Advancing the Ball

In Advancing the Ball, Jeremi Duru explores the pivotal moment before Super Bowl XLI in 2007, when both head coaches were African American, a groundbreaking achievement stemming from decades of efforts to improve coaching opportunities for minorities in the NFL. The narrative centers on John Wooten's campaign against discriminatory practices, alongside attorneys Cyrus Mehri and Johnnie Cochran, leading to the establishment of the "Rooney Rule," which mandates that teams interview minority candidates for coaching positions. This compelling account highlights how their determined advocacy reshaped the NFL and contributed to the broader civil rights movement in America.