CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Five => Big Ten => Topic started by: Cincydawg on February 15, 2019, 08:08:51 AM
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https://247sports.com/college/georgia/LongFormArticle/First-black-player-college-football-129076637/#129076637_2
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"SEC speed!"
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/091507-USCNeb-CorsoHerbstreit_crop.jpg/287px-091507-USCNeb-CorsoHerbstreit_crop.jpg)
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So, Wayne Edmonds or Richard Washington = Fortune?
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In the 1890s the "butt cut" was apparently such popular hairstyle at OSU that even the black player had one.
(https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/288/666/4666288.jpeg)
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While I'm not surprised about Nebraska introducing black athletes early on, the fact that they instituted a 30-year color barrier until after the conclusion of WWII does surprise me. Maybe "backwards progression" was a lot more common than we're led to believe (George Flippin was seemingly the Nebraska version of Fleet Walker prior to the unofficial MLB color barrier).
As far as I'm aware, states like Nebraska and Iowa never formally adopted segregationist laws like some of their neighbors did (MO, KS, and OK most certainly did) but it's possible that Nebraska and Iowa State were forced to "drop" black athletes in order to comply with their conference mates' wishes.
Regardless of what happened, the first 100 years of CFB were definitely not very kind to black players, regardless of where they played. What's crazy is that even after Jackie Robinson successfully broke the color barrier in professional baseball in 1947, it took decades not only for every baseball team to formally integrate, but for black athletes to get a fair shake in most organized sports. And I also have a hunch that for both professional baseball and college football, many white coaches and players, even before ca. 1970, would have had no problem whatsoever having black players on their rosters. Yes, it may have taken some a little while getting used to having teammates of color, but when they saw what players like Jackie could do, they knew they were much better off with him than without him. Winning knows no color.
Finally, Jackie Robinson is rightfully a hero to thousands of black athletes, but really he should be a hero to everyone who has ever played organized sports. He not only gave black athletes a chance to compete at the highest level, but he also (albeit less directly) opened the door for Hispanic and Asian athletes as well. And it's his courage, tenacity, and the fact that he always played the game the right way that makes him the model sportsman.
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i may be on an island with this statement, but i attribute the desire to win- at all legal costs- and a quality of people who actually compete at higher levels have in abundance, to acknowledging the social ills of our racists past. without sports, organized and made prominent when the financial aspects were identified and leveraged, i'm thinking we'd just be entering the "1947" era right now, if we were lucky. If we were lucky: something would likely have broken and we wouldn't be here as one big happy family without sports and American capitalism that drove it.
in my opinion, if anyone ever decries the value of this game (and others though baseball is slipping), they need to be made aware of this promptly.
just my .02.
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I thought Willis Ward (1932) was the first for Michigan. (Ward's the one who Georgia Tech refused to play and for whom Gerald Ford threatened to quit if not reinstated.) But it was George Jewett (1890) and Ward was second. Hard to believe that gap was true. 42 years between their freshman campaigns. Is that because of a change in team policy or because the student population was so white? Either way. Wow.
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George Flippin attended the University of Nebraska from 1891 to 1894. He was the first African-American football player for the University. Missouri refused to play a scheduled football game, forfeiting 1-0 because of Flippin’s presence on the team. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1974.
https://unions.unl.edu/george-flippin (https://unions.unl.edu/george-flippin)
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I think it was a conference thing. OSU had black players before joining the Big Ten, but then they didn't for a while.
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I met Johnny Sain in 1992 who told me he was the first major leaguer to pitch to Robinson. He told me he just wanted to get him out.
Another guy I know was technical adviser for "47" and had a couple 2 second parts in it pitching.
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Not sure about OSU's first black player, though Bill Willis broke the color barrier in the NFL, along with another guy. I became familiar with Willis when some kids broke into his house and I was involved with the case.
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Willie Jackson, Sr - 1968.
His two sons, Willie Jr and Terry, starred for the Gators in the 90s.
Willie Jr was a slow, productive WR (#22) who ran great routes and Terry was a RB (#22) that was very well-rounded (catching the ball, blocking, running).
