Whatever happened to the white tailback?

**Bkfldviking** · 09-26-2008, 05:38 PM

Excellent article, a lot of good points and observations.
Amazed this permeates Pop Warner through the pros.
Readers comments at the bottom are a little shocking, but then again it was one instance in how many programs.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2...ge=hill/080926

ESPN Page 2

**ultravikingfan** · 09-26-2008, 05:45 PM

*watching

**Schutz** · 09-26-2008, 06:40 PM

In 2007, just 13 of the top 100 rushers in the Football Bowl Subdivision were white.

That is a crazy stat, but this one I didn't even know or believe right away.

The last time a white tailback was taken in the first round of the NFL draft was 1974, when the Los Angeles Rams selected Penn State's John Cappelletti with the 11th overall pick.

Recently, according to Gerhart, one of his friends was playing an NCAA video game and created a player with Gerhart's speed and dimensions (6-foot-2, 230 pounds, 4.43 in the 40-yard dash). When his friend made the player white, the game automatically described the video version of Gerhart as "power back." When his friend changed the skin color to black, he became an "all-purpose back."

And that is just funny/sad.

Also the last time I heard the phrase "great white hope" was reading about Muhammad Ali and the public wanting the guy knocked out.
Not saying the lack of white running backs isn't quite on the same level as what Ali did, but just saying.

Good article, and I agree with parts that a lot of it has to do with how a kid is recruited and treated.
This is the reason there just wasn't black QBs, or blacks being locked out of other key positions in the past.
It's not even hardcore racism is just overt racism of football guys doing what they think will win.

**Marrdro** · 09-26-2008, 07:06 PM

"ultravikingfan" wrote:

*watching

LOL, I bet you are.
;D

**Purple Floyd** · 09-26-2008, 07:38 PM

They play defense or soccer

**thepacksux** · 09-26-2008, 07:47 PM

Without throwing any stats out there... i tend to see the same thing with CB's.
It seems like positions with the "high end" speed as a major factor, there aren't very many white guys that excel at the pro level at those positions.

In any case, the only color i care about is PURPLE!!!

SKOL VIKES

**i_bleed_purple** · 09-26-2008, 09:08 PM

"thepacksux" wrote:

Without throwing any stats out there... i tend to see the same thing with CB's.
It seems like positions with the "high end" speed as a major factor, there aren't very many white guys that excel at the pro level at those positions.

In any case, the only color i care about is PURPLE!!!

SKOL VIKES

Seems to be true.
You'll notice the scrambling QB's are generally black, corners/speedy recievers are often black.
Although there seems to be a lot of white Linebackers, Olinemen and safties (and of course punters/kickers)