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News & Notes with Ed Gordon 9:00 AM EST NPR

Doug Williams was the most valuable player of the 1988 Super Bowl, but he may be best remembered as someone who made football's coaching ranks believe that black athletes could play quarterback. In fact, one of this Sunday's starting quarterbacks, Eagles' Donovan McNabb, this week paid homage to Williams for laying the groundwork for other black QBs. I spoke with Williams by phone from his office with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I started by asking about his Super Bowl win 17 years ago.

Mr. DOUG WILLIAMS (Super Bowl XXII MVP): I think the older that I've gotten, the more I appreciate what happened 17-odd years ago, being able to play in that Super Bowl at that particular time. Even Coach Robinson told me that I probably would not understand the significance of what that game meant until I got older. And now I've gotten older, and he's right.

GORDON: And that's the great Eddie Robinson, who was your coach at Grambling, and someone who I know has been instrumental in your life. Let me ask you--that's coming back to you now. Donovan McNabb, who will quarterback the game on Sunday for the Philadelphia Eagles, paid tribute to you and Steve McNair, but in particular you, for being one who is now a trailblazer. You and I have known each other a long time...

Mr. WILLIAMS: Right.

GORDON: ...so we've been around for a while. But do you look back now and realize what you did?

Mr. WILLIAMS: Well, you know, quite naturally, I think a lot of people give me credit, and the credit that I get, I certainly have to give it to James Harrison and Joe Gilley(ph), you know, because I think their time was a little tougher than my time. And my time is probably tougher than the other guys' time, like McNabb and McNair and Culpepper and Jake and them guys. So I think each era deserves some accolades here, especially all the guys before me and, I'm sure, along with Warren Moon and myself, we both deserve a little bit. But these guys hopefully can take it to another level.

GORDON: Doug, how much pressure do you believe is still on? It's not the novelty it was when you were there, but still on an African-American at the helm of quarterback in the NFL.

Mr. WILLIAMS: Ed, you know, I basically--you know, I look at the NFL and I look at playing the position of quarterback the same way I do society, in a way. And, you know, a lot of people don't believe that, as an African-American, you can lead in the corporate world, you can lead in politics. So I think it trickles down to the athletic field, you know, not always the quarterback, but as coaches at this level and coaches at the college level. I still think we have that mentality and we got to get over. We certainly haven't made it, but we have made progress.

GORDON: Hey, Doug, how much did you, if at all, feel underappreciated when you played? I mean, I tell people--I remember a play when you were with Tampa Bay in the rough days. You rolled out and literally on the run threw a ball in the air 70 yards. I mean, I remember seeing that. How much do you feel, or did you feel when you were playing, underappreciated?

Mr. WILLIAMS: Oh, I still believe that I'm a little unappreciated. You know, the only African-American to ever play and win and be named MVP in the Super Bowl--you know, nobody calls Doug Williams and say, `Come on down to the Super Bowl. We got some appearance that we want you to make,' you know? And you look at all these other commercials and everything, even leading up to the Super Bowl--one night it was on ESPN and any other sports station--you don't see a lot of Doug Williams. So therefore--I mean, but at the same time, I don't cry wolf. We talking facts. And if I'm lying, you know, I just hope somebody stop me.

(Soundbite of laughter)

GORDON: Doug, let me ask you this: Let's talk you, present day. You're personnel executive for that first team, Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tell me about that life for you now.

Mr. WILLIAMS: You know, I take my hat off to the Glazers for giving me this opportunity, but I also--Jon Gruden, who I've known a long time, and Bruce Allen, you know, for the vision to say, `Hey, let's get Doug back to Tampa.' And I tell you, it's been a great reunion, because the community, the people who was Buc fans way back then, recognize that Doug Williams really probably wasn't treated the way he probably should have been treated when he was here, and now people always say, `We glad you're back.' And that's a good feeling when you're somewhere where people want you to be.

GORDON: Here's a question: Who do you think will win, and who are you pulling for on Sunday?

Mr. WILLIAMS: Well, you know, to sit here and say that I'm not pulling for Donovan McNabb, that wouldn't be fair to me and nobody else. And I am. But at the same time, we're fortunate enough in this league to have probably two of the best football teams playing in it. From day one, Philly was picked to be in the Super Bowl, and I'm so glad Donovan had a chance to see that whole thing through. And Tom Brady, who has been phenomenal the last three years as a quarterback, certainly has the character and ability to get it done. But I would have to say that, just because of history, history as an African-American, you gotta be pulling for Donovan McNabb, which I know--that don't necessarily mean anything, 'cause I run across a lot of African-Americans who told me I cost them a lot of money on Super Bowl day.

(Soundbite of laughter)

GORDON: Well, Doug, you certainly pulled it off. Former MVP of the 1988 Super Bowl and currently personnel executive for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football team, Doug Williams. Thanks, man, for making time for us.

Mr. WILLIAMS: Oh, thank you.

GORDON: We have one other football note: NFL career rushing leader Emmitt Smith announced his retirement this week. In an hourlong news conference, which at times grew very emotional, Smith thanked his first team, the Dallas Cowboys, for a tremendous ride, but said it was time for him to move on.

(Soundbite of news conference)

Mr. EMMITT SMITH: My 15 years, as some people would say, 15 minutes of fame, is up. My 15 years in the National Football League and service in the game of football, from a physical standpoint, has now come to a final chapter.

GORDON: Smith leaves the game holding NFL career records, most rushing yards, most carries and most rushing touchdowns. He led the Dallas Cowboys to three Super Bowl championships.

Thanks for joining us for our debut week here on NEWS & NOTES.

(Credits)

GORDON: To listen to this show, visit npr.org. NEWS & NOTES was created by NPR News and the African-American Public Radio Consortium. I'm Ed Gordon. This is NEWS & NOTES. Have a good weekend.