In 2002, the National Football League adopted the “Rooney Rule,” which requires any team engaged in hiring a head coach to assemble a diverse slate of candidates. At least in part as a result, there were a record seven black head coaches in the 2006 season, two of whom--Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts and Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears--now share the distinction of being the first African-American head coaches to lead their teams to the Super Bowl. In addition, with the appointment of Jerry Reese as General Manager of the New York Giants, the NFL now has a record six African Americans serving in General Manager or General Manager-equivalent positions. For more information on the history of this issue, visit the Fritz Pollard Alliance website. ...

The event highlighted the success of the NFL's inclusive hiring practices, and demonstrated the importance of inclusion in a broader social context. As ACS member Cyrus Mehri put it in a recent Washington Post interview, “I think you have to look at [the Rooney Rule] as a great success. . . . We came into this to change America's game. . . . Sunday gives us a chance to have America's game change America's consciousness."