January 29, 2002 Richard (Dick) “Night Train” Lane, hall of fame football player, died. Lane was born April 16, 1928 in Austin, Texas. He made his professional football debut with the Los Angeles Rams as a defensive back in 1952. In his rookie season, he set the NFL single season record for interceptions with 14 […]
Tag Archives | NFL
January 1st in African American History – Derrick Vincent Thomas
January 1, 1967 Derrick Vincent Thomas, hall of fame football player, was born in Miami, Florida. Thomas played collegiate football at the University of Alabama. In 1988, he was named an All-American and won the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in college football. Thomas was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1989 […]
December 30th in African American History – Melvin Lacy Renfro
December 30, 1941 Melvin Lacy Renfro, hall of fame football defensive back, was born in Houston, Texas. Renfro attended the University of Oregon where he was a track star and All-American halfback and defensive back. He was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1964 NFL Draft and over his 14 year professional career was […]
December 23rd in African American History – William Vernell “Willie” Wood, Sr.
December 23, 1936 William Vernell “Willie” Wood, Sr., hall of fame football player, was born in Washington, D. C. Wood played college football at the University of Southern California where he was the first African American quarterback in Pacific-10 Conference history. Wood was not selected in the 1960 NFL Draft but was signed by the […]
December 19th in African American History – Reginald Howard White
December 19, 1961 Reginald Howard White, hall of fame football player, was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. From 1980 to 1983, White played for the University of Tennessee where he was an All-American. After college, he signed with the Memphis Showboats of the United States Football League and after that league folded in 1985 he signed […]
December 14th in African American History – Ernest Davis
December 14, 1939 Ernest Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, was born in New Salem, Pennsylvania, but raised in Elmira, New York. Davis attended Syracuse University where he was a running back from 1959 to 1961, winning first team All-American honors in 1960 and 1961 and earning the nickname “the Elmira […]
March 24th in African American History – Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah
March 24, 1959 Renaldo “Skeets” Nehemiah, hall of fame track and field athlete, was born in Newark, New Jersey. Nehemiah attended the University of Maryland where he won three NCAA titles. He was the first athlete to run the 110 meter hurdles in under 13 seconds and held the world record from 1981 to 1989. […]