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Odd that the Hbcus weren't a lot better back when the SEC was so segregated.
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How do we know that? It's not like many current P5 teams were anxiously lining up to face the best HBCU squads a couple of generations ago.
Sort of like Samoan high school football. We have a hunch they'd probably lick just about any mainland HS team, but we'll never find out because of certain logistical factors.
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Yeah that is possible. Or it could be a situation like in the Midwest where the suburbs are quite a bit better than the inner city schools due to coaching and what not.
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this reminded me of an article a few years back about bama's first black players.
this first part of this excerpt was really interesting to me. link to article (https://www.al.com/sports/2013/10/too_easy_to_say_bear_bryant_wa.html)
In the winter of 1967, before there was a single black athlete in any sport at Alabama, and precious few in the SEC overall, Dock Rone worked up the courage to visit Bryant in his office and announce his intention to join the football team as a walk-on.
Rone told Dunnavant that Bryant replied this way: "You'd have to be proud of yourself for making this step. It takes a lot of courage to do what you're doing."
Rhone and four other black walk-ons started spring practice in 1967. None made it to the fall for different reasons, but it was another indication that Bryant's mind was open on the subject.
Pat Dye worked on Bryant's Alabama staff from 1965-73. He helped land Wilbur Jackson, the first black football player to sign with Alabama. But Jackson wasn't the first black player Alabama recruited.
"We tried to recruit a number of black kids that we didn't get," Dye said.
One of them was Bo Matthews, an All-State fullback from Huntsville's Butler High School. Alabama thought it would sign Matthews, and he went to Memphis the week the Crimson Tide played Colorado in the 1969 Liberty Bowl. But after spending time with a number of Colorado's black players, Matthews signed with the Buffaloes. He became an All-American there and the No. 2 pick in the 1974 NFL draft.
Another recruit that got away was Condredge Holloway, a three-sport star from Huntsville's Lee High School.
"We recruited Condredge Holloway as hard as we could recruit him," Dye said.
But one page in the history book had yet to turn. There still hadn't been a starting black quarterback in the SEC. Holloway would be the first but at Tennessee. As Holloway told AL.com's Mark McCarter (http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/02/holloway_always_appreciated_be.html) in 2011, Bryant had told him that Alabama wasn't ready for a black quarterback and wanted him to play another position.
"I respect Bear Bryant for telling me the truth," Holloway said.
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There was a black fella named George N Cole who was actually quite instrumental in the humble beginnings of OSU Football. Now how instrumental is up for some debate, as his story allegedly changed quite a bit over the years with each rendition making himself more and more of a central figure. Nevertheless, the final rendition of his story has been canonized in Jack Park's OSU Encyclopedia.
He is claimed to have purchased the school's first Football as well as Walter Camp's rule book so that they could learn how to play the game. He also got his HS buddy hired as OSU's first FB coach.
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Cincydawg (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=870), I appreciate you starting this thread. I recalled Iowa had issues playing Missouri when Iowa had a black player in the 1800s, and almost never played Missouri, a bordering state, thereafter. Your attachment is right, Iowa's first black player was Frank Holbrook. And this from Wikipedia:
"[In 1896] Missouri alumni demanded that Iowa play the game without Frank Holbrook. Coach Bull refused and stated that there would be no game if Holbrook were not allowed to play. The Iowa City Vidette-Reporter (the University of Iowa's student newspaper) reported, "When Missouri’s team came on the field, they were heartily cheered with the Tigers’ yell, followed by appeals from the rooters to individual players to ‘kill the ~unacceptable racist term~’."[3] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Kinney_Holbrook#cite_note-3)
During the game, there were several physical confrontations. The Vidette-Reporter continued, "There was hardly a man on Iowa’s team who did not receive a cowardly blow from the Tigers. Several were hit while on the ground. One man received at least three blows from the fists of the Tigers. Not for ten seconds did one of Iowa’s men forget himself or lose his temper. At all times they placed themselves near and about Holbrook."[4] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Kinney_Holbrook#cite_note-4)
Iowa won the game, 12-0, on two touchdowns, one by halfback Joe Meyers and one by Frank Holbrook. Iowa refused to play Missouri again until 1902. Before a 1910 game with Missouri, Missouri officials warned Iowa coach Jesse Hawley (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Hawley_(American_football)) not to bring black tackle Archie Alexander (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archie_Alexander) to the game. Hawley reluctantly agreed to Missouri's demands and Iowa lost 5-0. But Hawley later vowed that his teams would never face Missouri again, and the schools did not meet again on the football field until the 2010 Insight Bowl (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Insight_Bowl).[5] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Kinney_Holbrook#cite_note-5) "
Duke Slater was an Iowa All American from the 1920s, after whom Slater Hall, a University of Iowa residence hall built in the 1970s was named. He is regarded as one of Iowa's all-time greats. Duke Slater became a judge in Illinois.
