MIAMI — It’s no secret that Black quarterbacks have historically faced a separate set of challenges.

They’re constantly asked about switching positions. They’re not thought of as natural leaders. They’re often criticized for running too much. The list goes on and on.

And while the stigma is certainly changing, in part due to talents such as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts, it wasn’t too long ago that Tyler “Snoop” Huntley faced similar scrutiny.

“It’s a little tougher on us,” the Miami Dolphins quarterback said Wednesday. The adversity, he added, just fueled him. “You want to just prove to everyone that you are who you think you are. You wouldn’t want something too easy because the easier it is, the quicker it goes.”

Huntley is the fifth Black quarterback to start a game in the franchise history. The road, however, was far from easy. Despite being named the Florida Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior, Huntley only received two offers from Power 5 schools before he eventually committed to the University of Utah. Even Huntley’s high school coach, Dameon Jones, was surprised at the lack of interest.

“It was tough for him coming out of high school because nobody gave him a shot,” Jones told the Miami Herald in 2023, noting that Huntley also received All-State honors and started for four years. It quite literally took a scout from Salt Lake City, to recognize what Jones already knew: that “this is an NFL guy.”

Added Jones: “The stereotypes are still there. I think the walls are slowly crumbling but the wall is still there.”

Although the 2024 season started with a a record-setting number of Black starting quarterbacks, it wasn’t too long ago that the position — at least at a professional level – lacked melanin faces. The first Black quarterback to start a game in the Super Bowl era? Marlin Briscoe in 1968, though he was later forced to play receiver to continue his NFL career. The first Black quarterback to lead his team to playoffs and make the Pro Bowl? James “Shack” Harris in 1974. The first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl? Doug Williams in 1988. This wasn’t just happenstance, either — at one point, NFL owners colluded to even prevent Black players from being drafted between 1934-1946.

Black quarterback pioneers “went through a lot to prove we could play, a lot to just get on the field,” Harris told Andscape in 2023. “But we always knew we could do it … we just had to get the opportunities.”

Huntley’s career likely wouldn’t have played out with the aforementioned quarterback’s contributions. Obviously everything eventually worked out for Huntley. After four years at Utah, the Dania native signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He played sparingly at first but when Jackson went down with a knee injury in 2022, Huntley became the Ravens’ QB1, even earning a Pro Bowl selection in the process. After a short stint with the Cleveland Browns and the Ravens once again, the Dolphins signed him in mid-September after Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion.

Although Huntley’s Dolphins stats don’t necessarily jump off the page, he did lead them to their first victory since Tagovailoa’s injury. Even better: his knowledge of the playbook has grown exponentially since his Sept. 17 signing. Don’t forget that Huntley started against the Tennessee Titans less than two weeks after his Miami arrival.

“I think ‘Snoop’ has really done a fantastic job becoming a part of our team in a way where teammates needed him to continue to develop and he has,” coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. “I look forward to seeing what he does today, because what I’ve learned from him is that tomorrow he’ll have an even better day and continue to stack through the week.”

Huntley even wanted to get some extra reps in with his receivers during last week’s bye.

“He told me to come back a little early so we could throw before, so ‘Snoop’ be trying to get that work in,” Jaylen Waddle said Monday.

With Tagovailoa available to be activated from injured reserve in less than a week, Huntley knows his days as QB1 are numbered. But similar to how he grew up watching the Teddy Bridgewaters and Rakeem Catos, he hopes that kids gain a similar inspiration from him.

“I want them to know that they can get here one day – just got to keep working,” Huntley said. “Ain’t nothing happening overnight. You can’t just be a Pro Bowler overnight. It’s going to come when it comes. Just got to work until it does.”

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