Clay Travis & Jamie Foxx Go Back & Forth Over NFL Black QB 'Excellence'

What a week it has been for OutKick. Between writer Bobby Burack opening the floor to future Pro Football Hall of Fame kicker Justin Tucker to give his side of the massage therapist drama to Jamie Foxx going back and forth with site founder Clay Travis over ESPN's fascination with "black excellence," it's been one for the ages. 

This is why you read. It's why you consume the social media. It's why OutKick is now one of the leading voices at the intersection of sports and culture in the United States. 

In a February 10 Instagram post, Clay went after ESPN over a tweet proclaiming it was "Black excellence" when Hurts won the Super Bowl and joined the list of black quarterbacks who'd won the Super Bowl. 

"ESPN should be embarrassed," Clay said on his daily OutKick show. "Jalen Hurts isn't an example of black excellence. He's an example of excellence. Every single athlete — white, black, Asian and Hispanic — should aspire to excellence. Your race should have nothing to do with the goal of you being excellent in your chosen craft.

"In fact, it's demeaning to say that Jalen Hurts is black excellence because what it presumes is that black excellence is rare. Excellence is rare. Excellence in all facets is rare."

Seems simple enough. 

Eh, not to movie star Jamie Foxx.  

"You do realize that it is a certain point in our country. African-Americans were not even allowed to play sports because it was against the law… you don’t have to say white excellence because you were never against the law… the reason, we acknowledge the fact that he happens to be African-American because for all of those African-Americans, who could not play because of the color of their skin, this is a big accomplishment for us… my name is WILLIE….," Foxx fired back at Clay via an Instagram comment. 

For the record: 

• Five black QBs have won NFL MVP in the last 10 years
• Black QB Patrick Mahomes now ranks 2nd in all-time playoff wins
• Seven different black QBs have started the Super Bowl since 2000
• Black quarterback Dak Prescott was the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL in 2024. He made $60 million
• Going back to 2021, the four highest paid quarterbacks in NFL history were all black
• 15 black quarterbacks started NFL games on opening weekend of the 2024 season

From what Foxx is telling us, we still have to have segregation when we talk about NFL quarterbacks because of what went on 90+years ago. 

In his follow-up video, Clay reiterated his stance above while noting, "Historically, I can understand [Foxx's] argument, but if you were growing up in the 1980s or the 1990s, or the 2000s, or now the 2010s, I don't think you've been discriminated against based on your race." 

"I think we have as close to an even playing field as is possible in the United States."