Celebrating Black History Month: Pro Football Pioneers

Black history month is about celebrating the history and achievements of black history. Let’s talk about black history in pro football.  We have all heard the phrase, it is more than just a game and it is more than sports. Those phrases could not speak any louder about football’s ability to break down color barriers and normalize integration. The NFL that we know today is a lot different than when football was created. That being said the NFL has a long way to go with 0 Black NFL owners and only 1 NFL Head coach currently in 2022. I’ll dig in deeper here with Celebrating Black History Month: Pro Football Pioneers.

When football was first created, it was a combination of rugby and soccer.  Black athletes were banned from playing until the 1st black pro football player, Charles “The Black Cyclone” Follis joined the league in 1902.  He retired in 1906, he was replaced by the 2nd black football player, Charles “Doc” Baker.  When the American Professional Football Association was created in 1919 the league had eight African-American players.  One of these players, Frederick “Fritz” Pollard became the first Black professional head coach.  Pollard had led the Akron Pros to a Championship in 1920 as a player/assistance coach, before becoming the head coach.

Pro football looked as if it was heading in the right direction, but in 1933 black athletes were banned.  It was not until 1946 when the expansion Los Angeles Rams in response to limited integration were forced to integrate as part of them joining the league.  They signed veterans from other leagues, future Hall of Famer Emlen Tunnell of the New York Giants, and Kenny Washington from the Washington Redskins.  Integration expanded and had more success in the 1950s and 1960s.  Willie Thrower was the first African-American quarterback in the NFL, he played for the Chicago Bears.  The NFL had 11 black starting quarterbacks in 2021.

The NFL has made a lot of progress over the 100 years since its birth, but there is a lot of progress to be made.  Here is a list of some notable achievements:

• 1st Black Pro Football player – Charles “The Black Cyclone” Follis.  In 1998, the football field/outdoor track in Wooster, Ohio at Wooster High School was named Follis field.  Follis contracted pneumonia after playing a game with the Giants and died in Cleveland on April 5th, 1910.  Hollis was only 31 years old.
• 1st Black NFL Draftee – George Talliaferro, Talliaferro never played in the NFL. After leading the University of Indiana to their only undefeated season and being drafted by the Chicago Bears, he played in the AAFL for the Los Angeles Dons.
• 1st African-American NFL Draftee to play in the NFL – Wallace “Wally” Tripplett, Wally was given a scholarship at the University of Miami under the assumption that he was white and was drafted by the Detroit Lions
• 1st African-American NFL MVP – SF 49ers, RB – Joe “the jet” Perry.  Joe had an amazing career both on and off the field.  His achievements on the field included rushing titles, pro-bowls, and he is drafted into the 49ers Hall of Fame as well as is a member of the 1950’s All-Decade team.  Perry also served in world war II as a member of the United States Navy.
• 1st African-American Quarterback – Willie Thrower.  Thrower was not drafted into the league but was offered a 1-year contract to be a backup and his roommate was George Blanda.  Coach George Halas pulled Blanda mid-way through the season and put Thrower in at Quarterback.  Thrower moved the team down the field to the 15-yard line, only to have Halas put Blanda back in.  The Bears lost and Thrower only played one more game for them.
• 1st African-American NFL General Manager – Ozzie Newsome.  Ozzie Newsome became the Cleveland Browns General Manager in 2002.  Newsome followed the team when they relocated to Baltimore and Newsome is widely known as one of the brightest NFL minds.  Newsome has two super bowl rings, one as a GM and one as the Vice President of Player Personnel.  His last 1st round pick as General Manager was Lamar Jackson.
• 1st African-American NFL General Manager to win a Super Bowl – Jerry Reese.  New York Giants Jerry Reese had early success with the New York Giants winning Super Bowls in 2007 and 2011.
• 1st African-American Super Bowl Quarterback, Doug Williams.  Doug Williams not only played in the Super Bowl as the first African-American quarterback, but he also won it with the Washington Redskins in 1988.  Williams success had a profound impact on today’s NFL
• 1st African-American Super Bowl MVP, Franco Harris.  Franco Harris became the first African-American Super Bowl MVP in 1975.
• 1st African-American Head Coach of the modern era – Art Shell.  Art Shell was hired by Al Davis in 1988 to be Head Coach of the Los Angeles Raiders.  This was the first time the NFL had a black head coach since 1920.
• 1st African-American NFL Hall of Fame inductee, Emlen Tunnell.  Emlen “The Gremlin” Tunnell played as well as coached with both the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.  Tunnell was a 2x NFL Champion and went to 9 Pro Bowls.  Tunnell is a member of the 1950’s All-Decade team, the 50th-anniversary team, the 100th-anniversary team, and is in the New York Giants ring of honor.
• 1st African-American NFL field judge and head linesman – Burl Abron Toler.  Toler went on to work one super bowl during his distinguished career.
• 1st African-American NFL Referee, Johnny Grier.  Grier became the first black NFL referee in 1988.
• 1st African-American NFL Head Referee in Super Bowl, Mike Carey.  Mike Carey was refereed in SBLVII where Eli Manning and the New York Giants shocked the world by defeating the once undefeated New England Patriots.
• 1st African-American NFL Commentator, Lowell Perry.  Perry commentated on CBS on Pittsburgh Steelers Games
• 1st African American Head Coach to win the Super Bowl, Tony Dungy. Dungy defeated Lovie Smith in a historic game that also was the first time ever that a football championship included two African-American head coaches.
• 1st African American Female Coach, Jennifer King.  Jennifer King became the first female positional coach in 2021 with the Washington Football Team

The NFL as well as society in general still has a long way to go in continuing to normalize integration and to break down color barriers.  Although this list of trailblazers includes amazing accomplishments, this list should be longer, and the accomplishments should have happened sooner.  All of these individuals did something that no black man or woman has ever done before.  I look forward to this list growing and witnessing more milestones that will affect the next generation of football fans that we are all raising.  Thanks for your time in reading this article, please spread the word as we try to celebrate black history month.