Who Was The First African American NFL Player?

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at who was the first African American NFL player. We’ll also explore the barriers that black athletes have had to face in the world of professional football.

Early African American Football Players

African Americans have been playing professional football since the late 1800s. Some of the first African American football players were Frederick Douglas “Fritz” Pollard and Charles W. Taylor. Fritz Pollard was the first African American player in the NFL. He played for the Akron Pros in 1920. Charles W. Taylor was the first African American player in the American Football League. He played for the Buffalo Bills in 1960.

William Henry Lewis

William Henry Lewis (February 25, 1868 – November 26, 1949) was an African American track and field athlete, wrestler, and football player who competed in the late 19th century. He was one of the first black players to play football at Harvard University and went on to play professionally for the Providence Steam Rollers. Lewis was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

Early life
William Henry Lewis was born on February 25, 1868, in Natchez, Mississippi. His father William Lewis was a former slave who worked as a barber. His mother Adeline (née Johnson) Lewis was also a former slave. 5 The family moved to Boston, Massachusetts when he was young. As a child, he played baseball and football in the streets with other kids in Boston’s West End neighborhood.

Football career
Lewis began his football career at Harvard University where he played from 1890 to 1893. He was one of the first black players on Harvard’s team. After graduating from Harvard, he played professionally for the Providence Steam Rollers from 1894 to 1896. He was one of the best players on the team and helped lead the Steam Rollers to their first championship in 1895.

Later life and legacy
After his football career ended, Lewis worked as a lawyer and served in various government positions. In 1954, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He died on November 26, 1949, at the age of 81.

Frederick Douglas Patterson

Frederick Douglas Patterson was the first African American NFL player. He was born in Athens, GA in 1894 and died in 1961. Patterson played for the Akron Pros from 1920 to 1921, and the Canton Bulldogs from 1922 to 1923. He was a halfback and an end.

The First African American NFL Player

Many people don’t know who the first African American NFL player was. His name was Frederick Douglas “Fritz” Pollard. Fritz was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1894. He played college football at Brown University. In 1920, Fritz became the first African American player in the NFL.

Kenny Washington

Kenny Washington was the first African American player in the NFL. He played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1946 to 1948. Prior to playing in the NFL, Washington was a standout player at UCLA, where he set several school records. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956.

Marion Motley

Marion Motley was an African American professional football player. He was a fullback and linebacker for the Cleveland Browns in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) and National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1955. Motley led the league in rushing yards in 1950 and was one of the first African American players to play professional football. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968.

Impact of African American Players in the NFL

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league. The NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association (APFA) before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League (AFL) in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season; the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States.

Desegregation of the NFL

African American players were first allowed to play in the NFL in 1946, when Kenny Washington of the Los Angeles Rams became the first to break the color barrier. He was followed by Woody Strode, another Ram, in 1947. In 1950, Marion Motley and Bill Willis joined the Cleveland Browns, while Earl Banks and Bob Mann joined the Los Angeles Rams. These six men were the pioneers who paved the way for hundreds of African American football players who have enjoyed successful careers in the NFL in the years since.

The desegregation of the NFL was a long and difficult process, but it was ultimately successful thanks to the courage and determination of these early African American players. They overcame discrimination and prejudice to prove that they belonged on the field with their white counterparts, and their legacy continues to inspire new generations of football players.

Increased Participation of African Americans in the NFL

The National Football League (NFL) was established in 1920, but it wasn’t until after World War II that African Americans began to participate in significant numbers. In 1946, the Los Angeles Rams signed Kenny Washington, who was the first African American player in the NFL since 1933. The following year, the Cleveland Browns signed Marion Motley and Bill Willis, two African American players who would go on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The number of African American players in the NFL began to increase rapidly in the 1950s. In 1950, there were an estimated 100 African American players in the league; by 1960, that number had increased to almost 400. The increase in participation was due in part to a greater awareness of football among African Americans and also to the dismantling of the “color barrier” that had prevented them from playing in the league.

As the number of African American players increased, so did their level of play. In 1951, Buddy Young of the New York Giants became the first African American player to be named to an All-Pro team. Five years later, Willie Davis of the Cleveland Browns became the first African American player to be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Today,African Americans make up a significant percentage of NFL players. According to a 2012 report by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, 66 percent of NFL players are people of color, with African Americans accounting for 58 percent of those players. The increased participation of African Americans in the NFL has not only resulted in greater racial diversity within the league but has also helped change perceptions about what kind of player can succeed at football’s highest level.