Doug Williams: First Black Quarterback Drafted in the First Round Who Silenced Doubters with a Super Bowl MVP for the Washington Redskins

It look over 25 years to match his record!

December 13, 2026

This article was last updated by Alisha Shrestha on December 9, 2026

Doug Williams’s story is one of breaking barriers and delivering on the biggest stage.

In 1978, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers used their first-round draft pick (17th overall) on Williams, making him the first African-American quarterback ever taken in the first round of the NFL draft.

That was just the beginning of what turned out to be an NFL-changing history.

A decade later, as Washington’s quarterback, he became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl, putting up a historic performance that silenced the doubters.

By the time Williams retired, he had changed the game’s narrative: no longer was there any question that a Black signal-caller could lead a team to a title.

Born in Zachary, Louisiana in 1955, Williams grew up playing football in a small southern town.

Doug is also a Louisiana Sports Hall of Famer, who was inducted in 1993. (Source: LA Sports Hall)

He earned a scholarship to Grambling State University, an HBCU coached by the legendary Eddie Robinson.

Williams’s college career was spectacular: over four seasons (1974–77), he passed for 8,441 yards and 93 touchdowns, leading Grambling to multiple conference titles.

His poise and arm strength drew NFL scouts, so much so that Florida coach Joe Gibbs (who would later coach him again) declared Williams “the best quarterback in the draft” after scouting him personally.

These achievements were one of the reasons he set the stage for Williams’s pro breakthrough.

In the 1978 NFL Draft, Tampa Bay believed in Williams’s talent. They chose him with the 17th overall pick, making history in the process.

Williams became the first Black quarterback ever drafted in the first round, a major milestone in the league.

In Tampa Bay, Williams showed flashes of brilliance, including a win in his first career start, and earned PFWA All-Rookie Team honors in 1978.

He started for the Buccaneers over the next few seasons, but the team struggled. After the 1982 season, Williams left the NFL for the USFL and spent 1984–85 playing in that league.

His turnaround came when former coach Joe Gibbs, now head coach of the Washington Redskins, gave him a second chance.

In 1986, Gibbs brought Williams to Washington as a backup. Then, during the strike-shortened 1987 season, Gibbs named Williams the starter late in the year.

Williams won both of Washington’s playoff games, earning a Super Bowl berth.

In doing so, he became the first Black quarterback to play in and start a Super Bowl, carrying the hopes of many who felt NFL stereotypes about Black quarterbacks needed to be challenged.

Super Bowl XXII and MVP Performance

On January 31, 1988, Williams cemented his place in history. In Super Bowl XXII, played in San Diego, Washington trailed the Denver Broncos 10–0 in the second quarter.

Williams then took over the game. He passed for 340 yards and four touchdowns, including three touchdowns in that single quarter, and threw four touchdown passes in the 35–10 second-quarter explosion.

Washington scored 35 points in that quarter alone, an NFL playoff record, and the Redskins went on to dismantle Denver 42–10.

Williams’s four touchdowns tied the Super Bowl record for passing TDs in a game, and he was unanimously named Super Bowl MVP.

Doug Made History Over almost four decades ago. (Source: Getty)

That night was about much more than numbers for all the Black Athletes and Individuals in the USA, though the stats were impressive.

Williams’s performance shattered the myth that Black quarterbacks could not win championships.

ESPN reflected years later that Williams “changed a narrative that Black quarterbacks couldn’t lead a team to a title and became a folk hero.”

In becoming the first African-American QB to win the Super Bowl, Williams proved to critics and fans alike that skill, dedication and leadership are what determine success, not race.

His victory party at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., was proof that he had made his city proud and vindicated the faith the Redskins had placed in him.

Enduring Legacy in the NFL

Doug Williams’s legacy goes far beyond one game. Only two other Black quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl since: Russell Wilson with Seattle in 2014 and Patrick Mahomes with Kansas City in 2026.

The gap was over two decades how historic his 1988 achievement was historic. Williams undoubtedly is one of the most important trailblazers in NFL history.

His success opened doors and gave hope to many talented quarterbacks who followed.

After retiring as a player, Williams continued to serve the game. He coached at Grambling State twice and worked in NFL front offices.

The NFL Legend also served as the Senior Advisor.

By the 2010s, he had returned to Washington’s organization in a senior role and has been with Washington since 2014, now serving as a senior advisor to the franchise.

Off the field, Williams has remained active in supporting Black athletes and education. He co-founded the Black College Football Hall of Fame and helped organize an annual HBCU legacy bowl, using his influence to shine a spotlight on historically Black football programs.

Friends and younger players describe Williams as “Black royalty” whose name “carries weight”, a man people still admire not just for what he did on the field, but for how he treats others.

Decades after his Super Bowl triumph, people still watch highlights of that second quarter and recall how “that’s when he rose to the occasion and broke every record”.

This was a heartwarming moment compared by his Grambling coach to Joe Louis’s 1938 knockout of Max Schmeling, emblematic of its significance.

• Check other Articles on
• Doug Williams

Anish Koirala has loved sports since he was a kid. He grew up playing basketball and soccer, and that passion stayed with him over the years. Today, Anish works as a writer and editor, sharing his knowledge and love for the game through articles and stories. He uses his playing experience to make his writing clear, thoughtful, and fun to read.

Related articles

Youth Football Game Turns Violent After Mother...

May 8, 2026

Adairsville Cracker Barrel Witness Calls Police After...

May 7, 2026

Former Berkshire Baseball Coach Steve Smetana Arrested...

May 6, 2026

Madison Academy Team Doctor Dr. Jack Walker...

May 5, 2026

Comments

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Comment: Please enter your comment! Name:* Please enter your name here Email:* You have entered an incorrect email address! Please enter your email address here

Δ

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Share article

Youth Football Game Turns Violent After Mother Steps Onto Field and Kicks Player

- May 8, 20260 What was supposed to be a normal Saturday of youth football quickly became something no parent, coach, or child should ever have to witness....Read more Athlete

Jordan Haas, A Student-Athlete At Chatham University Passed Away At The Age of 21

- May 7, 20260 Jordan Haas a student athlete at Chatham University, passed away on Monday. He majored in psychology and was a member of the men's volleyball...Read more News

Adairsville Cracker Barrel Witness Calls Police After Man Repeatedly Slaps Toddler in Public

- May 7, 20260 A routine shopping trip at the Adairsville Cracker Barrel turned into a deeply disturbing scene recently when a local woman witnessed what she described...Read more Athlete

Edinburg High School Student-Athlete Sebastian Garcia’s Untimely passing Has Shocked Entire Community

- May 6, 20260 A student-athlete at Edinburg High School, Sebastian Garcia, passed away after a long battle with cancer. Sebastian was a member of the Edinburgh Runnin' Bobcats...Read more News

Former Berkshire Baseball Coach Steve Smetana Arrested for Rape of 12-Year-Old Girl in Parma Heights

- May 6, 20260 A former baseball coach with deep ties to the Geauga County sports community has been arrested and charged with the rape of a child,...Read more