The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland; its headquarters and training facility are in Ashburn, Virginia. The Commanders have played more than 1,300 games and is one of only seven in the NFL with more than 600 total wins. Washington was among the first NFL franchises with a fight song, "Hail to the Commanders", played by their marching band after every touchdown scored by Washington at home. The Commanders are owned by a group managed by Josh Harris, who acquired the franchise from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for $6.05 billion.
Details of the history of black players in professional American football depend on the professional football league considered, which includes the National Football League (NFL); the American Football League (AFL), a rival league from 1960 through 1969 which eventually merged with the NFL; and the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), which existed from 1946 to 1949.
John Perry Pardee was an American professional football player and head coach. He played as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). As a coach, he is the only head coach to helm a team in college football, the NFL, the United States Football League (USFL), the World Football League (WFL), and the Canadian Football League (CFL). Pardee was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1986.
Douglas Lee Williams is an American football executive and former quarterback and coach. Williams is best known for his performance with the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos, making him the first black quarterback to both start and win a Super Bowl. He was named Super Bowl MVP after breaking two Super Bowl passing records: 340 yards total, and being the first to throw four touchdowns in a single quarter.
William Vernell Wood Sr. was an American professional football player and coach. He played as a safety with the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League (NFL). Wood was an eight-time Pro Bowler and a nine-time All-Pro. In 1989, Wood was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Edward Wayne LeBaron Jr. was an American Korean War veteran, United States Marine officer, and professional football player. He played as a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL).
Roman Ildonzo Gabriel Jr. was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the NC State Wolfpack, twice earning first-team All-American honors. Gabriel was the second overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft and played for the Los Angeles Rams for 11 seasons then five years for the Philadelphia Eagles. He was notable for being the first NFL quarterback of Filipino-American descent, as well as winning the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1969.
Edmund Raymond "Zeke" Bratkowski was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, and Green Bay Packers.
George Taliaferro was an American professional football player who was the first African American drafted by a National Football League (NFL) team. Beginning his football career at Indiana University for the Hoosiers team, he played in the NFL for the New York Yanks from 1950 to 1951, the Dallas Texans in 1952, the Baltimore Colts from 1953 to 1954, and Philadelphia Eagles in 1955.
Keith Allen Lyle is an American former professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Cavaliers. Lyle was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 1994 NFL Draft. He also played for the Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers.
George William Izo was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for seven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Washington Redskins, Detroit Lions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1960 to 1966, having earlier played college football at the University of Notre Dame.
Stephen Michael Tensi was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. He played professionally for the San Diego Chargers (1965–1966) and the Denver Broncos (1967–1970).
Eldridge Reno Dickey was an American football player. After playing for Tennessee State University from 1965 to 1968, he was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft. Dickey became the first African-American quarterback selected in the first round by an American Football League (AFL) or National Football League (NFL) team. Despite a strong performance during training camp, Dickey was moved to wide receiver for the start of the season. He never played at quarterback in an AFL or NFL game.
Colin Rand Kaepernick is an American civil rights activist and former football quarterback. He played six seasons for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). In 2016, he knelt during the national anthem at the start of NFL games in protest of police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.
The George Washington Colonials football team represented George Washington University of Washington, D.C. in college football competition from 1881 to 1966. The team's home field in the final six seasons was District of Columbia Stadium, shared with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League.
African Americans have played prominent roles in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and its precursors since 1946. In many cases black Americans have been able to pursue professional football opportunities in the CFL that were for one reason or another unavailable in the United States. Especially in the mid-20th century, many African American players came to Canada to avoid the racially charged atmosphere of segregation-era America. For many years, blacks were better represented in the CFL than they were in the National Football League (NFL), and achieved a number of "firsts" in the CFL years before the same was accomplished in the NFL. More recently, the CFL has provided opportunities for black, as well as other, Americans unable to break into the NFL.
Charlie "Choo Choo" Brackins was an American former quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers during the 1955 NFL season. Brackins is considered to be one of the first black quarterbacks to play in the NFL.
Guy Gilbert Gibbs Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions. He played college football at Texas Christian University.
Joseph William Dellastatious was an American college football player and coach. He played as a quarterback with the Missouri Tigers.
