Warren Moon

Before Moon there were very few black quarterbacks in the NFL. He and Doug Williams, of the Washington Redskins, were among the first to find real success. His longevity and reputation for professionalism and success were factors in his eventual acceptance in the league. He and his family, however, were subjected to racist jeers by fans throughout his career when things were not going well for his team. Moon never succumbed to the pressure and always handled himself with discipline and pride.

While with the Oilers, Moon was never able to advance his team past the second round of the playoffs and became a scapegoat for the team's mediocrity. Although he set many team records and his personal performance was continually recognized, he was traded after ten years to the Minnesota Vikings where he believed he would have a more legitimate shot at the Super Bowl. In Minnesota, however, Moon was no more successful. Always a contender and never a winner, the Vikings and Moon suffered a similar fate as his Oilers had in the first ten years of his NFL career. His stay in Minnesota ended after the 1996 season. Injuries limited his abilities and his backup Brad Johnson asserted himself as the quarterback of the future.