Green failed to make the team.

"Cornelius had a nice arm, but he played in a pass offense that wasn't too sophisticated at Ohio State," said Gil Brandt, former longtime Cowboys personnel director. "We drafted and signed our share of black quarterbacks because we were always looking for the best players."

So perhaps it should be no surprise that when the season begins in September, Dallas will have had six black quarterbacks. No franchise has had more.

Only Jacksonville, which joined the NFL in 1995, the New York Giants and San Francisco have not had a black quarterback.

The Collier season

It was a bad fit.

Collier's creative style and coach Tom Landry's insistence on perfect execution created a combustible mix.

"When I dropped back to pass, if I didn't see anyone open, I would take off because I didn't want to sit back there and get knocked out," Collier said. "When we had meetings, coach Landry would say, 'Reggie, we have people who run the ball.'"

Two weeks into the season, Landry asked Collier to play receiver because injuries had left the Cowboys thin. Collier played receiver against Detroit and Atlanta, but never had a pass directed his way.

"I just don't think Dallas was the place for me. It's not all their fault. I had a lot to do with it, too," Collier said. "It was quite different 15 years ago, but I was determined to play quarterback. I was young and wild. I wanted my chance to play right now, but being a black quarterback in the NFL at that time – in Dallas – required me to be patient."

Collier's only start came in the final game of the season, a 24-10 loss to Chicago. He completed four of nine passes for 44 yards and rushed five times for 32 yards. Dallas waived Collier in training camp the next season. He never played in the NFL again.

"Reggie Collier had enormous talent, but he had terrible work habits," Brandt said. "If Reggie had good work habits, people would be talking about what a great player he was right now."

The differences

"I didn't really get that much, and when I did, I didn't read them," he said. "I'd scan the letter and if I saw what direction it was going, then I'd just throw it away and move on. I didn't want to read them because I didn't want to take anything personally and have it affect my performance."

Tony Banks didn't receive hate mail for being a black quarterback at Michigan State. The Spartans had several black quarterbacks before Banks arrived on campus, including Willie Thrower, one of the NFL's first black quarterbacks. He played for Chicago in 1953.

Banks, though, said he was frustrated by the stereotyping that often accompanies a black quarterback's re`sume`.

"I felt sometimes in college that I had to walk on water to get credit nationally," Banks said. "When I came out, I was rated an athlete – not even a quarterback – until just before the draft.

"It's frustrating at times, but I always understood that I couldn't just be OK or average and get a chance."

Carter, who played at an all-black high school, said, "I stopped looking at being a black quarterback in high school. Doug Williams set the ground rules by winning the Super Bowl. He proved that if you play well, you stop all of the chatter."

Although Wright, Banks and Carter are mobile, none are considered runners who compare to Atlanta's Michael Vick. Or Philadelphia's Donovan McNabb. Or Tennessee's Steve McNair.

"I think every quarterback has to find his own niche," Banks said. "Mine is in the pocket living off my right arm, not my two legs."

Besides, Banks said he's always loved Dan Marino's quick release and pocket presence. Carter said he envies Peyton Manning's ability to read defenses. Wright said quarterbacks who can run and throw are the NFL's hottest commodities.

"All three of us have the ability to do some of the things Michael Vick can do and some of things Peyton Manning can do," Wright said. "If one of us can do both of those things at a consistently high level, then you would have a quarterback for the ages."