Ozzie Simmons, black Iowa player from the 1930s (as told, in part, by Ronald Reagan) spawns Floyd of Rosedale (from Wikiepedia):
Ozzie Simmons is probably best known as the central figure in the story that spawned the Floyd of Rosedale (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floyd_of_Rosedale) trophy. As a talented black player in the 1930s, Simmons was a target of opposing players, which accounted for many of his numerous injuries. During a run against Northwestern University (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwestern_University), he was punched. In another game, a newspaper account says a player "rammed his locked hands into Simmons' face." [6] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_Simmons#cite_note-6)
Ronald Reagan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan), then a radio sportscaster in Des Moines and later the 40th President of the United States (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_United_States), said, "The problems were when you played another team that did not have a black. For some reason or another, then they would pick on this one man." Reagan then recounted a game against Illinois (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Illinois_at_Urbana-Champaign) when Ozzie was injured twice. Reagan said, "I saw (Iowa players) Dick Crayne and Ted Osmaloski walk over to the Illinois huddle during a timeout, and after the game I found out...they said, 'Do that to (Simmons) once more, and we're going to run you right out of the end of your stadium.'" [7] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_Simmons#cite_note-7)
But the worst treatment for Ozzie came in the 1934 game against Minnesota (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Minnesota-Twin_Cities). Just 12 years earlier, Iowa State (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_State_University)'s first black player, Jack Trice (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Trice), was killed by injuries sustained in a game against the Gophers. In 1934, Simmons was knocked out of the Minnesota game three times due to injuries. Simmons did not play in the second half in a blowout Gopher win. "The Minnesota game was the most blatant attack. They were blatant with their piling on and kneeing me. It was obvious, but the refs didn't call it. Some of our fans wanted to come out on the field," Simmons said in 1989.[8] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozzie_Simmons#cite_note-8)
The following year, Minnesota was scheduled to play at Iowa. While talking to a reporter, Iowa's governor stated, "If the officials stand for any rough tactics like Minnesota used last year, I'm sure the crowd won't." Minnesota's coach Bernie Bierman (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Bierman) requested extra security for his team, and tensions were high. To defuse the situation, Minnesota's governor wagered Iowa's governor a prize hog that the Gophers would win the game.
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For Oklahoma, Prentice Gautt, out of OKC Frederick Douglass H.S., enrolled in 1956, played '57-59. 2-time All-Big 8, Orange Bowl MVP, Academic All-American. Great player, even better man. Died too young in 2005.
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In the 1890s the "butt cut" was apparently such popular hairstyle at OSU that even the black player had one.
(https://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/288/666/4666288.jpeg)
In the 1970s I thought this would be a cool style. It is against nature, and my cowlick, and would require more Brylcream than I, and just two guys in this photo from the 1890s, can afford. My straits are worse than my 122 year old memory can even recall.
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Not for ten seconds did one of Iowa’s men forget himself or lose his temper.
but, for 8 seconds.............
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Sometimes it's good to remember where "we" have been, as well as where we perhaps need to go.
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I recall where Hillsdale College declined a Tangerine Bowl bid, because bowl game organizers didn't want to allow Hillsdale to play the game with the 3 or 4 black players which were on the team. I believe this was the early 50s.
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SPORTS OF THE TIMES; ALABAMA'S BRYANT AND RACIAL ISSUE
Quote(s) from Dr. Frank Rose, who was the President of the University of Alabama who had hired Coach Bryant.
