NFF and Chick-Fil-A College Football Hall of Fame to Celebrate Black History Month with Special Tributes
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Steve Hatchell, President & CEO Media Contacts: Phil Marwill | 917-579-4256 pmarwill@ footballfoundation.com Alan Cox | 972-556-1000 acox@ footballfoundation.com NFF Board Members clockwise from upper left: Rod West, Lynn Swann, Ronnie Lott, Lincoln Kennedy, Thom Gatewood, Dennis Thomas, Archie Griffin, Ray Anderson. NFF and Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame to Celebrate Black History Month with Special Tributes Special exhibit and interviews with leaders, champions and legends will celebrate Black History and its connections to college football. IRVING, Texas (Feb. 1, 2021) – The National Football Foundation (NFF) and the Chick-fil- A College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta will celebrate Black History Month 2021 with a series of initiatives, including a special exhibit at the Hall, a web series, a panel event and a Q&A series with members of the NFF Board of Directors. "College football has a rich history of being in the vanguard of shaering racial barriers," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "Ever since the first Black player took the field at a predominately white college in 1889, college football has helped integrate our country and overcome prejudices. We are extremely proud of this history, and it is a powerful testament of how football has made an impact well beyond the playing field." "We're blessed to have these amazing men on the NFF Board," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “They have distinguished themselves in all they’ve ever done. They provide a window into the richness that is Black history.” Throughout the month of February, the NFF will release a Q&A series with members of the NFF Board, sharing their insights about Black History, social injustice in our country and their experiences on the gridiron. The series will include interviews with Arizona State Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson, Blue Atlas Production President Thom Gatewood (Hall of Fame inductee from Notre Dame), former Ohio State Senior Advisor for Advancement Archie Griffin (Hall of Fame inductee from Ohio State), CEO EL-K Cigars and broadcaster Lincoln Kennedy (Hall of Fame inductee from Washington), Lo Auto Ventures Managing Partner Ronnie Lo (Hall of Fame inductee from Southern California), football legend Lynn Swann (Hall of Fame inductee from Southern California), MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas and Entergy Corporation Group President Rod West. "As the birthplace of the civil rights movement and epicenter of college football, Atlanta is the perfect city to celebrate Black History Month," said Kimberly Beaudin, Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame CEO. "The many intersections of college football and Black history provide us with an amazing platform to share the stories of true trailblazers and inspire our community." At the Hall in Atlanta, a new specially curated exhibit opens today, remaining on display through May 2021. The Blood, Sweat and Tears exhibit tells the story of integration in college football and dives into the journey of African American trailblazers that changed the landscape of the sport. The Hall will also host Not Your Average Hero, a web series on YouTube, featuring interviews conducted by Hall Historian Jeremy Swick with legendary college football pioneers including Kentucky's Nate Northington (Feb. 1), Mississippi's James Reed (Feb. 8), Kentucky's Wilbur Hacke (Feb. 15), Florida A&M's Albert Chester (Feb. 18) and College Football Hall of Fame inductee and Michigan State's Gene Washington (Feb. 22). All episodes will air at 12 p.m. ET. The Hall will also host an esteemed panel Feb. 18 from 5:30 - 8 p.m. ET with speakers in a COVID-friendly environment. The event will also include a tour of the new exhibit and will be shared on the Hall of Fame's Facebook for non-aendees. From its earliest days, the NFF has honored the African-Americans who forged the path for future generations. The NFF inducted the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class in 1951, including Duke Slater, the legendary tackle at the University of Iowa from 1918-21 who was the Hawkeyes' first Black All-American. The NFF's second class included famed Brown University running back Fri Pollard, who played for the Bears from 1915-16 and was the first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl and subsequently the first to coach in the NFL. African-Americans in the College Football Hall of Fame currently number 231 players and 13 coaches, and many of them used their exceptional skills to help integrate the game. The following list highlights several Hall of Famers along with many other notable African- Americans who helped pave the way. Air Force Ernie Jennings, wide receiver from 1968-71, first Black First Team All-American at Air Force Alabama Wilbur Jackson, running back from 1971-73, first African-American to accept a football scholarship at Alabama John Mitchell, offensive lineman from 1971-73, first African-American to play in a game at Alabama Dock Rone, Arthur Dunning, Melvin