Marlin Briscoe
| No. 15, 27, 86 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Wide Receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | September 10, 1945 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Omaha Nebraska | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 178 lb (81 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Omaha (NE) South | ||||||||
| College: | Nebraska–Omaha | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1968 / Round: 14 / Pick: 357 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Receptions: | 224 |
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| Receiving Yards: | 3,537 |
| Touchdowns: | 30 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Marlin Oliver Briscoe (born September 10, 1945) is an American former collegiate quarterback and Professional Football quarterback and wide receiver. In October 1968, after being drafted by the Denver Broncos, he became the first starting black quarterback in the American Football League and established a Denver rookie record of 14 touchdown passes that season. He played professionally for nine years.
From Omaha, Nebraska, Briscoe played high school football at Omaha South High School and college football at Omaha University, now known as the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Briscoe was 5-foot-10 and 177 pounds when the AFL's Broncos took him in the 14th-round of the 1968 draft. He started eighth on the Broncos' QB depth chart in training camp, so the team switched him to defensive back.
On September 29, 1968, starter Steve Tensi suffered a broken collarbone, and backup Joe DiVito was spotty. Head coach Lou Saban summoned Briscoe from the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Boston Patriots to give him a try. Briscoe's first play was a 22-yard completion. On his second series he orchestrated an 80-yard touchdown drive. He completed a 21-yard pass and ran for 38 more himself, carrying it the last 12 yards for the score.
When Marlin Briscoe broke the Denver huddle and surveyed the Cincinnati Bengals defense as he walked to the line of scrimmage on October 6, he became the first starting African-American quarterback in the AFL. Briscoe threw 14 touchdown passes that year in just 5 starts, including 4 on Nov 24 against Buffalo; both are still Broncos rookie records. He also threw for 335 yards in that game, a rookie record that stood until John Elway broke it in 1983, and one of only three 300+ yard rookie games in franchise history. He completed 41.5 percent of his passes, and averaged 7.1 yards per attempt and his 17.1 yards per completion led the American Football League (and ranks 18th all-time). He also ran for 308 yards and three touchdowns.
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