I recently asked myself why there are so few Black Kickers in the NFL, and was met with total perplexity. After doing some research, I could barely contain my utter shock. This reality is indicative of a bigger, systemic problem in the NFL.
As a die-hard football fan, I’ve always been familiar with this strange, unspoken phenomenon. Of course, there were a handful of Black kickers who’ve become household names, such as Stephen Gostkowski and Phil Simms. But, I couldn’t help but to think of the countless talented players not receiving the recognition they deserved due to their skin color.
Had I known why there are so few Black Kickers in the NFL, I would have rooted for those amazing players even harder. There are many reasons: fewer opportunities, hostility, and lack of visibility.
The narrow scope of opportunities for Black players in the NFL is evident. NFL teams limit the number of kickers they need, and when that need arises, Black players usually don’t get the chance to try. I’m not sure if it comes from an implicit bias or something else, but there’s little to no effort to reach out to talented Black kickers.
It’s no secret that the NFL is hostile towards Black players. This goes all the way back to the 1970’s, where protests of the Vietnam war and racism were widely met with criticism and disgust by White owners and players alike. It’s remained an isolating environment for Black players, creating a unique set of gruelling obstacles that can’t be found elsewhere in professional sports.
The lack of visibility has also been a major problem. Even when there are exceptional Black kickers in the NFL, their accomplishments and stories remain largely obscured by the unyielding force of White privilege and racism. I can even recall seeing countless articles of the racially-charged story lines of reoccurring Black offences, while Black kickers fail to even make the headlines.
It’s a travesty that talented Black kickers remain unrecognized and overshadowed by White kickers. It’s clear that systemic racism and bias have created an uneven playing field for these players, and until this problem is addressed, and corrected, we will continue to see the distressing lack of Black kickers in the NFL.