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.