Kenny Washington (football player)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kenneth S. "Kingfish" Washington (born August 31, 1918, Los Angeles, California; died June 24, 1971) was a professional football player who was one of the first African-Americans to play in the National Football League's modern (post-World War II) era.
He was a star running back at Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles and in college at UCLA, rushing for 1,914 yards in his college career, a school record for 34 years. He was one of three African American players on the team (along with Jackie Robinson and Woody Strode), which was unprecedented for the time period. He led the nation in total offense and became the first consensus All-American in the history of the school's football program in 1939. However, he was named to second team All-America selection instead of the first and was omitted from the East-West Shrine Game that year. These slights were the source of much outrage among West Coast media outlets which blamed them on racial discrimination.
After graduation, he couldn't join the NFL as blacks were not allowed, so he played semi-professional football for a few years. In 1946 when the Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles, the commissioners of the Los Angeles Coliseum stipulated as part of the agreement that the team be integrated. As a result, the team signed Washington and fellow UCLA teammate Strode. His NFL stint only lasted three years, but the impact he had on the league was enormous. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1956 and his number 13 jersey was the first to be retired at UCLA.
After his retirement from football, Washington became a police officer for the Los Angeles Police Department.
[edit] References
- Denicke, Dave. "Constructing a legacy", Daily Bruin, February 24, 2000.
- Kenny "Kingfish" Washington. College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved on August 23, 2005.
- Down Memory Lane. El Gordo Newsletter (May 1970). Retrieved on February 6, 2006.
- Washington, Kenny. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved on February 6, 2006.
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Washington, Kenny |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Professional American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 31, 1918 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Los Angeles, California |
| DATE OF DEATH | June 24, 1971 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Los Angeles, California |
 |
This college football-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 |
This biographical article relating to a running back is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
