Historical Spotlight: Integration in the NFL

For the crazy fanatics out there like me, August is the light at the end of the tunnel before the official start of the next football season. No matter if you’re a lifetime fan of one team or a casual who enjoys the festivities involved with the game, there’s something for everyone! Since I don’t pull for just one team, I don’t have to worry about my mood being wrecked once teams start losing random games they statistically should win. Join me as we shine a Historical Spotlight on the first NFL team to integrate and break the NFL’s color barrier. 

While the 2025 NFL season doesn’t officially start until Thursday, September 4th, the preseason kicks off with the Hall of Fame Game on Thursday, July 31st and Week 1 matchups just a week later on August 7th. I know some serious fans despise preseason games since none of the starters or elite players see much, if any, playing time, but it’s a vital opportunity for rookies and players on the cusp to try and make an impression on coaches. 

Players who identify as Black or African American make up 70% of the NFL, but that dominance wasn’t always the case. The institution of slavery denied leisure, fun, learning, art, sports, and any other aspect of life that didn’t directly make money from Black Americans. As to be expected, many talented Black men were turned away from playing football, especially when the dominant society leaned into the big dangerous Black man trope. 

American football became an organized sport in the 1890s when players were initially paid to play for football clubs across the country. Unfortunately, with little to no representation, most Black players couldn’t benefit from their athletic abilities. Charles Follis, also known as “The Black Cyclone”, is considered to be the first Black professional football player. He started getting paid in 1899 and played for the Shelby Blues from 1902 to 1906. 

Once the National Football League (NFL) was established in 1920, there was still a strict barrier that only allowed a select few Black players to showcase their skills. Only nine Black players suited up for NFL teams and they faced frequent discrimination and were often isolated. The participating numbers dwindled until the last two Black players were squeezed out after the 1933 season. 

For the next 13 years, there was an informal agreement between the owners to keep Black players out of the league. George Preston Marshall, owner of the Washington Redskins, is considered the leader of the segregation pact. His prejudice took on a fevered pitch after the Great Depression increased racism and segregation across the country. He refused to sign a Black player for decades and was the last to integrate his team in 1962.

After being forced out, most Black players found playing time in the minor leagues or smaller, exhibition teams. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a Negro League equivalent for football players to take advantage of like in baseball.  

The Los Angeles Rams were the first team to integrate in 1946 after signing Kenny Washington from UCLA. Before we get lost in the assumption that the team allowed Black players on the roster out of the goodness of their hearts, it was actually integrated because of legal threats that arose from being a segregated team playing in the Los Angeles Coliseum, which was supported with public funds. The local Black print media pushed to enforce the rules set forth by the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision and recommended the Rams give Kenny a tryout.

Once Kenny was signed, it caused a ripple effect across owners in the league. Other teams were extremely slow to re-integrate and none followed the Rams’ example until two years later in 1948. No Black players were selected until the 1949 draft. 

The All-American Football Conference (AAFC) was founded in 1946 and was more open to signing Black players. It also combatted racism and aggressively penalized unsportsmanlike conduct motivated by racism. By the time the merger between the AAFC and NFL happened in 1950, six of the league’s eight teams had signed Black players. 

Re-integration happened much slower in the NFL teams. By 1950, only three of the ten teams had signed a Black player, but by 1952, every team besides the Redskins had been integrated. There were quotas to limit the number of Black players and they were often pigeonholed into certain positions, regardless of skill or aptitude, and received lower contracts. 

Historically, the quarterback position has been the most racially restricted position on the field. There were often tropes that Black Americans didn’t have the IQ needed to process the field, but that was just blatant racism and prejudice. Once Black Americans got the chance to prove themselves, the elites like Michael Vick, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson, and others showed that they can produce excellence. 

By the time of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, 30% of all players were Black. As time passed, the sport continued to see elite Black players get in and dominate. The cornerback position has almost exclusively been played by Black players and most of the modern day records are held by the pioneers who had to work twice as hard to get half as far. 

While there has been an increase in Black coaches, medical staff, and quarterbacks over the years, there’s still a shortage of Black owners in the league. There’s still a lot to be accomplished and addressed, especially regarding pay equity, executive opportunities, collective bargaining, and societal issues that spill over into the game. 

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Signed, 

Jessica Marie