People still identify them as black. The only reason they're allowed to prosper in the league is because they're black.
From what I have read on message boards, at least a good deal of dwfs (or maybe drunk mystery meat fans?) from around here, recognize these guys as mixed, as we have a large creole population (as in colored creoles who are mixed, and run a lot of stuff in New Orleans and look down on darker skinned people). The ones who recognize Lance as mixed love him, just like Graham, they loved Billy Miller too, who was a very mediocre tight end for the Saints, but very pale for a black guy, also love Kenny Vaccaro, not sure what mix he is, and mentioned before Kenny Stills.
Too often I have heard the concept that some of these mulattoes are a "perfect combo" of both races (from the dwf mindset) meaning they get their athleticism from the black heritage but smarts, football instincts, better hands and hustle from their White side. To me this just seems to promote the whole idea of racial mixing. I would say these guys are promoted for this idea, but I think there aren't enough dark as night guys to fill the league, there having trouble as it is with the half breeds, quadroons ( ever heard of quadroon balls, where these creoles claim to come from? get togethers where White people would get together with quadroons 1/4th black to create octaroons, which was considered exotic but just White enough to be civilized) octoroons or whatever mix you want to call them that they scout every freaking poly there is as well, anything non White.
but the whole mixed thing might just be here, because people are familiar with the whole creole thing, although still many dwfs around the area don't realize Jimmy Graham and Lance Moore aren't White and there are some "creoles" that could pass for White, usually a mixture of White, Indian and black. Back when they were "free people of colour" they started their own schools and made people pass a hair comb test to get in, if your hair was too nappy no getting in, not to mention they owned slaves themselves.
anyway im rambling, but yeah some of these mixes are viewed as some superhuman race, I think Ive seen someone post something similar on draftcountdown about athletes, particularly the qb position, getting a mix, the "right athleticism combined with intellect" so the view might be more widespread than just here where I live. Has anyone else heard comments like these?
BTW, we had some questioning on here when he was in college, relatively unknown on whether Mathews was White, then Gerhart came and starting having bigger and better games as the season went along and Mathews starting getting a lot of hype despite being more fragile, never completing a season healthy in a weaker conference and that carried over into his pro career after being picked 12th overall, so I think that answered the question.
Woodhead comes along and he has managed to stay healthy this year, go figure. The previous years he was looking like another Darren McFadden. He is good but isnt that great, it took him like 30 carries to get to 100 week, this isn't 1984 where running is that tough, I don't remember the Giants being that tough to run against this year.
Coming out he was considered by some a slightly smaller but faster and more dynamic version of Gerhart (ppl questioned Gerhart's ability in the passing game), but Mathews has been fragile, he ran a 4.45 compared to Gerhart's 4.53. He has 776 carries and only 1 run that went 40 yards or longer, it was a 51 yarder, this year. Gerhart has 276 carries and twice that number with a long of 67, and its not like Gerhart has been able to get into a rhythm that often.
Gerhart should have went 12th overall, but it was Mathews, or to the Texans, he'd be doing better than Tate right now. I don't know if he would have had to sit behind Foster, who was an unknown udfa the year before that draft, Ben Tate tears his knee and then Foster has a breakout season.