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Marlin "The Magician" Briscoe: The Legendary Quarterback of the University of Omaha

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In 1968, Marlin Briscoe was the first African American starting quarterback in the AFL. In Omaha, he is best remembered as a hometown hero, an exceptional athlete from Omaha South High School (1959-1963) who brought glory to the University of Omaha (the predecessor of the University of Nebraska at Omaha) (1963-1968).

At the Municipal University of Omaha (present day UNO), Briscoe flourished under coach Al Caniglia. He was an All-American quarterback who led the OU Indians to the CIC championship. He set 22 school records, including 5,114 passing yards and 53 touchdowns for his OU career.

Briscoe also played basketball for OU and was a member of the O Club, an honorary society for lettermen. He was also active in student government. He was the first black member of the OU Student Council, as well as the only "unaffiliated" student (meaning, not a member or a fraternity or sorority) elected that year, which highlights how greatly admired he was by his fellow students.

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