Levere, Andrew Pernell and Jerome Tucker, the five Black walk-on players who participated in the 1967 spring practices Amherst College (MA) William H. Lewis, center from 1889-91, joined William Tecumseh Sherman Jackson as the first African-American players ever at a predominantly white college, 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, also played at Harvard where he became the first ever African-American to earn First Team All-America honors, became the first ever African-American assistant coach in the nation at Harvard William Tecumseh Sherman Jackson, halack from 1889-91, joined Williams H. Lewis as the first African-American players ever at a predominantly white college Arizona Fred Batiste, running back from 1949-52, first African-American to play at Arizona Arizona State Emerson Harvey, defensive end from 1937-38, first African-American to play football at Arizona State Arkansas Darrell Brown, tailback/cornerback from 1965-69, first African-American to play football at Arkansas Arkansas State David Mitchell, running back from 1970-73, first African-American to play at Arkansas State Army West Point Gary Steele, Army’s first black leerman from 1966-68, earning second-team All- American tight end honors in 1968 Auburn James Owen, fullback from 1969-72, first African-American to play at Auburn Baylor John Hill Westbrook, running back from 1965-66, first African-American to play in the Southwest Conference Boise State Aurelius Buckner, played from 1944-46, first African-American to play at Boise State (then Boise Junior College) Boston College Lou Montgomery, running back from 1938-41, first African-American student- athlete at Boston College Brown Fri Pollard, running back from 1915-16, first African-American to play in the Rose Bowl, first Black running back to be named a Walter Camp All-American, 1954 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, first African-American to coach in the NFL Buffalo Willie Evans, halack from 1956-59, helped Buffalo secure its first invitation to play in a bowl game, but the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida, barred Black players. The team unanimously rejected the opportunity to play without Evans and Mike Wilson, a reserve end and the only other Black player on the team, making national news. Buffalo would not have another opportunity to play in a bowl game until 2009 BYU Bennie Smith, cornerback from 1971-72, first African-American to appear on the BYU roster California Walter Gordon, interior lineman from 1915-18, first African-American from Cal, 1975 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, first African-American to receive a law degree from Cal Clemson Marion Reeves, cornerback from 1971-73, first African-American to play at Clemson Colorado Frank Clarke, wide receiver in 1955-56, first African-American to play football at Colorado, among first African-Americans to play in the Orange Bowl, also became the first African-American sports anchor at a Dallas television station John Wooten, offensive guard from 1956-58, one of the first African-Americans to earn All-America honors playing on the interior line, 2012 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, former chairman of the Fri Pollard Alliance, which works in conjunction with the NFL in minority hiring practices Colorado State John W. Mosley, fullback from 1939-42, first African-American to play in the Mountain States Conference Cornell Jerome "Brud" Holland, first African-American to play at Cornell, 1965 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, U.S. ambassador to Sweden 1970-72, first African- American director of the New York Stock Exchange, 1971 NFF Distinguished American Award, 1985 Presidential Medal of Freedom Dartmouth Mahew Bullock, 1901-03, the first African-American to play at Dartmouth, earning honorable mention All-American accolades in 1902. In 1904, he became head coach of Massachuses Agricultural College (now the University of Massachuses Amherst) as the first Black to be a head coach at a predominantly white college Drake Johnny Bright, halack from 1949-51, endured a notorious racially motivated aack during a game in 1951 while contending for the Heisman Trophy, 1984 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Duke William Turner, played in 1966, along with Allen Parks as the first African- American players at Duke Allen Parks, played in 1966, along with William Turner as the first African- Americans players at Duke East Carolina Paul Sco, played in 1966, first African-American student to receive a football scholarship to East Carolina Florida Leonard George, defensive back from 1968-71, first African-American scholarship player at Florida Willie Jackson Sr., wide receiver from 1968-71, first African-American to play in a game at Florida Florida State Ernest Cook, fullback in 1967, first African-American to sign a football scholarship at Florida State but left to play at Minnesota Calvin Paerson, played from 1968-69, second African-American to sign a football scholarship at Florida State and first African-American to play for Florida State on the freshman team James “JT” Thomas, receiver/defensive back from 1970-72, first African-American to play in a varsity game for Florida State (Sept.