Switzer: I Prefer Black Quarterbacks

Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer is on a roll.

Not many dudes can dog a player and praise him in the next breath, but if it keeps this good ol' boy in the spotlight that much longer, then he's not above having a public debate with himself.

And yet, that's nothing compared to what he said to a radio station out of Nashville.

When asked about how he chose his quarterbacks for the Sooners, Dr Barry and Mr Switzer showed their progressive side.

“I’ve always said I’d never recruit a white quarterback. The only way I’d ever recruit a white quarterback to play for me was if his mom and daddy would have to both be black, and that’s the only way I would do it."

I don't know if I should laugh at Switzer or be offended.

My question is, did the Ol' Ball Coach before Steve Spurrier was the Ol' Ball Coach feel that way while he was in Dallas and Troy Aikman was his quarterback?

There were always rumors that Switzer and Aikman never got along. Maybe it was because Aikman wasn't the right color in Switzer's eyes.

Or maybe Switzer thought he was on Nashville's hip-hop station.

I admire Switzer for being a pioneer in recruiting and playing black quarterbacks. With that being said, you play a player based on his abilities, not his race.

How ironic is it, though, that it was a black coach who gave Manziel a chance while other white coaches passed on him?

The old saying about never judging a book by its cover is a lesson Switzer apparently never learned.