Former Oklahoma and Cowboys coach Barry Switzer: ‘I’d never recruit a white quarterback’

The New York Daily News ^ | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 | JOHN HEALY

[MinorityRepublican]

Former Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer has been a pretty harsh critic of Texas A&M quarterback and possible No. 1 draft pick Johnny Manziel. On Thursday, Switzer took that criticism to a new level. In an interview with WNSR Sports Radio in Nashville, Switzer was asked if he were an NFL coach, would he draft Manziel? Switzer begins by saying he “loves his ability, Johnny can play,” but out of nowhere Switzer brings race into the equation. "I've always said I'd never recruit a white quarterback,” Switzer said. “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. "My offense is a quarterback-fullback offense. I'd have to have a Jamelle Holieway, J.C. Watts [or] Thomas Lott. Those guys are gonna be my quarterbacks, they're great runners, they're great ball carriers and ... able to pass, complete some, and those guys could. Those guys could throw and run." The controversial comments come just one day after Switzer referred to Manziel as an “arrogant little p----.” What makes the comments even more puzzling is one of the quarterbacks he did recruit was Troy Aikman, who had a good laugh about it on Twitter.

[nickcarraway]

So was Al Capone.

[DariusBane]

What do you mean? He won a Superbowl gave fun press conferences, helped build the Nate Newton party house.

Look, is Barry a saint? No. Was he a character we won’t every see again from a bygone era? Yes.

Today everything is just vanilla. Back then... Well back then people had whiskey in the desk drawer at work, guns in the trunk, didn’t use seat belts when driving a car or helmets on a motorcycle. Very different time. He could not be a coach today.

[xzins]

FWIW, I do think the NFL offense is dull and unimaginative.

Can’t wait ‘til some defensive genius figures out how to make the NFL play a well-rounded offensive game again.

Also, I’m in favor of kicked extra points being from about 45 yards out and from a side hash mark, and to prevent field goals from becoming too valuable, I’d make them worth 2 instead of 3, the same as an attempted conversion after a touchdown. Field goals are far easier than the 2 pointer after a TD. Think conversions have only about a 45% chance of success, iirc. No way a field goal should bring more points than something that’s harder to do.