''In the fall of 1963, Bull Connor, the police chief in Birmingham, called me to the mayor's office there. It concerned an upcoming Alabama football game that was going to be played there. Bear came with me. Connor told us that no tickets were going to be sold to blacks. Bear and I told him that we'd never play any more football games in Birmingham. Connor said, 'Well, I guess I really didn't mean it.'
''Bear said to him, 'And if any black person is hurt or a rock thrown at him, we'll never come back.' The game was played, and blacks came and there were no incidents.''
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/02/sports/sports-of-the-times-alabama-s-bryant-and-racial-issue.html
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Not sure about OSU's first black player, though Bill Willis broke the color barrier in the NFL, along with another guy. I became familiar with Willis when some kids broke into his house and I was involved with the case.
The gun you sold him didn't fire?
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SPORTS OF THE TIMES; ALABAMA'S BRYANT AND RACIAL ISSUE
Quote(s) from Dr. Frank Rose, who was the President of the University of Alabama who had hired Coach Bryant.
''In the fall of 1963, Bull Connor, the police chief in Birmingham, called me to the mayor's office there. It concerned an upcoming Alabama football game that was going to be played there. Bear came with me. Connor told us that no tickets were going to be sold to blacks. Bear and I told him that we'd never play any more football games in Birmingham. Connor said, 'Well, I guess I really didn't mean it.'
''Bear said to him, 'And if any black person is hurt or a rock thrown at him, we'll never come back.' The game was played, and blacks came and there were no incidents.''
https://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/02/sports/sports-of-the-times-alabama-s-bryant-and-racial-issue.html
Microsteps toward progress.
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Microsteps toward progress.
Did you read the entire article? The fact that ANYONE at that time would take ANY steps was huge.
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I've always heard that it was Sam Cunningham who sped up the integration process of the SEC. It's good to know that the wheels of progress were already starting to turn by the time that game happened in the early 70s.
The Bear was certainly open-minded for his day, but being one man he was still no match for the big-time Alabama alumni and boosters (many of whom exerted significant influence on state-level politics, and certainly had prejudiced views). The integration process was going to be a slow and gradual one, and he was shrewd enough to accept that.
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I've always heard that it was Sam Cunningham who sped up the integration process of the SEC. It's good to know that the wheels of progress were already starting to turn by the time that game happened in the early 70s.
The Bear was certainly open-minded for his day, but being one man he was still no match for the big-time Alabama alumni and boosters (many of whom exerted significant influence on state-level politics, and certainly had prejudiced views). The integration process was going to be a slow and gradual one, and he was shrewd enough to accept that.
Coach Bryant was extremely shrewd. He foresaw the conference(s) expansion(s) and the big TV contracts. Proof of that was, despite his extreme dislike of Furman Bisher, the AJC, and the City of Atlanta, he offered to sponsor Georgia Tech's request to rejoin the SEC when Bobby Dodd realized that being Independent was not in their best interests.
Coach Bryant was well aware that the Atlanta TV market was larger than the rest of the SEC combined. His sponsorship motion did not even receive a seconding. Whatever the University of Alabama is for, the rest of the SEC is against. Always has been, always will be. Just like the current 13-1 vote against increasing the number of conference football games to nine. Needless to say who cast the lone vote for increasing to nine.
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sounds a bit like the Big 12 and the lone vote for UNL
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As we celebrate Black History Month in February, stories from former Husker black student athletes, like Brown, are valuable reminders and lessons.
Brown, 77, lives in Cleveland. The All-American guard is a member of the College Football of Fame, and his No. 64 Nebraska jersey is retired. A second-round pick in the NFL Draft, he played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams and Oakland Raiders. He played in six Pro Bowls, and he is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Brown distinctly remembers life on the Nebraska campus in the early 1960s. He’d grown up in an all-black community, had just turned 18 and faced culture shock more than he’d imagined.
“I had never been around, or associated with at any level, whites,” Brown said. “And now all of the sudden I’m thrust in the middle of this white community and very few of my brethren there.”
http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=211791889 (http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=211791889)