There was good reason Jackson State University wanted Steve Haren to be their quarterback.

As quarterback for the College of San Mateo, Haren combined to pass and run for over 2,000 yards in 2003 and was named the Golden Gate Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Jackson State needed a quarterback who could run, pass, read the defense and audible when necessary. Haren fit the bill.

There was just one small detail: Haren would become the first white quarterback in the history of the traditionally black university in the Deep South — where racial tensions go both ways.

When the Jackson State coaching staff first contacted CSM head coach Larry Owens, the first thing Owens said was, “You know he’s white.”

“[Haren] was a guy they really wanted in his program,” Owens said. “I talked to Steve about it. ‘There are a lot of other opportunities for you to do, but this will be a challenge.’ No disrespect, but it’s the opposite of the Jackie Robinson thing.”

Haren wasn’t going to the Jackson, Miss. campus to be a pioneer. He just wanted to go to a school where football was king. He wanted to play the game in front of a packed stadium, where fans reveled in the experience of attending a college football game. He wanted to experience football in all its glory.

“Football is such a big deal down there, I thought that would be fun … just to be part of that environment,” Haren said. “I think the biggest thing, overall, was the tradition the school had and how much the people really cared (about football).”

Color not a factor

The general recruiting philosophy is looking for guys who can play football — regardless of skin color, said Jackson State interim head coach Daryl Jones, though he was not a part of the coaching staff during Haren’s recruitment.

“We were looking for a quarterback that could lead the team,” Jones said. “We didn’t say we were looking for a black quarterback or a white quarterback.”

Not that playing with athletes of other ethnicities was a big deal for Haren. He went to Menlo-Atherton High School and CSM and played with a number of black, Hispanic and Pacific Islander athletes. Haren felt prepared.

“The biggest thing to get used to was the tension. It’s hard because a lot of the guys think that white kids go to white schools and black kids go to black schools,” Haren said. “Their perception of white kids is what they see of white kids down there.”

It’s a different world in the South, Haren said, adding that there were some initially awkward moments when he first joined the team. Many of the players had never played with a white teammate.

“Finally, they saw that you’re just a young guy, like they were, and you were there to play football,” he said. “I thought, going in, these guys were sheltered in that they weren’t used to racial diversity, which took me a while to get used to. One of things I found is that I’m pretty sheltered and naive (when it comes to race relations).”

Jones said Haren was easily accepted because he didn’t put on airs or act like someone he wasn’t.

“The guys accepted him for who he was,” Jones said. “He didn’t try to pretend he was black.”

A challenge

Growing up in affluent, culturally-diverse San Mateo County, Haren looked at Jackson State as not only an opportunity to continue playing football but also as a way to challenge himself — both on and off the field. Owens believed if anyone could handle it, Haren could.

“I figured the racial thing was never a problem for Steve,” Owens said. “He’s pretty level headed and can handle different things and situations.”

Jones said coaching staffs at traditionally black colleges don’t stay away from white recruits because of their color. But he did say that coaches will look at a player’s background to make sure they have the mental makeup to play in a situation that could rattle lesser athletes.

“We do research the background and see how would fit in at a black university,” said Jones, who was the team’s quarterbacks coach during Haren’s time at Jackson State. “After talking with Steve, I felt he would be a good fit. He knew what he was getting into.”

For Haren, it was a chance to do something against the grain. He could have taken the easy route and went to a more racially mixed school — he had plenty of offers from other schools — but he figured why not take a chance with something not many people would be willing to do?

“It was an opportunity for me to put myself out there, to put myself in a situation that was totally different from anything I’ve ever done before; sort of separate myself,” Haren said. “I felt it would be easy to go places where things would go easy, but I don’t think I would have learned as much. Because I was given the opportunity, I’d be a fool not to take it.”

A harsh reality

And don’t think the student body didn’t know he was coming. When he showed up for class on the first day, he said he definitely got “looks” from the students, but not because he was white — Haren said there are a handful of white students at the school — but because he was the new quarterback in town.

“If you don’t play football, you’re not really of consequence, you’re not really seen,” Haren said. “Football down there is so ingrained in the fabric of people’s lives. Everybody knows who you are. [I] definitely got looks. Most people knew who I was. I wasn’t expecting that.”

Off campus, his race also brought looks — sometimes harsh ones.

Whenever he was off campus wearing any Jackson State University gear — such as a sweatshirt or hat — white people would look at him, he said, “like [I had] a terminal illness. Confusion almost.”

Haren said he went through typical growing pains — being away from home for the first time, being the new kid on the block, having new schedules and new everything. However, the race issue always weighed on his mind.

Haren found solace on the football field. After playing in nine games in 2004 — throwing for 213 yards and a touchdown on 25 of 44 passing — he was named not only a starter for the 2005 season but also a team captain.

“I hoped [being named captain] meant that the guys were seeing me as the quarterback of the team, as opposed to the white kid playing quarterback,” Haren said. “That was a turning point.”

Race is not a factor if a player excels, Jones said.

“Players are accepting. If you can play, they don’t care (about skin color),” Jones said. “If you can’t play, then color may come up a little more. It’s just the same as a black kid going to a predominantly white school.”

Wrapping up a career

Haren threw for 1,177 yards and five touchdowns in eight games this season. He didn’t play in the final three games because of a thumb injury and a decision to give Haren’s backup some experience. The team finished 2-9.

Nov. 19 marked Haren’s last competitive football game, a 31-14 loss to Alcorn State. As he walked off the field for the final time, his thoughts were not on all the obstacles he faced at Jackson State. Rather, it was the end of a chapter of his life that started when he was 5 or 6 years old.

“When I was walking off he field the last time, (I was thinking) how fortunate I was to have had all these experiences and successes I’ve had in football that got me to this point,” Haren said. “It didn’t have to be a storybook ending. (Not playing) these last three games weren’t going to make or break my football playing days. It was a culmination of a time in my life.”

Haren now faces another seven months of school before graduating and for the first time, he will be just a regular student — he won’t be preparing for the next football season. He admits it will be both easier and harder — he’ll have to find something to fill the void left by football. But Haren wouldn’t change any of it.

“I can’t say it was everything I expected because I didn’t know what to expect. I was willing to take each experience as it came. I had no idea. But I do know I wouldn’t change the experience for anything,” Haren said. “I’ve learned so much about myself. It gives you a lot of confidence in yourself, knowing that not only did I get by and survive, but thrived.”