Way to get petty with it. Iowa's own Jackie Robinson is in reference to Duke being the first black lineman in the NFL.
Lighten up Huey, it's Sunday. Iowa has a long and storied history of black players and I wished some of the current and recently past players were more cognizant of this.
Archie Alexander -
Archie Alphonso Alexander (May 14, 1888 – January 4, 1958) was an American
architect and
engineer. He was an early African-American graduate of the
University of Iowa and the first to graduate from the University of Iowa's College of Engineering. He was also a governor of the
U.S. Virgin Islands.
Alexander was born in
Ottumwa, Iowa to Price and Mary Hamilton Alexander, part of a small African American community.
[1][2] He was the eldest of their nine children. When the family moved to a farm outside
Des Moines, Price became head custodian at the Des Moines National Bank. Alexander graduated from Oak Park High School in 1905. He then attended Highland Park College and Cummins Art College before matriculating at the State University of Iowa (later known as the University of Iowa) to study engineering.
[3] Not only was Alexander was the only black student at the University at the time, but he was the first African American student to graduate from the University of Iowa's engineering program in 1912.
[4] His professors warned Alexander that it would be difficult for him to find work as an African American engineer.
[2][4] Alexander was also the first African American football player at the University of Iowa, where he was a three-year starting tackle and earned the nickname "Alexander the Great."
[4][3] Throughout college, Alexander worked multiple part-time jobs to support himself and pay tuition.
[4] Alexander was also a member of the predominantly black
Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.
[4] During the summer, Alexander worked as a draftsman for Marsh Engineering Company, a Des Moines company that designed many significant bridges which survive even today.
[1] In 1921, Alexander also studied bridge design at the University of London while on a sabbatical.
[4] He later obtained his civil engineering degree from Iowa State University in 1925.
Ozzie Simmons - 1934 -36
Born in
Gainesville, Texas, Simmons grew up in Texas and was an all-state high school quarterback in a segregated high school league in Fort Worth. College opportunities were limited for black players at the time, but an Iowa alumnus saw Simmons play and suggested that he go to the
University of Iowa where blacks had been team members, off and on, since 1895.
[1] Simmons had heard of the exploits of black Iowa players like
Archie Alexander and
Duke Slater, so Ozzie and his older brother, Don, hopped a train to Iowa City.
The Simmons brothers found Iowa football coach
Ossie Solem in his office. Solem was initially stunned to have two black players walk unannounced into his office. But Solem asked the Simmons brothers to attend Iowa's practice that afternoon. Iowa was conducting a punting drill, and Ozzie Simmons promptly returned two punts back for touchdowns. After practice, Solem told the brothers, "We'll find you a place to stay."
[2]
Emlen Tunnell - 1946 - 47
Emlen Lewis Tunnell (March 29, 1924
[1] – July 23, 1975), sometimes known by the nickname "
The Gremlin",
[2] was an American professional
football player and coach. He was the first
African American to play for the
New York Giants and also the first to be inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Born and raised in the
Philadelphia area, Tunnell played
college football at the
University of Toledo in 1942 and
University of Iowa in 1946 and 1947. He also served in the
United States Coast Guard from 1943 to 1946. He received the
Silver Lifesaving Medal for heroism in rescuing a shipmate from flames during a torpedo attack in 1944 and rescuing another shipmate who fell into the sea in 1946.
Calvin Jones - 1955
Calvin Jack Jones (February 7, 1933 – December 9, 1956) was a
college football player for the
University of Iowa. Jones is one of only two
Iowa football players (along with
Nile Kinnick) to have his jersey number retired by the school. Jones became the first Hawkeye, and the first African-American, to win the
Outland Trophy in 1955. He played one year with the
Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the
Western Interprovincial Football Union. He died in a plane crash after playing in the
East–West All-Star Game.
Cal Jones is a member of
The Pigskin Club Of Washington, D.C. National Intercollegiate All-American Football Players Honor Roll.
Jones began playing organized football in the fifth grade. By the time they neared the end of their time at
Steubenville High School, Jones and his two friends,
Eddie Vincent and
Frank Gilliam, were being courted by college football programs.
Ohio State and their legendary coach,
Woody Hayes, offered a scholarship only to Cal Jones. Jones committed to play at Ohio State, while Vincent and Gilliam accepted scholarships to play for the
Iowa Hawkeyes.
Before the fall of 1952, Vincent and Gilliam drove to Jones's house to say goodbye before leaving for Iowa. Jones shocked his friends when he said, "Wait a minute...I'm coming with you." Jones ran upstairs, packed a bag, and rode to Iowa City with Vincent and Gilliam.
[1]
Jones' sudden switch from Ohio State to conference rival Iowa caused
Big Ten commissioner Tug Wilson to conduct a personal investigation. Iowa was cleared of any wrongdoing. When questioned, Cal Jones reportedly told Wilson,
"I'll tell you why I came out here. They treated me like a white man, and I like it here. I'm going to stay." [2]
