Public Employee Press

Book Review
Breaking pro football’s gridiron color line

The story of Jackie Robinson, the pioneer who broke racial barriers to become a national icon, is etched into our consciousness at an early age, and we have heard of Satchel Paige, “Cool Papa” Bell, and the greats of teams where “only the ball was white.”

But we know little of the heroes who withstood racist attacks to integrate pro football — the mighty blockers who took the hits and set the records to open the way for Alan Page, Jim Brown, “Mean Joe” Greene and Gale Sayers.

In Andy Piascik’s “Gridiron Gauntlet: The Story of the Men Who Integrated Pro Football,” 12 football pros who made history beginning in 1946 tell their own stories of struggle on and off the field, showing grace under pressure and the incredible ability to withstand hatred and hostility. We learn of their families, friendships, communities, the figures who inspired them and their post-football careers, and some remind us of the great players forced out by isolation, insults and harassment.

Piascik places San Francisco fullback Joe Perry among the top 10 rushers of all time. “Skin color didn’t matter to Coach Paul Brown; he was going for the best players,” said Perry. He recalls that there were “two or three bigots on every team, so you heard stuff just about every game.”

While Brown and Rams owner Dan Reeves signed great black players, “None of the risks Paul Brown took compared to the punches running back Kenny ‘Kingfish’ Washington endured. None of the harsh words directed at Reeves hurt like the gouges on Cleveland fullback Marion Motley’s body from the spiked shoes of opposing players,” writes Piascik.

Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Eddie Bell played in the early 1950s, when “thinking positions” like quarterback and center were “white only,” and he notes that Brown rejected the unwritten code and put African Americans at the positions they played best.

“Gridiron Gauntlet” (available online for about $20 and at the Ed Fund library in Room 211 at the union) is a great addition to any sports lover’s bookshelf and a valuable contribution to the civil rights history of pro football.

— Jane LaTour