It's the marquee position in the most watched sport in the United States, the NFL quarterback.

The eight-member class of 2021 was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Former Colts and Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning headlined this year's class.

Manning held the NFL records for career passing yards.

They become idols for millions of football fans, earn hundreds of millions of dollars,

and some even break out of the sports world and seal themselves into popular culture.

Tom Brady trading in the football field for the red carpet Tuesday at the premiere of his new movie,

80 for Brady.

But up until very, very recently, the vast majority of NFL quarterbacks were white.

And black players who wanted to play quarterback, many were flat out told to pick another position.

But history is going to be made this Sunday when the Kansas City Chiefs play the Philadelphia Eagles and Super Bowl 57.

The starting quarterbacks for both teams are black, for the first time ever.

I never always knew how far we'd come.

I never knew how far we'd go, but I never said it couldn't be done.

It's a cause for celebration, but also begs the question, what took so long?

I'm Gustav Riyadh.

You're listening to The Times, Essential News, from the LA Times.

It's Monday, February 6, 2022.

Today, the institutional racism that long-held black quarterbacks from starting in the

NFL, and why we're now seeing more of them than ever.

Elsie Granderson is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and he writes about culture,

politics, sports, and navigating life in America. LZ, welcome with the Times.

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