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Wow. This is an interesting topic, I never thought about it before. So, what percentage of NFL players are black? Well, first off, about 70% of all NFL players are black. That is a staggering number when you consider that blacks make up only 13% of the U.S. population. It is an incredibly impressive feat of achievement for black athletes.
Why is it that so many football players are black? There are various theories on why the racial makeup of NFL players skews heavily towards African Americans. A big part of it is likely the cultural makeup of certain regions. Football is big among many neighborhoods and cities where there is a majority of black people and it has been since the early days of the NFL.
The economic implications are also significant. Football is a sport that provides pathways for usually economically disadvantaged people to build up their lives and gain financial stability. This is demonstrated by the fact that the average career salary of an NFL player in 2017 was $2.7 million dollars. This is nearly double the median household income of the United States.
So, why do so few black athletes make it to the professional level? This can be attributed to a number of factors such as access to the resources, training, and coaching. Many areas still lack in funding and resources and this prevents elite training opportunities from being available to all athletes regardless of their race or geographical area.
Adding to this is the fact that many talented athletes in disadvantaged areas lack the financial resources to move to where the elite sports teams are, and so they are unable to join the franchises.
It is also possible that racism is still a factor that plays a role in how many African American athletes make it to the professional level. Many businesses and institutions are still biased against minority candidates and this could be having an impact on the ability of blacks to make it to the professional level.
Overall, it is clear that racial disparities still exist in the NFL, and that more needs to be done to give African American athletes the opportunities they need to succeed.