Marlin Briscoe Marlin Oliver ( Marlin the Magician ) Briscoe ( born September 10 , 1945 in Oakland , California ) is a former American collegiate and Professional Football wide receiver / quarterback who played professionally for nine years . Before being drafted by the American Football League ' s Denver Broncos in the 1968 Common Draft , Briscoe played high school football at Omaha South High School and college football at the University of Nebraska at Omaha . Professional career . Briscoe was 5 - foot - 10 and 177 pounds when the AFL ' s Broncos took him in the 14th - round of the 1968 draft . He started eighth on the Broncos ' QB depth chart in training camp , so the team switched him to defensive back . On September 29 , 1968 , starter Steve Tensi suffered a broken collarbone , and backup Joe DiVito was spotty . Head coach Lou Saban summoned Briscoe from the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Boston Patriots to give him a try . Briscoe ' s first play was a 22 - yard completion . On his second series he orchestrated an 80 - yard touchdown drive . He completed a 21 - yard pass and ran for 38 more himself , carrying it the last 12 yards for the score . When Marlin Briscoe broke the Denver huddle and surveyed the Cincinnati Bengals defense as he walked to the line of scrimmage on October 6 , he became the first starting African - American quarterback in the AFL . Briscoe threw 14 touchdown passes that year , still Denver ' s rookie record . He completed 41 . 5 percent of his passes , and averaged 7 . 1 yards per attempt and his 17 . 1 yards per completion led the American Football League ( and ranks 18th all - time ) . He also ran for 308 yards and three touchdowns . Before the 1969 season started , Briscoe still determined to play quarterback , discovered that head coach Saban intended to use Pete Liske as the starter , so he asked to be released . He then went to the AFL ' s Buffalo Bills where he was turned into a receiver since the Bills already had superstar Jack Kemp , former Pro Bowler Tom Flores and James Harris , another black quarterback with a more prototypical 6 - foot - 4 and 210 pound frame . Briscoe never played quarterback again , but he enjoyed a splendid career . He led Buffalo in touchdown catches in each of his three seasons there and in receptions twice . In 1970 he was in the top two in receptions and receiving yards and became an All - Pro . After the AFL - NFL merger , he played in the National Football League from 1970 though 1976 , mostly with American Football Conference teams . In 1971 , the Bills traded Briscoe to the Miami Dolphins for a first - round draft pick that became Hall of Fame guard Joe Delamielleure . Briscoe went on to win a pair of Super Bowls . Briscoe led the undefeated 1972 team with four touchdown receptions and was the leading receiver on the Dolphins in 1973 , catching more passes than future Pro Football Hall of Fame r , Paul Warfield . Briscoe made stops with the San Diego Chargers , Detroit Lions before ending his career in 1976 with the New England Patriots . Marlin had 10 receptions for 136 yards and 1 TD in 14 regular season games for the New England Patriots in 1976 . He caught a 16 yard TD pass from Steve Grogan in the Patriots 48 - 17 rout of the Oakland Raiders at Schaefer Stadium on 10 - 03 - 76 . Early in his career , Briscoe was intercepted by Boston Patriots AFL All Star Defensive Back Leroy Mitchell in Denver ' s 35 - 14 rout of the Patriots at Fenway Park on November 3 , 1968 . He is the only player to be intercepted by a Patriot player and catch a TD as a Patriot receiver . Retirement . Upon retirement , he moved to Los Angeles and became a successful broker , dealing in municipal bonds . Briscoe later started using drugs heavily , becoming addicted to crack cocaine . He lost his home and was mocked by dealers with the nickname " Seventeen - and - oh " in reference to what should have been a glorious reminder of his NFL days . His Super Bowl rings were auctioned off when he defaulted on a bank loan that had the rings as collateral . He also went to prison . Today , he works as the director of the Boys and Girls Club in Long Beach , Calif . , and has his own football camp for children . Briscoe is the namesake for the fictional high school in Nike ' s 2006 " " Football is Everything " " television and print ad campaign . The ads feature NFL stars Michael Vick , Brian Urlacher , LaDainian Tomlinson , Troy Polamalu and Matt Leinart ( as adults ) playing for the high school team coached by Don Shula , Jimmy Johnson , and Urban Meyer . Also making appearances in the ads are Deion Sanders , Steve Young , Lee Corso , Jill Arrington , Jillian Barberie , and Briscoe himself . A movie about Briscoe ' s life , tentatively called " The Magician " , is currently in pre - production . It will chronicle his football career , and his recovery from serious drug addiction following his playing days .