Steelers legend has Hall of Fame wish for former QB Doug Williams

Pittsburgh Steelers legend and four-time Super Bowl champion Mel Blount wants to see former quarterback Doug Williams receive a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"Doug Williams broke down a lot of barriers and actually kicked in a lot of doors to open up opportunities for what we see in the NFL today," Blount recently told well-known Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter Ira Kaufman of the JoeBucsFan website. "When you look around the NFL and the number of Black quarterbacks, all of this, in my opinion, is the result of what Doug Williams was able to do."

As recently as this past February, Andscape noted that Williams does not possess "the statistical profile of a traditional Hall of Fame quarterback." However, numbers tell only a small portion of the story regarding what Williams meant to pro football both during and beyond his playing days.

Williams famously became the first Black quarterback to start and win a Super Bowl when he guided the franchise now known as the Washington Commanders to a 42-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXII on Jan. 31, 1988. He earned Most Valuable Player Award honors after he completed 18-of-29 passes for 340 yards and four touchdowns in that blowout win.

"When I look at what the Hall of Fame is about and what it stands for, you’ve got to get this guy," Blount, a Hall of Famer, added about Williams. "In our eyes, and when I say 'our' I’m talking about Black America, Doug Williams is a hero. He’s an American hero."

Both the Commanders and Buccaneers have Williams in their Rings of Honor. Back in January 2023, Williams acknowledged that it was "a dream come true" to see two Black quarterbacks — Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles — starting against each other in a Super Bowl.

"To me, it’s an embarrassment that we don’t have this guy in the Hall of Fame," Blount continued. "What Doug Williams left was a historical mark on the game."

Kaufman mentioned that Williams is no longer a modern-era nominee and, thus, could only enter the Hall of Fame as a senior candidate. Few would argue that Williams was a pioneer at the sport's most important position, and logic suggests the 68-year-old should receive a gold jacket in Canton sooner rather than later.