Washington Football Team Makes NFL History By Hiring the first Black General Manager, Team President

The Washington Football team recently announced that it hired Martin Mayhew as its general manager, making it the first NFL team to have a Black general manager and Black team president at the same time.

The organization made history last year when it hired Jason Wright as the first Black team president in the NFL.

“Martin is a proven general manager who will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization,” said head coach Ron Rivera in a press release. “He will be an integral part of running the daily football operations and will allow me the opportunity to focus more on coaching."

"He impressed both myself and Mr. Snyder during the interview process and we both believe he will be a tremendous fit here. He is a man of high character and integrity and was part of the rich history and tradition of this great franchise as a member of the Super Bowl championship team in 1991.”

With a more than 30 year career in the NFL, Mayhew served as the general manager for the Detroit Lions for eight seasons, from 2008 - 2015.

He started in the NFL in 1988 as a player for the Buffalo Bills (1988), Washington Redskins (1989–1992), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1993–1996).

He played nine seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Washington team in the early '90s.

After retiring in 1996, Mayhew transitioned into the executive side, in 2001, as the senior director of football administration for the Detroit Lions. He was promoted to senior vice president and assistant general manager in 2004, and general manager in 2008. Senior director of football administration.

Prior to the announcement of joining the Washington team, Mayhew was with the San Francisco 49ers as the vice president of player personnel.