Black players in professional American football

Common card · No. 460210

The history of black players in professional American football extends nearly to the beginnings of professional play. The roots of professionalism may be traced to the 1890s when players were paid to play for football clubs for the first time. Charles Follis is believed to be the first black professional football player, receiving pay beginning in 1899. Black players, while not a significant percentage of professionals, remained present in the National Football League (NFL) from its founding in 1920 until 1933. Still, players faced frequent discrimination, and there were only a select few black players present in the league in most seasons. After the 1933 season, the remaining black players (only two at the time) either voluntarily left or were forced out; from then until 1946, an informal agreement among owners would keep black players out of the NFL. Washington Redskins (now Commanders) owner George Preston Marshall is widely regarded as the chief instigator of the NFL's segregation;...

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