FollowingFaye

An excerpt from the Undefeated -

What does it mean that the best HBCU quarterback is white?
Florida A&M and Ryan Stanley say they don’t see color in the historically black program
By Martenzie Johnson

BALTIMORE — When I first approach Ryan Stanley in the lobby of the Marriott hotel near the city’s waterfront here, the Florida A&M senior quarterback reaches out to shake my hand.

But seeing as I only consider myself professional in age only, I quickly dismiss his handshake and instead extend my arm at a 90-degree angle, hoping — or expecting — Stanley to catch onto the context clues. He does, our palms clasp like a chin strap buckle and we both bring each other in for a hug. The dap takes less than two seconds. We move over to a table in the back of the hotel lobby and commence our interview.

If this story were about almost any other quarterback at a historically black college or university (HBCU), our brief salutation would not be noteworthy. But Stanley, a tall and slender 22-year-old, is a white man playing a predominantly white position at a predominantly black school. And, well, that is noteworthy for a plethora of reasons, no matter how much Stanley — or his teammates and coaches — tries to downplay it.

https://theundefeated.com/features/what-does-it-mean-that-the-best-hbcu-quarterback-is-white/