16: The story of Donovan McNabb

“They told the agent, we will never have a black
quarterback” 





Donovan McNabb had a career as an NFL quarterback spanning 13
seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was drafted
by the team second overall in the 1999 draft out of Syracuse
University and went on to lead the team to eight postseasons,
five NFC East Division championships, five NFC Championship games
and their first Super Bowl experience in 24 years. 





He was and remains an iconic player. His contribution to Eagles’
history was immortalized when his No.5 jersey was officially
retired by the team in a memorable halftime ceremony in
2013. 





His mother, Wilma “Char” McNabb is no stranger to the spotlight
herself after catapulting to fame in the infamous Campbell Soup
commercials in 2002. In this episode, she talks us through not
only Donovan’s rise to the top of his game but also how their
family tackled issues such as racism in football as we hear about
an era where seeing a black quarterback was still a rarity in
football  and how they rose above it and pulled together to
help Donovan achieve his dreams.