♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, historic matchup. two black superstar starting quarterbacks set to take the field on what's being called the blackest super bowl ever. >> i think you have to give credit to the historic moment that's about to take place. >> i want to continue to show the black quarterback can have success. >> we're with doug williams, the trailblazer breaking the color barrier in 1988 when he led washington to victory on football's biggest stage. >> you've got to be sitting in my shoes to really, really understand what is transpiring here, what this is all>> ro and plus 24 hours with the jonas brothers.

♪ the heartthrobs known for hits like "burning up" all grown up with kids and superstar wives. >> this is like an incredible ride you're going to be on. >> behind the scenes with exclusive access for one of the biggest moments of their careers. and how it almost didn't happen. for people who are a little intense about hydration. neutrogena® hydro boost lightweight. fragrance-free. 48-hour hydration. for that healthy skin glow. neutrogena®. for people with skin. my most important kitchen tool? my brain. so i choose neuriva plus. unlike some others, neuriva plus is a multitasker supporting 6 key indicators of brain health. to help keep me sharp. neuriva: think bigger. meet brett from apartment 2b. he's not letting an overdraft alert get him stressed. he knows he's covered with zero overdraft fees when

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♪ good evening and thank you for joining us. we begin tonight with super bowl sunday. if you're a football fan it's christmas, new year's eve, and your birthday all on the same night. tonight, though, ours is not a sports story but the social significance of a game. not xs and os but opportunity. what's lost when it's denied, what's gained when it's given, what can happen when heroes and history collide on national tv. super bowls have long been hip. this weekend's halftime headliner, rihanna -- ♪ this year is also historic. for the first time in 57 years, both teams will be led by two starting black quarterbacks. jalen hurts, whose philadelphia eagles dominated the 49ers in

the nfc championship -- >> here's mahomes rolling out on third and 4 -- >> reporter: versus patrick mahomes, who led the kansas city chiefs to an afc victory over the bengals on a sprained ankle. >> oh my gosh, the only time he had to use the legs fully! >> i think you have to give credit to the historic moment that's about to take place. >> we know who we are and what we're playing for. obviously we want to win, we want to have success. at the end of the day, about know we're stepping on that field for a much, much bigger reason. >> reporter: mahomes is in rarefied company as the third black quarterback to win a super bowl. hurts is chasing his first. >> you have these two black quarterbacks that means the two best teams in this sport were led by two young black men, which means they had to be tremendous leaders. and that they had to show incredible intellect. >> reporter: this week nfl commissioner roger goodell was asked why it's taken so long for this to happen. >> probably a variety of reasons. probably none of them good. because the reality is, there's

such great talent at that position, black and white. i think we have 11 black starting quarterbacks today. they're some of the best leaguers i've ever seen. they're extraordinary. >> reporter: in doug williams' day, "extraordinary" was impossible. 1988. >> williams. going deep -- >> reporter: douglas lee williams, rocket arm. >> 80 yards, touchdown! >> hello, sports fans! >> reporter: 6'4" of cool, calm, and cleats. >> williams right on stride with sanders! >> reporter: he was young, gifted, and black. >> he's the super bowl mvp. >> reporter: and did what had never been done. the first black quarterback to lead his team to the super bowl and win. >> every article that was written was never "doug williams, quarterback." it was "doug williams, the black quarterback." "tampa bay's black quarterback." that's removed. these guys are not only removing

those adages, theory moving the stigma that a black man cannot lead a team to the super bowl. >> you're smiling when you say that. >> i love it. it's hard to get to this. you've got to be sitting in my shoes to really, really understand what has transpired, what this is all about. >> reporter: at the intersection of sport and social change, williams' achievement on the gridiron ranks with what jackie robinson did on the ball field. jack johnson and joe louis in a ring. he defied the racist whispers about what a black man couldn't do, and he did it. i remember that day that for so many was so much more than a game. you're in san diego for the super bowl. i'm in a small country black church in a town outside orlando. old-school baptist church. the pastor did something he'd never done in my time at the church. he said, "folk, this sunday we're going to have a special altar call for doug williams."

>> wow. >> "because doug williams is about to do something that's never been done that we should celebrate." >> wow. >> the entire church went to the front of the church, all got on their knees and prayed for you. >> i knew something special was happening. >> reporter: something special born out of slights and struggles williams endured in silence. from being the lowest-paid quarterback in the league during his time in tampa, even his backup made more -- to the racism that literally showed up at his feet after a loss in the playoffs. >> i went to my locker after that. and a big box, nicely wrapped. when i opened that box, opened it up, a watermelon. a note, "throw this to the end." you know what that means, the "n" word. "maybe they can catch this." >> reporter: racist hate mail questioning their quarterbacking. often seen more as athletic than

