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Author Johnson, Keyshawn, author.

Title The forgotten first : Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, Bill Willis, and the breaking of the NFL color barrier / by Keyshawn Johnson and Bob Glauber.

Publication Info. New York, NY : Grand Central Publishing, 2021
©2021

Copies

Location Call No. Status
 Farmington, Main Library - Adult Department  796.332 JOH    Check Shelf
 Plainville Public Library - Non Fiction  796.332 JOH    Check Shelf
 West Hartford, Noah Webster Library - Non Fiction  796.332 JOHNSON    Check Shelf
Edition First edition
Description xvi, 317 pages, 8 unnumbered leaves of unnumbered plates : illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm.
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 293-306) and index.
Contents Into His Uncle's Arms -- From "Beanpole" to Bruin -- The Big Kid from Canton -- Out From His Brother's Shadow -- UCLA Beckons for Washington and Strode -- 50 Bucks and Get Outta Here --The Scrawny Quarterback Turned Coaching Legend -- Brown and Willis Dot the I -- Black Players Not Wanted -- Jackie, Kenny, and Woody -- Bluejackets -- When Hope Turned to Heartbreak -- Kenny Washington Breaks Through the Line -- Tryouts for the Browns -- Great Expectations and Dashed Hopes -- Greatness Takes Root in Cleveland -- Separate Ways -- A Dynasty Is Born -- Legacy and Redemption -- The Sins of the Grandfathers -- The Could-Have-Beens ... -- Woody Strode: A Pioneer Several Times Over -- Better Days -- Finding Meaning After Football -- Gone Too Soon
Summary The unknown story of the Black pioneers who collectively changed the face of the NFL in 1946. The Forgotten First chronicles the lives of four incredible men, the racism they experienced as Black players entering a segregated sport, the burden of expectation they carried, and their many achievements, which would go on to affect football for generations to come. More than a year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, there was another seismic moment in pro sports history. On March 21,1946, former UCLA star running back Kenny Washington - a teammate of Robinson's in college--signed a contract with the Los Angeles Rams. This ended one of the most shameful periods in NFL history, when African-American players were banned from league play. Washington would not be alone in serving as a pioneer for NFL integration. Just months after he joined the Rams, thanks to a concerted effort by influential Los Angeles political and civic leaders, the team signed Woody Strode, who played with both Washington and Robinson at UCLA in one of the most celebrated backfields in college sports history. And that same year, a little-known coach named Paul Brown of the fledgling Cleveland Browns signed running back Marion Motley and defensive lineman Bill Willis, thereby integrating a startup league that would eventually merge with the NFL. The Forgotten First tells the story of one of the most significant cultural shifts in pro football history, as four men opened the door to opportunity and changed the sport forever. -- Provided by publisher.
"Chronicles the lives of four incredible men, the racism they experienced as Black players entering a segregated sport, the burden of expectation they carried, and their many achievements, which would go on to affect football for generations to come"-- Provided by publisher.
Subject National Football League -- History.
Washington, Kenny, 1918-1971.
Strode, Woody.
Motley, Marion, 1920-1999.
Willis, Bill, 1921-2007.
Football -- Social aspects -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
Discrimination in sports -- United States -- History -- 20th century.
African American football players -- History -- 20th century.
SPORTS & RECREATION / General.
National Football League. (OCoLC)fst00547559
African American football players. (OCoLC)fst00799173
Discrimination in sports. (OCoLC)fst00895130
Football -- Social aspects. (OCoLC)fst00931398
United States. (OCoLC)fst01204155
Chronological Term 1900-1999
Genre/Form Biographies.
History. (OCoLC)fst01411628
Biographies.
Added Author Glauber, Bob, author.
ISBN 9781538705483 (hardcover)
1538705486 (hardcover)
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