Why Are All Running Backs Black?

Larry Meeks
Sat, 24 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

Dear Larry: I have a question that I have asked many people and never can seem to get a satisfactory answer. Maybe you can help me. Why are all the running backs in professional football black?

I have been told blacks dominate the running back positions because they have better speed, athleticism and agility than any other race. I do not necessarily believe this. I think it has something to do with genetics and selective breeding during the time of slavery.

Larry, do you know of any definitive answers to this question? — Mark
Updated: Fri Apr 23, 2010

Dear Larry: I have a question that I have asked many people and never can seem to get a satisfactory answer. Maybe you can help me. Why are all the running backs in professional football black?

I have been told blacks dominate the running back positions because they have better speed, athleticism and agility than any other race. I do not necessarily believe this. I think it has something to do with genetics and selective breeding during the time of slavery.

Larry, do you know of any definitive answers to this question? — Mark

Dear Mark: I am sorry to say I do not have a definitive answer. However, I have heard many opinions. Some seem plausible and others unbelievable, but none of them is based upon any scientific research I am aware of.

Some people have suggested blacks came from superior stock because only the very best/strongest were able to survive the rigors of crossing the Atlantic on slave ships.

Along that same line of thinking is what you suggested. Blacks endured hundreds of years of slavery and selective breeding. Thus, only the very best were able to achieve adulthood and pass on their genes to the next generation.

A more modern way of thinking suggests blacks naturally gravitate to the sport, and a higher percentage of them compete, much like the case with basketball. Some sports, such as hockey, are not popular sports in the black community and therefore have low representations of African-Americans in the professional ranks.

Another thought is football requires not only athletic ability but also a certain size. One's genetic code determines height and weight, and blacks coincide with the sport's requirements. To bolster this position, people state that this is why not many Asians or Hispanics are in football. They are genetically small compared with whites and blacks.

It is my belief that blacks excel in this sport/position because they are blessed with the right size and strength, plus they are willing to focus the necessary energy for excellence.

Dear Larry: I have read that a man named Toby Gerhart is being considered for running back in the National Football League but is being given a hard time because he happens to be white. The media have stated that his ability is impressive but that his race is being taken into consideration.

Larry, it is hard for me to believe that during this age, people are still color-conscious, especially in football. If ever there were a place where a person is selected based solely upon ability, it should be sports.

If this story is true and Toby Gerhart is being stereotyped because of his color, I am through with football. — An Ex-Fan

Dear A.E.F.: All races are guilty of stereotyping and discrimination. If you adjust your life based upon the behavior of a few, you will live a very unsettled life. Do not give up enjoying the game.

I encourage you to speak out against wrong, but know how to appreciate life even when society has not reached perfection.