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Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer was a guest on the Coach Les Show with Jeff Hauser on KJME Radio last week. Coach Switzer made some interesting comments regarding Christian McCaffrey and race. Switzer was talking about Cam Newton and all of the impressive things Newton has achieved. Switzer was then asked what he thought about Cam Newton's comments. For reference, Newton stated that:
"I'm an African-American QB that might scare some people because my skill set isn't like anybody else."
The interviewer asked what Coach Switzer thought about these comments given Switzer's history of playing the best players regardless of race. You can listen to the clip of Switzer's response below.
Barry Switzer discussing Christian McCaffrey
Courtesy of the Coach Les Show with Jeffrey Hauser on KJME Radio
Barry Switzer's relevant comments are as follows:
"I don't think any coach doesn't do that now. You gotta play all of your best players regardless of who they are, what difference does it make? Every coach coaching in this era today whether its basketball, football, whatever it is, you want to win. If you keep your job you win and that's the only way you keep the job is you gotta win and you're gonna put the best players on the field and play at every position . . . my playbook at Oklahoma, I wouldn't recruit a white quarterback because they always got beat out by black quarterbacks, and that's not racist, it fit my playbook. I recruit option quarterbacks, I recruit great runners. My quarterback - first team, second team, third team - were black so I'm discriminating against a white athlete.
. . . I've seen one white athlete that could play tailback, or running back maybe in the NFL and he's runner up to the Heisman Trophy winner this year. That kid out of Stanford is special. I had no idea how good McCaffrey was until I saw highlight films on him, and he is a special back. Not many white guys have got the speed, the gears, the movement and running ability the he has. If they did you'd see more tailbacks in the NFL but you don't, they're not there. So is that racist for me to make that comment? I'm just evaluating talent, I've done it for 50 years all my life recruited. I play the best players, all coaches play the best players."
Click below to listen to the full interview:
Courtesy of the Coach Les Show with Jeffrey Hauser on KJME Radio
What do you think of Coach Switzer's statements? Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below.