‘The Great Black Hope’: New Book Unpacks Legacy of Black NFL Quarterbacks

Grand Valley State University professor Louis Moore’s (left) new book, “The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans, and the Making of the Black Quarterback” explores the enduring challenges and triumphs of Black signal callers in a league where their presence remains a historic act. Any time a Black quarterback lines up under center, it probably shouldn’t be a historic act. Thanks to decades of racism and fear, a Black signal caller’s presence is, again, unfortunately, historic.& Grand Valley State University professor Louis Moore, the author of two books, is set to publish his third, “The Great Black Hope: Doug Williams, Vince Evans, and the Making of the Black Quarterback.” The Great Black Hope, which has a Sept. 24 pub day, digs deep into a 1979 historic event at Chicago’s Soldier Field. Evans, then Bears quarterback (1977-1983), faced off against Williams of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making it the first time two Black quarterbacks started against each other in NFL history. The book looks into the two quarterbacks’ upbringing, the forces surrounding them, and how both men dealt with being in a space where few Black men are given the chance to succeed. “I wanted to write a book about...