Welcome to Hip Hop 101 #5. At Super Bowl XXII in San Diego, CA, the Denver Broncos closed as a three point favorite against the Washington Redskins. A big reason why the Broncos were favorites was because of who was starting at quarterback. Denver was led by the highly touted John Elway while the Redskins were led by career backup Doug Williams. During the strike shortened year, Williams only appeared in five regular season games before being named the starter during the playoffs.
To get to the Big Game, the Redskins won two close games against the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. Although Williams played solid in both victories there was still doubt that a black man could win the Super Bowl. Yes, in 1988 Black quarterbacks were looked at as more athletic and agile but not great pocket passers, which was basically code language for having lower IQs than their white counterparts.
However, after falling behind 10-0 by the end of the first quarter, Doug Williams came out firing to start the second. He led Washington to 35 unanswered points before halftime, which included him throwing four touchdowns. When the game was over Doug Williams stat line read 18/29, 340 yards passing, 4 TDs and 1 INT with a passer rating of 127.9. Not bad for the first Black quarterback to ever start a Super Bowl.
Williams knew outside of the Redskins locker room there were few who believed he could outduel John Elway. If a more decorated quarterback would’ve started for Washington that day, they probably would’ve been the prohibitive favorites. But, that’s not what happened. Instead, Williams was named the MVP of the game and set a couple Super Bowl records, most touchdowns in a quarter (4) and most passing yards (340).
Up to that point, Williams was pretty much a journeyman in the NFL. Although he was a first round pick coming out of Grambling State University, Williams’ time to prove his true worth didn’t come until his football career was almost over. Williams knew he was a starting caliber quarterback in the NFL, he just never got a real shot until the biggest stage in football came calling.
When your time comes, will you play like a champion? Will you stay ready so you don’t have to get ready? Sometimes you have to win by default, meaning something out of your control must happen for you to get a chance. In Williams’ case it was poor play by and injuries to a quarterback that wasn’t as talented as he was. He knew he had to be the next man up and take full advantage of his once in a lifetime opportunity. And not only was he ready for the call, he exceeded all expectations.
Feel like you’re doing everything right but the opportunities are slim to none? Keep perfecting your craft. Never do things just for repetition, do them to find ways to get better. And when your number gets called, as Doug Williams’ did, be ready to go and play like a champion. Leave nothing to doubt about your preparation and performance.
For you to emerge as a true boss and give yourself the best chance at “Playing Like a Champion” when your number is called, here are a few suggestions:
- Study the greats so you’ll know what it takes to be great
- Challenge yourself to be great
- Eat foods that increase brain function
- Try new activities
- Get sufficient amounts of rest
- Know your weaknesses and work to lessen them
- Prioritize what means the most to you and use that as motivation
- Don’t wait for things to happen, create your own luck
- Avoid distractions
- Invest in your overall well being
- Eliminate bad habits
- Utilize gaps in time for self improvement
- Raise your spiritual awareness
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