USC BLACK QB HISTORY

Ahead of the Curve

By #USCBHM | USC Athletics Black History Month

February 11^th, 2015

By Sarah Bergstrom

Whether starting the first black quarterback in the now Pac-12 conference or bringing the NCAA’s first-ever “all-black” backfield into Birmingham, Alabama, USC has long been challenging the color barrier at the quarterback position. The members of the Trojans’ rich history under center over the last 60 years were both impressive and courageous for their contributions on the field, and their stories have done a tremendous amount to shape the current culture of USC football.

Willie Wood (1957-1959)

In 1957, Willie Wood became the first African-American modern quarterback in conference history. At 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Wood was not the biggest quarterback, but his speed enabled him to excel at the position in a way that not many had done before. USC was so ahead of the curve that Marlin Briscoe, the first modern black player to start at quarterback in the NFL, was not drafted by the Broncos until 11 years later.

Despite having a successful collegiate career, Wood was undrafted coming out of USC and had to try out to earn a spot on the Green Bay Packers. Signed as a free agent in 1960, Wood became a phenomenal free safety almost immediately. The rookie started in his first season and would start every year for the Packers until his retirement in 1971. He finished his NFL career as an eight-time Pro Bowl selection, five-time All-Pro selection, two-time Super Bowl Champion and has since been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

With his playing days behind him, Wood turned his attention to coaching and became professional football’s first African-American head coach of the modern era as the leader of the Philadelphia Bell in the World Football League. He later coached the Toronto Argonauts and became the first black coach in the Canadian Football League.

Jimmy Jones (1969-1971)

In 1969, Jimmy Jones, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound quarterback from Harrisburg, PA, became the next black starting QB at USC. Even though Wood had started 10 years prior, the color barrier at the position had not yet fallen, and Jones was still one of only a few black starting quarterbacks in D-1 football.

As a sophomore, and in his first year at the helm of the Trojan offense, Jones led John McKay’s “Cardiac Kids” to an undefeated (10-0-1) season and a Rose Bowl win over Michigan. He also appeared on a September 1969 Sports Illustrated cover, becoming the first African American quarterback to do so.

The following season, Jones was a key member of USC’s “all-black” backfield, the first in NCAA D-1 history, alongside fullback Sam Cunningham and running back Clarence Davis. The trio led the Trojans to an historic 42-21 victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in Birmingham in a game that’s credited with integrating college football in the South.

In three seasons, he led the Trojans to a 22-8-3 record and set school records for career and season passing attempts, completions, and yards as well as touchdown passes. He would go on to become a highly successful quarterback in the CFL for seven years.

Vince Evans (1974-1976)

Shortly after John McKay handed Jimmy Jones the reins to his offense, he passed them on to another talented African-American quarterback. Vince Evans, a speedy player from North Carolina, grew enamored with the Trojans and set his sights on adding to the rich history of the school over 2,000 miles away.

“The Trojans didn’t pick him, he picked them,” wrote legendary LA Times columnist Jim Murray in a 1988 article. “…He had a choice of going to any one of three all-black colleges when he happened to catch a USC-UCLA game on TV. O.J. Simpson and that white horse were running wild. He knew that was for him. Football and John Wayne in the same wrapping.”

He enrolled at Los Angeles City College to be nearer to the team for which he longed to play. Black quarterbacks were still not the norm in football, but John McKay only cared about starting players who could win, and so he recruited Evans who lettered at USC from 1974-76.

When John McKay left USC to coach in the NFL, many fans were not as supportive of the Trojans having a black starting quarterback as the coach had been. In the face of opposition, Vince Evans started the next season with the support of new head coach John Robinson and captained the Trojans to a 10-1 record, the Pac-8 championship and a victory in the 1977 Rose Bowl. He completed 14 of 20 passes for 181 yards and a rushing touchdown in addition to being named the player of the game. He was just the second black quarterback of the decade to win the Rose Bowl.

Evans was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1977 and went on to have a 19-year NFL/USFL career.

Rodney Peete (1985-1988)

After Evans, nearly 10 years passed before USC started another African-American quarterback – a game-changing player by the name of Rodney Peete. Peete had always been good at just about everything. The Arizona native had options coming out of high school – including being selected in the 30th round of the 1984 MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays – but he elected to attend college instead, and USC gladly accepted his talents.

In his four seasons at USC, Peete became one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever grace the Coliseum turf. Attacking opponents with both his arms and legs, he was the 1988 runner-up for the Heisman Trophy and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (given to the nation’s top senior quarterback) – the first USC player to ever win the award. He was also a first team All-American that season, completing 62.1% of his passes for 2,812 yards and 18 TDs. Peete led the Trojans to both the 1988 and 1989 Rose Bowls.

He was a four-year letterman (1985-88) and a two-time team MVP, setting 17 USC career, season and game records in his tenure. But his talents were not just restricted to the football field as he started in the infield on the USC baseball team for three years. He owned a .297 career batting average with 18 home runs and 84 RBIs. He was drafted three different times while at USC, twice to the Oakland Athletics (1988 and 1989) and once to the Detroit Tigers (1990).

Instead, Peete chose to pursue his passion for football and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in 1989. His career spanned 16 seasons in which he played for six different NFL franchises.