cerebral leaders on the field. >> the quarterback position is considered the leader of that san francisco choice. also they're the face of the franchise. meaning this is the face you're going to introduce to sponsors. there was a discomfort with having a black face represent this corporation. >> reporter: just one year before williams' historic win, our own ted koppel questioned the then general manager of the los angeles dodgers about the lack of black leadership across sports. >> there's something we want to show you. >> i mean, there are a lot of black players, a lot of great black baseball men who would dearly love to be in managerial positions. whags i'm really asking you is to peel it away a little bit. just tell me what do you think it is? is there still that much prejudice in baseball today? >> no, i don't believe it's prejudice. i truly believe that they may not have some of the necessities to be -- let's say a field manager or perhaps a general

manager. >> you really believe that? >> well -- i don't say that they -- all of them. but there certainly are short -- how many quarterbacks do you have? how many pitchers do you have that are black? >> wow. hm. >> 1987, not all that long ago. >> yeah. that was my year. i mean, it might not be as blatant. but i still think it's here. i do. >> reporter: kampanas was fired within 48 hours of that interview airing. some are those who look at the element of race saying for sunday, see, that's fixed, we don't have to talk about that anymore, it's an even playing field, the glass ceiling's been broken? >> oh, no. no, no. we got too much to talk about,

talking about these two black quarterbacks. we've got to celebrate these two guys. but if you look at the nfl, the landscape, the black culture -- we've got so many black coaches who deserve opportunities to be coaches, general managers. until that, that's when you say we reach the plateau of being diverse and it doesn't matter what color you are. at this particular time, it does. >> reporter: in the league, 70% of the players are black. there are only a handful of black head coaches. few senior executives. >> we've seen offensive coordinators and defensive coordinators passed over. even those head coaches who did have a measure of success end up getting fired, not being rehired. whereas their white counterparts do get the opportunities to try again and again. >> reporter: just last year, brian flores, the former miami dolphins head coach, sued the league saying he was passed over for jobs because he's black. the league released a statement after the suit was filed saying, the nfl and our clubs are deeply committed to ensuring equitable employment practices.

we will defend against these claims which are without merit. there are a few trailblazing coaches like jennifer king, assistant running back coach for the washington commanders. >> i never in a million years would have thought i'd be where i am now interior in 2021, king became the nfl's first full-time african american female position coach. >> opportunity is everything. can you imagine if minorities and people of color would have got opportunities in the '60s and '70s? we probably wouldn't even be talking right now. at the end of the day, that's all we wanted. we didn't want to be treated special or anything, we just wantedn even playing field. >> reporter: jalen hurts is opening more doors for women with an all-female management team led by agents rachel everett and nicole lynn, the first black woman to rep a player in the super bowl. this sunday, jalen hurts and patrick mahomes will have their opportunity at glory, at history. as williams sees that the nfl's glass ceiling has not been

broken, today, however, there are doors and windows. in his prime, doug williams was given opportunity with matching handcuffs. this super bowl sunday, he will once again be in the stadium, not as a player but proud papa of sorts. watching not simply a game, but progress. >> there are some people out there, once you get the opportunity, people who would help you with it. because that day in san diego wasn't just doug williams alone. it was a collaboration of everybody working together. so it boiled down to one thing. do your job. we all did our job. >> and we who love football are better for it. >> yes, we are. >> thank you, sir. >> appreciate it. we turn from a story about possibilities to unimaginable pain. the growing humanitarian crisis from the deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake striking turkey and syria earlier this week. here's abc's chief foreign correspondent ian pannell on the ground in turkey. >> reporter: good evening,

byron. a devastating week for the people of turkey and syria. today the death toll from the twin earthquakes surpassing 21,000. there have been a lot of people coming up to us and complaining about the lack of government's help, but the scale of the need here is absolutely overwhelming. you can see the level of destruction, just one small town across an entire region. the window to rescue people alive closes. moments like these, seeing people who are still being rescued, becoming increasingly rare and increasingly remarkable. we saw this mother and her son, for example, in turkey being rescued alive from under the rubble, trapped there for three days. of course, sadly, there aren't going to be many more moments like this. for now i think the hope that drives this rescue mission is still alive. byron? >> our thanks to ian. if you wish to help, you can visit unicefusa.org/abcnews.

coming up, the jonas brothers. behind the scenes with exclusive access to the "leave before you love me" success. ♪ leave before you love me ♪ ve m isn't at its best. but a little metamucil everyday can help. metamucil's psyllium fiber gels to trap and remove the waste that weighs you down and also helps lower cholesterol and slows sugar absorption to promote healthy blood sugar levels. so you can feel lighter and more energetic. ♪ ♪ this all-new ariya is an elegant ev. yeah, with 389 horsepower. ♪ and all-wheel drive. ♪ it's beautiful. it's a beast.

