Warren McVea
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Warren McVea was a football player who made civil rights history by becoming the first African-American to play the sport for the University of Houston.
McVea, known as "Wondrous Warren" during his high school football career at San Antonio's Brackenridge High School, was a multi-faceted player, serving as running back, flanker and a punt/kick return specialist. Offered scholarships by 73 colleges in 1964, McVea signed with Houston and during his three years on the football team, earned All-America recognition twice.
McVea holds the distinction of being on the receiving end of the longest pass play completed in Houston history – a 99-yard reception against Washington State University on September 23, 1966. That game marked the first football game ever played on artificial turf.
McVea would go on to play for the expansion Cincinnati Bengals in 1968, then was traded for kicker Horst Muhlmann and a draft choice on September 8, 1969. McVea's timing proved to be excellent as the Chiefs went on to capture the final American Football League championship, before defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV on January 11, 1970.
After four more years in Kansas City, McVea signed with the fledgling World Football League's Detroit Wheels, and was immediately considered one of their top players. However, one month into the season, McVea was traded to the Houston Texans, most likely due to the precarious financial situation of the franchise. He later finished out his playing career with a tryout with the Houston Oilers, but injuries effectively ended the comeback.
McVea's post-football career saw his life unravel when in 1985, he was arrested for theft after asking a Houston restaurant for food (ostensibly for the poor), claiming that he was working for the Oilers and promising them free tickets to games.
One year later, he was arrested for selling crack to support his drug habit, but was sentenced only to eight years probation. Less than six months later however, he was sentenced to four years in prison for violating the probation, but had enough time in jail already to only serve a small portion of that sentence.
In 1989, he was convicted and sentenced for setting a female acquaintance's apartment on fire. Then in 1993, he was arrested for drug possession again and given 25 years in prison.
Leaving prison for good in 2000, he was inducted in the University of Houston's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004, and works as a courier to deliver photo film to retail stores.
