jeffcorner
Newbie
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2022
- Messages
- 75
I decided to look up the position nearest and dearest to my heart (WR...and receiving in general....so including TE, SE, etc.) utilizing the Sports Reference site. The year 1956 is when the website has almost all available statistical data for at least the Major College teams (there are some sporadic stats for teams pre-1956.....I've found Notre Dame data, Tennessee Data, and others). So I went from 1956 through 2025 and was trying to find out how many seasons DIDN'T have a White 1,000 yard receiver. So I looked at 70 seasons of receiving data. I'm going to list the seasons without a White 1,000 yard receiver (and notate the stats of whatever the top White receiver had that season and what it placed them so as to provide context) and then comment/summarize afterwards;
1. 1956- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
2. 1957- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
3. 1958- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
4. 1959- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
5. 1960- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
6. 1961- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
7. 1963- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
8. 1982- There were THREE 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Chris Castor who had 952 yards and 13 TDs. This placed him 4th overall in the Country for yardage.
9. 1986- There were FOUR 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Andy Schillinger who had 955 yards and 12 TDs (He was #1 in the Country for TD receptions). This placed him 7th overall in the Country for yardage.
10. 1987- There were SIX 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Robb Thomas at 891 yards and 10 TDs. This placed him 13th overall in the Country for yardage.
11. 1993- There were TWELVE 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Mike Senior with 962 yards and 5 TDs. This placed him 17th overall in the Country for yardage.
So we can clearly see the bias/discrimination against White receivers peaked in 80s through early 90s which correlates pretty closely to the NFL as well. For WHATEVER reason....to which I still don't understand, all of a sudden in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s it was somehow universal law or knowledge that Whites couldn't play receiver. I don't know. The good news is that, out of 70 seasons, 11 didn't have a White 1,000 yard receiver, and 7 of those didn't have ANY 1,000 yard receiver so truthfully we're talking about 59 out of 63 seasons in major college football where there was at least one White 1,000 yard receiver. That's good to know. It doesn't mitigate the real discrimination that has taken (and still takes) place for positions and physical attributes getting slotted for certain skin pigments (e.g. white "can't" be RB, DB, WR, etc. black "can't" be QB, Center, and so on)....but it does serve as a reminder that even when things SEEM terrible and insurmountable there is always a glimmer of hope, as long as you're trying. Interesting tidbit (IMO)......in 1962 and 1976 there was only 1 single 1,000 yard receiver in the Country and both were White.....1962-Vern Burke Oregon State & 1976-Steve Largent Tulsa. What say you all?
1. 1956- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
2. 1957- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
3. 1958- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
4. 1959- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
5. 1960- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
6. 1961- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
7. 1963- There were ZERO 1,000 yard receivers of an any ilk listed.
8. 1982- There were THREE 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Chris Castor who had 952 yards and 13 TDs. This placed him 4th overall in the Country for yardage.
9. 1986- There were FOUR 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Andy Schillinger who had 955 yards and 12 TDs (He was #1 in the Country for TD receptions). This placed him 7th overall in the Country for yardage.
10. 1987- There were SIX 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Robb Thomas at 891 yards and 10 TDs. This placed him 13th overall in the Country for yardage.
11. 1993- There were TWELVE 1,000 yard receivers. Top White receiver was Mike Senior with 962 yards and 5 TDs. This placed him 17th overall in the Country for yardage.
So we can clearly see the bias/discrimination against White receivers peaked in 80s through early 90s which correlates pretty closely to the NFL as well. For WHATEVER reason....to which I still don't understand, all of a sudden in the mid-1980s through the mid-1990s it was somehow universal law or knowledge that Whites couldn't play receiver. I don't know. The good news is that, out of 70 seasons, 11 didn't have a White 1,000 yard receiver, and 7 of those didn't have ANY 1,000 yard receiver so truthfully we're talking about 59 out of 63 seasons in major college football where there was at least one White 1,000 yard receiver. That's good to know. It doesn't mitigate the real discrimination that has taken (and still takes) place for positions and physical attributes getting slotted for certain skin pigments (e.g. white "can't" be RB, DB, WR, etc. black "can't" be QB, Center, and so on)....but it does serve as a reminder that even when things SEEM terrible and insurmountable there is always a glimmer of hope, as long as you're trying. Interesting tidbit (IMO)......in 1962 and 1976 there was only 1 single 1,000 yard receiver in the Country and both were White.....1962-Vern Burke Oregon State & 1976-Steve Largent Tulsa. What say you all?
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