No matter what happens. You can't seem to find yourself in this country as a minority ever truly feeling that progress is being made. 

It always seems that there is an "ethnic" perception minorities must overcome in all walks of life despite success or celebrity. As a minority there are mechanisms you are taught to utilize to help undermine the learned behaviors of stereotyping and marginalization that permeate the American way of life. Things like "assimilation" or "code switching" are tools used to navigate spaces once denied to minorities, but now if granted access you are expected to exist in the way those opening the doors deem fit.

What tends to happen to many minorities in these spaces is that they typically deal with a cultural identity crisis from within, as some find themselves over "assimilating" to ensure they can stick around and benefit from the opportunities they have worked hard to obtain. Others find themselves suppressing themselves to ensure that their "outside" persona or cultural identity does not offend those who cannot directly relate. However, there are those who can adapt so well that they can achieve great things in these same spaces looking to marginalize them, but a lot of the times it comes with accusations of "selling out" through perceptively choosing to forego their cultural and ethnic authenticity.

Ultimately, for minorities in America it can be difficult seizing opportunities granted to you while still being accepted for who you are.

Looking back at the 2018 NFL Draft, where NFL prospect deliverables are to be centered around their unique talents and skills, whether many paid attention to it or not, we were reminded yet again how looking the part matters more. Lamar Jackson, who finished his career at Louisville with 9,043 passing yards, completing 57 percent, with 69 touchdowns to 27 interceptions, a passer rating of 142.9 and a Heisman winner in 2016 should have been at the top of all QB boards for all NFL teams who were struggling at that position. However, right on cue, the same ethnic biases that plague the common American workforce, reared itself on draft night of 2018.

Lamar's skills and talents displayed at the QB position in college became "questionable" on draft night. NFL analysts began to label him as a QB who relied heavily on his "athleticism" and wondered if that would translate well to an NFL style game. Some analysts even went as far as to say that a team drafting Lamar should consider convincing him of a position change to WR, because that is where they felt he could be best utilized on a pro level. Now while it was/is absolutely true that Lamar's athletic abilities were/are unquestioned, the nod to his athleticism was not used in a way to promote his value. This rhetoric has been used countless of times to promote the idea that while Black QB's could be skillfully tantalizing, they lacked the IQ required to be an NFL QB. To put it in modern terms, black QB's are always seen as not "Quarterbacky" enough.

However, in this same draft you had NFL analysts raving about the statuette figures of Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen who had the build and frame of a franchise QB. They were lauded with praise and adoration of how they could stand in the pocket and deliver the ball on time and with accuracy, which is not what analysts hinted Lamar could do. However, what is more egregious when you look back at this draft is that in the company of Darnold and Rosen was Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen who were two additional quarterbacks taken before Lamar in the draft (Baker number one and Allen number seven, respectfully). 

Baker was not the traditional QB. Neither was Allen. Both of these individuals did not have the standard QB body type. In all honesty, their comparable was much closer to Lamar than Tom Brady as both Baker and Allen showcased and used their athleticism similar to Lamar in college to make plays and lead their respective college football programs. But Lamar was drafted number 32. He was the last pick of the first round and of all the top QB prospects, the last one taken by the Baltimore Ravens.

This is what makes it hard to not make things about "race". When you want to move on. When you want to believe in progress. When you want to believe in the improvement of race relations in America. You find out it just isn't so.

At this point, rooting for Lamar Jackson is much bigger than football. It's rooting for change. It's rooting for acknowledging the discomfort many have when something doesn't come packaged the way they desire. It's rooting for honest and proper evaluations.  It's rooting for all of those who work hard, take care of their families, love themselves and where they come from unapologetically, love those around them, show humility and respect, and give everything they have to whatever it is they are doing in life.

Sports and competition should be the one place where it should be all about individual skill and talent. One's ability to produce at a high level and impact winning either individually or team. Of course it is still a business, so you want to coach your talent about the importance of maintaining great public relations, not getting into any criminal activity, etc., but the main objective is winning.  So how does a Heisman winning talent like Lamar Jackson fall to number 32? Why does he get told to consider switching to WR? Why is it important to note his college success is mostly due to his "athleticism"? Congruently, how do analysts proceed to watch Lamar outlast three of the four QB's taken in front of him who are either no longer in the NFL or not starting, win a league MVP award, have a current 62-24 NFL record, and become one of five QB's in NFL history to produce a perfect passer rating three or more times and still question his abilities? 

It's simple. The reason has always been in the way he talks. The way he carries himself. The way he decides to wear his hair. The communities he represents. The skin he bares. All of these things just make him not so "Quarterbacky".