"Keep the Quarterback White"!: Rush Limbaugh's Social Construction of the Black Quarterback

Despite the prominence of professional football in U.S. culture, little research has been conducted examining the social construction of race in the game. People have a cultural perception of race; what effect does this perception have on the players? There has been research on the historical struggles of Black athletes in collegiate football, as well as lasting issues of racism. To add to this body of literature, this analysis will focus on the institutional racism embedded in the drafting practices of quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL). This paper finds that institutional racism has a lasting effect on the hiring of Black quarterbacks in the NFL. This study specifically compares the minority status of Black quarterbacks to the majority status of Black athletes in professional and collegiate football. Key Terms: Rush Limbaugh, Race, American Football, Quarterbacks 1 Van Otterloo: "Keep the Quarterback White"! Published by Scholarship & Creative Works @ Digital UNC, 2013