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tonight we're behind the scenes with the jonas brothers. the 2013 split shattered fans. why the global superstars say they needed to break up and how it ultimately saved the group. here's my "nightline" coanchor juju chang. >> you know, normal day, waiting for international rock stars to enter the car. here they come.

>> just going over our notes. >> i see that. >> making sure we're aware what was we should say. >> exactly. "four score and seven years ago" -- >> 18 years ago. ♪ >> we're in the heart of hollywood. and the jonas brothers are preparing to receive the recognition of a lifetime. >> people ask all the time, do you still get nervous? i say, i don't get nervous for shows, i don't get nervous for anything really, except for things like this. >> make sure everyone's in their place. >> yeah, you just want it to go right. >> oh, yeah. >> reporter: the famous trio with me in tow are headed to hollywood boulevard, the walk of fame, to claim a star with their name on it. >> last chance to back out, guys. >> reporter: after nearly 20 years in the business, this honor yet more proof that the jonas brothers have already reached the pinnacle of success

in their early 30s. garnering acclaim and awards and stealing the hearts of fans around the globe. >> i'm going to cry now. >> we love here today -- he loves you, tony! ♪ i'm burning up burning up for you baby ♪ >> please help me welcome to the stage of jonas brothers! >> really, you guys are way too young to be talking about, oh, here's this crowning achievement, this star. >> you aren't sure if it's a good thing or bad thing. when we got the text, "congrats, you're going to get a star on the walk of fame." >> oh, is it over? >> does that mean we hang it up? you look at the last couple of years who have received these incredible honors and they're still kicking ass. >> reporter: and that's exactly what the brothers have been doing for two decades.

catchy songs like "only human." ♪ "burning up" sung by millions around the world. ♪ cause i'm burning up burning up for you baby ♪ >> reporter: hitting it big with collaborations like "leave before you love me." ♪ gonna leave before you love me ♪ >> reporter: their faces splashed across major magazine covers along the way, which helped sell more than 20 million albums. their newest coming out may 5th. >> let's go, first verse, let's do it. >> it's cool if i tell joe, hey, first one? >> yeah, i mean -- i think so. he's going to be cool. >> cool, cool. >> if he's like, i really want to do verse two, then we do that. >> let's get the top line all the way through. >> reporter: they've been recording their new tracks in new york city. >> i feel like it's definitely joe on -- >> okay, one more. >> full voice that.

>> got you. >> let me just maybe come in on the -- >> fine. >> reporter: hoping to bring a new sound to their fans. >> can you grab me on top of the choir? ♪ da da da ♪ ♪ da da da ♪ >> we're all parents now, which is a big difference to the last time we made an album. and obviously albums before that. i think naturally there are themes that are relevant to kind of the moment we're in in our life. >> sure. >> and that we hope, you know, people can connect in their own way to. ♪ >> the things we go through. >> i'm solid. we're going to lay it, let it roll. >> good. >> we got the goods. >> guys, we got the mix of our new song "wings." >> reporter: the album, something the brothers seem genuinely excited about.

♪ the need to fly away ♪ now seeing their names imprinted on one of the most famous sidewalks in america. they almost didn't make it here. at least not together. >> they are splitting up. >> their fans shocked. >> stunned at the bombshell news. >> is it for good? >> reporter: they went through a reckoning with each other and themselves. and spoke openly about what almost tore them apart in the amazon prime documentary "chasing happiness." >> the reality of it all was starting to herewith me. >> we're all so frustrated. and nothing is working. >> like, we hate each other, basically. >> i'm glad that that day we decided not to do this anymore, that we changed our minds together. >> you might think, oh, we technically broke up once already. that would make it more fragile. but in fact, it's the opposite. >> our thanks to juju.

for more on the jonas brothers, check out "impact by nightline." this episode is streaming now on hulu and new episodes drop every thursday. up next, art history. the artist making history at the super bowl. type 2 diabetes? discover the ozempic® tri-zone. in my ozempic® tri-zone, i lowered my a1c, cv risk, and lost some weight. in studies, the majority of people reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. ozempic® lowers the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, or death in adults also with known heart disease. and you may lose weight. adults lost up to 14 pounds. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles. don't take ozempic® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop ozempic® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. gallbladder problems may occur. tell your provider about vision problems or changes.

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♪ finally tonight, how phoenix-based artist lucinda ginohos is making here at the super bowl. >> when i first got that call from the nfl, i became overwhelmed with emotion and i started crying. >> reporter: lucinda ginohos

making nfl history as the f chi chicana indigenous artist for the super bowl. >> people see more than a painting. they see themselves in it. they become emotional. for native people and brown people, it feels they're being seen for the first time. >> reporter: this week she completed the largest painted mural ever commissioned by the nfl. >> this is a historic mark for us here in evenings, arizona, for us native people and brown people. so it's a very proud moment for me. >> our thanks to kayna. that's "nightline" for this evening.