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Last modified Sat., February 12, 2005 - 01:17 AM
Originally created Saturday, February 12, 2005[/FONT]
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Players get tips from legends[/FONT]
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'Field Generals' instruct black prep quarterbacks[/FONT]
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By CLENNON KING
River City News correspondent[/FONT]
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Jacksonville resident Albert Evans remembers watching Doug Williams become the first black NFL quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl.[/FONT]
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Marlin Briscoe (left) the first black starting quarterback in the NFL, coaches area high school football players at a youth clinic Feb. 5 at Ribault High School. Briscoe was a member of two Super Bowl-winning teams.
CLENNON KING/special[/FONT]
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He remembers NFL quarterback Warren Moon throwing more career passes than anyone in the league except Dan Marino and John Elway.
That's why he can't believe both legends were coaching his son on Ribault High School's football field in front of him Feb. 5, about 24 hours before Super Bowl XXXIX.
"I didn't realize I would see them in person," he said. "I'm excited 'cause I'm from the old school."
Evans' son, First Coast High School wide receiver Jamire Williams, was among about 40 African-American quarterbacks and receivers from Northeast Florida-area high schools invited to participate in the second annual youth clinic, sponsored by The Field Generals: The African American Quarterback Club.
"It ain't just about football," said Williams, the 1988 Super Bowl MVP and current vice president of player personnel with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He said he wanted to teach the participants not to let anyone tell them they couldn't do it.
Despite being considered "a dinosaur" by some at the clinic, Williams, a founding member of the Field Generals, put players through the paces, speaking their language and taking aim at a popular pastime.
"You got to get out of the air-conditioning," he said. "You can't throw the ball with a PlayStation."[/FONT]
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Doug Williams, most valuable player in the 1988 Super Bowl, gives some pointers to a high school player at the youth football clinic.
CLENNON KING/special[/FONT]
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Evans' son wasn't even born when Williams led the Washington Redskins in a 42-10 victory over the Broncos.
"I never heard of him, but I heard of Warren Moon when I was little," said the 16-year-old. "I saw him on TV."
Even before Saturday's practice began, Moon called players to a huddle, ordering them to pull their pants up around their waists.
"We wear tight pants in the NFL," he said. "Not loose ones."
It was two years ago that a core group of black former NFL quarterbacks launched the idea of The Field Generals, a non-profit group dedicated to teaching youths and preserving the history of the black NFL quarterback.
"We were at a funeral of a fellow black NFL player who we felt didn't get his due," said Marlin Briscoe, the first black starting NFL quarterback. "So we decided to do this."[/FONT]
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James Harris, former Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills quarterback and now vice president of player personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars, checks ball-handling drills.
CLENNON KING/special[/FONT]
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NFL quarterback Jay Walker, who played for the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots, lauded the pool of local quarterback talent, but said "the receivers were even more impressive."
After the 2 1/2-hour clinic, former Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills quarterback James Harris had players return to the huddle, giving them marching orders.
"I want you to learn these things and do them quicker," said Harris, now vice president of player personnel for the Jacksonville Jaguars. "Take it home and work on it with an urgency."
Not all the players were from Duval County or came with their parents.
Damon Pifer's father had to go to work Saturday, so the 16-year-old quarterback from Clay County High School drove himself from Green Cove Springs to participate.
"It was about fundamentals," Pifer said, sharing what he gained. "I learned a lot more about the mental part of the game."
Some coaches from area high schools also came.
"Our players need to meet people like these guys who are positive role models," said Fred Culver, First Coast High School football coach, who is black. "There are a lot of athletes out there, but not all of them are giving back to the community, like these guys."
In addition to Saturday's youth football clinic, the Field Generals announced they'll hold an essay contest and award four college scholarships totaling $10,000 to the winners. Those interested can visit www.fieldgenerals.com.
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