“If you go to Grambling,” Robinson told Harris, “in four years, America will be ready for a Black quarterback.”
During those four years, Harris closely followed the progress of other Black quarterbacks, often visiting the library on Monday mornings to research how they were playing that weekend. Harris is 6 foot-4 and has worked since high school to customize his game the way professional teams want it to be. But when he saw the careers of his contemporaries come to a standstill, he almost left the sport.
Harris made it clear to teams prior to the 1969 draft that he would not switch positions. When he wasn’t enlisted until the 1/8th round, he took it as a sign to start a career in teaching and coaching.
“I just think it’s not worth it,” said Harris, 75. “I have no chance.”
Robinson convinced Harris to stay with football. Robinson told him that if he didn’t, it would be a long time before the Black quarterbacks had a fair chance.
Harris reportedly camped with the Buffalo Bills and quickly pitched the pass to Briscoe, who had made history the previous year as the Blacks’ first starting quarterback. But after making 14 touchdowns that season, a Denver Broncos rookie record, Briscoe was relegated to a reserve role and eventually signed with the Bills – as a receiver.
‘Joe won’t do it’
Once drafted by the patriots, Jackson seemed ready to start at the starting quarterback. The league seems to want this too, because Commissioner Pete Rozelle sent an aide to Boston once a week to check on Jackson and ask him how he was being treated. But the Patriots hired a new coach, Clive Rush, after Jackson enlisted. Jackson said, no matter how he performed in reality, Rush would tell him, “Joe wouldn’t do that,” referring to Joe Namath, whom he coached with the Jets.
