Now that all of the 2013 NFL draft picks are in and the
selections have been analyzed and overanalyzed, one pick that continues to be
discussed is the Buffalo Bills' selection of Florida State University
quarterback E.J. Manuel in the first round.
In a draft when most of the name-brand quarterbacks were
selected later than expected, Manuel seemingly came out of nowhere when the
Bills chose him with the 16th overall
pick. It was no surprise that Manuel was drafted but his selection in the first
round, as the first quarterback taken, was a major surprise to most.
The last time a FSU quarterback was discussed to this degree around draft time was 19 years ago. Ironically, on Draft Day 1994, a Florida State quarterback far more decorated than Manuel did not hear his name called at all. That QB's name was Charlie Ward and he was coming off a Heisman Trophy winning season in 1993.
The NFL of 1994 was not the NFL of RG3, or Russell Wilson, or Colin Kaepernick, or Cam Newton; and I still feel the hurt that was felt by many African American fans from what appeared to be the rejection of Ward by every team in the league.
Many excuses were served up as to why Ward was not drafted. There was talk that he could not decide between a career in football or basketball. Others said that Ward had issued an ultimatum to teams declaring that he would not play football unless he was selected in the first round. Some even contended that Ward simply was not cut out for pro football because he lacked great size and had not played in a conventional NFL-type offense at FSU.
Regardless of the many theories presented, for African American fans at that time who knew the history of the NFL, it was hard not to believe that the color of Ward’s skin combined with the position he played did not factor into the decision made by every team in the league not to draft one of the most celebrated quarterbacks in the history of college football.
Ward would go on to play 11 seasons in the NBA, mostly for the
New York Knicks. He never approached stardom as a professional basketball
player, but Ward always played with tenacity and intelligence while earning the
respect of teammates, fans and foes. Nonetheless, what Ward might have
accomplished in the NFL remains a frustrating, unsolvable mystery.
Perhaps we will get a glimpse of what Ward may have accomplished
in pro football when Manuel takes the field, even though the latest QB from FSU
is much bigger and is different from Ward in other ways, too. RG3, Wilson and Kaepernick are probably
better examples, when trying to figure out what Ward might have done in the
NFL. And although the media rarely
if ever compares a quarterback who happens to be black, with a quarterback who
happens to be white, I contend that Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees do many of the
same things that Charlie Ward performed on the field in college despite the
difference in their skin color.
The truth of the matter is that we will never know what Charlie
Ward could have done in the NFL because no one will ever play the game exactly
as he did. The same can be said
for Rodgers, Brees, RG3, Wilson, Kaepernick and now Manuel. Each quarterback is unique regardless
of ethnicity and deserves the opportunity to have his talent judged on the
field at the highest level the sport offers, if he is good enough to play.
Make no mistake about it Charlie Ward was more than good enough
to play in the NFL. The fact that
he did not play, regardless of the reason, was a disappointment to any football
fan during that era that desired to see the best compete on the field each
Sunday.
