Race in the NFLs most Critical Position: An Analysis of Draft Position, All Pro Selections, MVP Nods, and Performance among White and Nonwhite Quarterbacks
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Authors
Bondon, Micah S
Issue Date
2021
Type
Thesis
Language
Keywords
Football , NFL , Quarterback , Race , Sociology , Sports
Alternative Title
Abstract
AbstractThe United States (U.S.) has a complicated history with race and racism. Sports withinthe U.S. reflect these historical challenges—and the National Football League (NFL) is
no exception. Recent years have brought controversy after some players kneeled during
the national anthem to express support for Black Lives Matter (BLM), some of whom
suddenly found themselves out of jobs—the most famous example being former San
Francisco 49ers and University of Nevada quarterback, Colin Kaepernick. The purpose of
this thesis is twofold: (1) to see if race is a significant factor in decisions about NFL
quarterbacks, such as draft decisions, All-Pro selections, and MVP nods; and (2) to
determine if there are significant racial differences in the on-the-field performance of
NFL quarterbacks. Using data on 709 NFL quarterbacks, 1950-2020, regression analyses
were run to assess the impact of race on draft position, All-Pro selections, MVP nods, and
performance, controlling for other factors. The results of the analyses show that race is a
significant factor in All-Pro selections, with nonwhite quarterbacks receiving a
significantly smaller number of All-Pro selections than white quarterbacks. Interestingly,
though, nonwhite quarterbacks have significantly better on-the-field performance than
white quarterbacks. (No other models exhibited significant racial differences.) The
findings of the analyses suggest that the NFL—and particularly sports
writers/journalists—have some additional work to do to eliminate racial bias—especially
given the disconnect between All-Pro selections and on-the-field performance.