Having played in Houston as a member of the Oilers for a decade, Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon knows exactly what it means to be an African-American quarterback at a position that has been dominated by white players since the inception of football.
While today’s version of the NFL is more diverse, there are still some out there who hold on to the archaic belief that African-Americans can’t play quarterback at the highest level.
Following the Houston Texans’ loss to the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday, racism was brought to light in a big way. Onalaska ISD superintendent Lynn Redden posted a comment on Facebook directed at Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson following the loss. It read, “You can’t count on a black quarterback.”
Watson himself has since responded to said comments, remaining calm in the process.
“I worry about me, so I’m not worried about what he has to say,” Watson said, via the Houston Chronicle. “May peace be with him.”
In turn, Texans head coach Bill O’Brien defended his quarterback in a big way.
“I don’t want to waste a lot of time responding to outdated, inaccurate, ignorant, idiotic statements,” the head coach said. “In this day and age, it’s amazing that this BS exists, but it does.”
It now looks like Moon has decided to get involved in the growing controversy — started by an ignorant man stuck in his old ways.
“I’d tell Deshaun what I told my son (Joshua) at my locker after one game,” Moon said. “There are some ignorant, racist people out there, but the majority are good. Unfortunately, it’s (racism) part of life. The way you deal with it is to ignore it.”
That’s some sage advice right there. While we’re hearing more and more about segments of the population that make society as a whole look ugly, most people are good.
Having played in Texas at a time when racial divisions were more widespread than they are now in the Lone Star State, Watson would be wise to listen to Moon’s advice. At this point, it seems like he’s doing just that.