Marlin Briscoe
Encyclopedia
Marlin Oliver Briscoe (born September 10, 1945 in Oakland, California
) is a former American collegiate and Professional Football
wide receiver
/quarterback
who played professionally for nine years. Before being drafted by the American Football League
's Denver Broncos
in the 1968 Common Draft
, Briscoe played high school football
at Omaha South High School
and college football
at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
.
On September 29, 1968, starter Steve Tensi
suffered a broken collarbone, and backup Joe DiVito
was spotty. Head coach Lou Saban
summoned Briscoe from the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Boston Patriots. Briscoe's first play was a 22-yard completion. On his second series he orchestrated an 80-yard touchdown drive. He completed a 21-yard pass and ran for 38 more himself, carrying it the last 12 yards for the score.
When Marlin Briscoe broke the Denver huddle and surveyed the Cincinnati Bengals defense as he walked to the line of scrimmage on October 6, he became the first
starting
black
quarterback.
Briscoe threw 14 touchdown passes that year, still Denver's rookie record. He completed 41.5 percent of his passes, and averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and his 17.1 yards per completion led the American Football League (and ranks 18th all-time). He also ran for 308 yards and three touchdowns.
The Broncos released Briscoe before the 1969 season. He then went to the AFL's Buffalo Bills
. He was turned into a receiver since the Bills already had superstar Jack Kemp
, former Pro Bowler Tom Flores
and James Harris, another black quarterback with a more prototypical 6-foot-4 and 210 pound frame. Briscoe never played quarterback again, but he enjoyed a splendid career. He led Buffalo in touchdown catches in each of his three seasons there and in receptions twice. In 1970
he was in the top two in receptions and receiving yards and became an All-Pro.
After the AFL-NFL merger
, he played in the National Football League
from 1970
though 1976
, mostly with American Football Conference
teams. In 1971
, the Bills traded Briscoe to the Miami Dolphins
for a first-round draft pick that became Hall of Fame guard Joe Delamielleure
. Briscoe went on to win a pair of Super Bowls. Briscoe led the undefeated 1972 team with four touchdown receptions and was the leading receiver on the Dolphins in 1973
, catching more passes than future Pro Football Hall of Fame
r, Paul Warfield
.
Briscoe made stops with the San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions before ending his career in 1976
with the New England Patriots
. Marlin had 10 receptions for 136 yards and 1 TD in 14 regular season games for the New England Patriots in 1976. He caught a 16 yard TD pass from Steve Grogan
in the Patriots 48-17 rout of the Oakland Raiders at Schaefer Stadium on 10-03-76. Early in his career, Briscoe was intercepted by Boston Patriots AFL All Star Defensive Back Leroy Mitchell
in Denver's 35-14 rout of the Patriots at Fenway Park
on November 3, 1968. He is the only player to be intercepted by a Patriot player and catch a TD as a Patriot receiver.
pop later started using drugs heavily, becoming addicted to crack cocaine. He lost his home and was mocked by dealers with the nickname "Seventeen-and-oh" in reference to what should have been a glorious reminder of his NFL days. His Super Bowl rings were auctioned off when he defaulted on a bank loan that had the rings as collateral. He also went to prison.
Today, he works as the director of the Boys and Girls Club in Long Beach, Calif., and has his own football camp for children.
Briscoe is the namesake for the fictional high school
in Nike's
2006 "Football is Everything" television and print ad campaign. The ads feature NFL stars Michael Vick
, Brian Urlacher
, LaDainian Tomlinson
, Troy Polamalu
and Matt Leinart
(as adults) playing for the high school team coached by Don Shula
, Jimmy Johnson
, and Urban Meyer
. Also making appearances in the ads are Deion Sanders
, Steve Young, Lee Corso
, Jill Arrington
, Jillian Barberie
, and Briscoe himself.
A movie about Briscoe's life, tentatively called "The Magician", is currently in pre-production. It will chronicle his football career, and his recovery from serious drug addiction following his playing days.
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
) is a former American collegiate and Professional Football
Professional football
In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country...
wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
/quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who played professionally for nine years. Before being drafted by the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 1968 Common Draft
Common Draft
The Common Draft was the name given to the selection of college football players in a combined draft from 1967 to 1969 by the American Football League and the National Football League . This took place after the AFL-NFL merger agreement in 1966....
, Briscoe played high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Omaha South High School
Omaha South High School
Omaha South High School is an Information Technology and Visual/Performing Arts magnet school which educates students in grades 9–12. It is one of the largest high school buildings in Nebraska....
and college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Nebraska at Omaha
University of Nebraska at Omaha
The University of Nebraska at Omaha is a four-year state university located in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Founded in 1908 as Omaha University, the institution became the public Municipal University of Omaha in 1931. It assumed its current name in 1968 following a merger into the University...
.
Professional career
Briscoe was 5-foot-10 and 177 pounds when the AFL's Broncos took him in the 14th-round of the 1968 draft. He was eighth on the Broncos' QB depth chart in training camp.On September 29, 1968, starter Steve Tensi
Steve Tensi
Stephen Michael "Steve" Tensi is a former professional American football quarterback in the American Football League and the National Football League. He played for the San Diego Chargers and the Denver Broncos .-See also:* Other American Football League players...
suffered a broken collarbone, and backup Joe DiVito
Joe DiVito
Joseph Charles DiVito is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback and punter for the Boston College Eagles and the Denver Broncos of the American Football League.-Boston College:...
was spotty. Head coach Lou Saban
Lou Saban
Louis Henry Saban was an American football player and coach. Saban played for Indiana University in college and as a pro for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference...
summoned Briscoe from the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Boston Patriots. Briscoe's first play was a 22-yard completion. On his second series he orchestrated an 80-yard touchdown drive. He completed a 21-yard pass and ran for 38 more himself, carrying it the last 12 yards for the score.
