Jacob Coker and Blake Sims are battling to be the starting quarterback at the University of Alabama. For many residents of the state, who wins the job is of greater importance than who is in the governor’s mansion, or whether the state ever has a lottery.
On one hand you have Coker; tall and dashing, with the prototypical QB skillset. He’s a pocket passer that – if Jimbo Fisher is to be believed – barely lost out at Florida State to the eventual Heisman winner. Coker has been the subject of fan adoration and media hype since well before he ever set foot on campus, and is being touted as a dark horse Heisman candidate before he ever throws a pass for the Tide.
“There’s a historical perspective that has to be overcome. There’s a long-standing notion that Alabama won’t start a black quarterback.”
If Coker is the dark horse, Blake Sims is the work horse. The senior has battled for his entire tenure at Alabama, trying to earn his way into the starting rotation. Sims is a scrambler who has more yards rushing (355) than passing (244), and has scored twice each with his arm and his legs. He’s vocal on the sidelines, but shy in front of a microphone. The media coverage of Sims generally revolves around the lack of coverage.
To most Alabama fans, it will be a shock if Sims ultimately wins the job. Most of that will be due to the hype surrounding Coker. But some of it comes from an entirely too predictable place, deep in Alabama’s psyche.
Jacob Coker is white. Blake Sims is black.
A comment on our Facebook page, buried in a mountain of playful trash talk between Tide and Auburn fans, shocked us, because it brings up the one thing that has not been discussed – not publicly, anyway – in the Sims-Coker battle.
"If a black QB gets the job, will they block for him? Will problems hit the fan, like [the offensive line] never knew the play, so they can point the finger?"
Before you say we’re trying to stir up a racial controversy where none exists, know that the comment was unprompted, unsolicited, and totally unexpected. It’s also from one of our most loyal African-American readers, not some caricature of the racist Southern redneck. And it wasn’t the only one.
"Bama fans are not going to let Sims play. If it’s not white it’s not right, so it will be a white quarterback."
It wasn’t that long ago that Andrew Zow and Tyler Watts more or less shared signal-calling duties. For coach Dennis Franchione, it was an issue of style of play. Watts was better suited to the option offense Franchione wanted to run, while Zow was a drop-back passer. An injury to Watts and an improving offensive line finally forced Franchione to take the field with Zow.
Among the fans, there were whispers that race was an issue. Zow was the superior athlete, the talk went, who was being kept off the field because of the color of his skin.
That only two black quarterbacks – Zow and Walter Lewis – have started a game for Alabama lends credence to that perception, if one is inclined to see it that way.
Tuscaloosa News sports columnist Cecil Hurt says it’s the fans – not the coaching staffs – who have held to that notion.
“There’s a historical perspective that has to be overcome,” Hurt said. “There’s a long-standing notion that Alabama won’t start a black quarterback.”
That perception has possibly been a contributing factor to the fact that the most talented black QBs – even those that are Alabama natives – have taken their talents elsewhere.
“The fact that there hasn’t been a [black quarterback like] JaMarcus Russell or Jameis Winston from the state who’s come to Alabama and played quarterback has affected that perception. But there’s no institutional bias that prevented them from coming here.”
Adding to that, the man who will ultimately make the decision has a track record available for all to see.
“Nick Saban in his career has started Rohan Davey, he’s started Jamarcus Russel … and wouldn’t have an issue with starting Blake Sims. And I promise you Nick makes all the decisions.”
Whichever player gets the nod, Alabama fans can rest assured that it was because Nick Saban decided Alabama has the best chance to win with that player. And a fan base divided by old wounds can unite around their starting quarterback.