Who was the first black professional football player in American history?
Charles Follis is believed to be the first black professional football player. He started receiving pay in 1899 and played for the Shelby Blues from 1902 to 1906.
Questions about Black players in professional American football
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why were black players banned from the NFL for over a decade?
After the 1933 season, an informal agreement among NFL owners kept black players out of the league until 1946. Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall is widely regarded as the chief instigator, reportedly pressuring other owners to exclude black athletes; the Great Depression also intensified racial discrimination as owners argued against paying black players while white Americans were unemployed.
Who was the first black player to reintegrate the NFL after the ban?
Kenny Washington of the Los Angeles Rams became the first black player to reintegrate the NFL, signing on the 21st of March 1946. His signing came after the Los Angeles Coliseum commission, citing a public-funding argument tied to Plessy v. Ferguson, told the Rams they had to integrate in order to lease the stadium.
Which NFL team was last to integrate and when?
The Washington Redskins were the last NFL team to integrate, finally signing Bobby Mitchell and two other African American players in 1962. Owner George Preston Marshall had resisted integration for decades, and the team only moved after Interior Secretary Stewart Udall threatened eviction from D.C. Stadium in 1961.
Who was Fritz Pollard and what record did he set in the early NFL?
Fritz Pollard was one of the first two black players in the NFL, suiting up in 1920. In 1921 he became the first black head coach in league history, a distinction he held alone until Art Shell took over the Los Angeles Raiders in 1989.
What percentage of NFL players are black today?
Black players consistently account for over 70% of all NFL players in the modern era. At the start of the 2014 season, league surveys showed the figure at 68.7% African American, and the proportion has remained above 70% in subsequent years.