When Marlin Briscoe broke the Denver huddle and surveyed the Cincinnati Bengals defense as he walked to the line of scrimmage on October 6, he became the first
Black players in American professional football
Details of the history of black players in American professional football depend on the professional football league considered: the National Football League , which evolved from the first professional league, the American Professional Football Association, or the American Football League, , a...
starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
quarterback.
Briscoe threw 14 touchdown passes that year, still Denver's rookie record. He completed 41.5 percent of his passes, and averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and his 17.1 yards per completion led the American Football League (and ranks 18th all-time). He also ran for 308 yards and three touchdowns.
The Broncos released Briscoe before the 1969 season. He then went to the AFL's Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was turned into a receiver since the Bills already had superstar Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
, former Pro Bowler Tom Flores
Tom Flores
Thomas R. "Tom" Flores is a retired American football quarterback and coach. Flores and Mike Ditka are the only two people in the National Football League history to win a Super Bowl as a player, as an assistant coach, and as a head coach...
and James Harris, another black quarterback with a more prototypical 6-foot-4 and 210 pound frame. Briscoe never played quarterback again, but he enjoyed a splendid career. He led Buffalo in touchdown catches in each of his three seasons there and in receptions twice. In 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
he was in the top two in receptions and receiving yards and became an All-Pro.
After the AFL-NFL merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
, he played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
though 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
, mostly with American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
teams. In 1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
, the Bills traded Briscoe to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
for a first-round draft pick that became Hall of Fame guard Joe Delamielleure
Joe DeLamielleure
Joseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was...
. Briscoe went on to win a pair of Super Bowls. Briscoe led the undefeated 1972 team with four touchdown receptions and was the leading receiver on the Dolphins in 1973
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
, catching more passes than future Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
r, Paul Warfield
Paul Warfield
Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
.
Briscoe made stops with the San Diego Chargers, Detroit Lions before ending his career in 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
with the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. Marlin had 10 receptions for 136 yards and 1 TD in 14 regular season games for the New England Patriots in 1976. He caught a 16 yard TD pass from Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
in the Patriots 48-17 rout of the Oakland Raiders at Schaefer Stadium on 10-03-76. Early in his career, Briscoe was intercepted by Boston Patriots AFL All Star Defensive Back Leroy Mitchell
Leroy Mitchell
Leroy Mitchell is a former American football cornerback. In 1967 he joined the Boston Patriots of the American Football League. He played there for two seasons and was an AFL All-Star selection in 1968...
in Denver's 35-14 rout of the Patriots at Fenway Park
Fenway Park
Fenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
on November 3, 1968. He is the only player to be intercepted by a Patriot player and catch a TD as a Patriot receiver.
Retirement
Upon retirement, he moved to Los Angeles and became a successful broker, dealing in municipal bonds.pop later started using drugs heavily, becoming addicted to crack cocaine. He lost his home and was mocked by dealers with the nickname "Seventeen-and-oh" in reference to what should have been a glorious reminder of his NFL days. His Super Bowl rings were auctioned off when he defaulted on a bank loan that had the rings as collateral. He also went to prison.
Today, he works as the director of the Boys and Girls Club in Long Beach, Calif., and has his own football camp for children.
Briscoe is the namesake for the fictional high school
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
in Nike's
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
2006 "Football is Everything" television and print ad campaign. The ads feature NFL stars Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
, Brian Urlacher
Brian Urlacher
Brian Keith Urlacher is an American football player for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League . He attended the University of New Mexico, where he was one of the school's most decorated athletes. In addition to setting multiple university records, Urlacher earned consideration for the...
, LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
, Troy Polamalu
Troy Polamalu
Troy Aumua Polamalu is an American football strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He played college football at the University of Southern California.-High school:Troy Polamalu graduated...
and Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
(as adults) playing for the high school team coached by Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
, and Urban Meyer
Urban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
. Also making appearances in the ads are Deion Sanders
Deion Sanders
Deion Luwynn Sanders , nicknamed "Prime Time" and "Neon Deion", is a former National Football League cornerback and Major League Baseball outfielder who currently works as an NFL Network analyst...
, Steve Young, Lee Corso
Lee Corso
Leland "Lee" Corso is a sports broadcaster and football analyst for ESPN. He has been featured on ESPN's College GameDay program since its inception and he appeared annually as a commentator in EA Sports' NCAA Football through NCAA Football 11...
, Jill Arrington
Jill Arrington
Tiffany "Jill" Arrington is an American sportscaster with Fox Sports. She was previously a sideline reporter on college football for ESPN during the 2004 season.-Personal life:...
, Jillian Barberie
Jillian Barberie
Jillian Reynolds , best known by her former name Jillian Barberie, is a Canadian actress, television hostess, and sportscaster...
, and Briscoe himself.
A movie about Briscoe's life, tentatively called "The Magician", is currently in pre-production. It will chronicle his football career, and his recovery from serious drug addiction following his playing days.
See also
- List of American Football League players
- Timeline of Racial Tension in Omaha, NebraskaTimeline of racial tension in Omaha, NebraskaThe timeline of racial tension in Omaha, Nebraska lists events in African-American history in Omaha. These included racial violence, but also include many firsts as the African- American community built its institutions. Omaha has been a major industrial city on the edge of what was a rural,...
External links
- Photo of Briscoe in his first Professional Football (AFL) start.
- http://www.marlinbriscoefootball.com/
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BrisMa00.htm
- http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afceast/0-4-29/40-years-ago--Briscoe-broke-QB-barrier.html?lpos=spotlight&lid=tab8pos1