Gridiron gauntlet : the story of the men who integrated pro football in their own words /

Piascik (a freelance writer) chronicles the lives of 12 second-generation African Americans who graced the playing fields of professional football. The author presents each player's personal narrative, which consists not only of his gridiron experiences but also of his upbringing, experiences in college and/or the military, and career after football. All the men profiled were born between 1920 and 1933, a period when segregation was the law in much of the land and the social reality almost everywhere. During this period, the National Football League (NFL) included teams from Akron and Canton, the Redskins played in Boston, and the Cardinals played in Chicago. Against this backdrop, Piascik presents a living history, taking an engaging, informative sojourn through a critical, sometimes-forgotten, and often-ignored part of the evolution of today's NFL. Well written and thoroughly researched, this book will serve anyone interested in sports studies, sports history, and sociology. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. M. L. Krotee North Carolina State University

Although much is known about how major-league baseball became integrated, far less has been written about the integration of professional football. It might surprise readers to learn that in the very early days, pro-football teams did have black players. In 1946, however, it had been 12 years since a pro team had a black player on its roster. In that year, four black players joined the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Rams (yes, that was one year before Jackie Robinson broke the more famous color barrier), thus beginning the modern era of integration. Here, Piascik gathers together the stories, recounted in their own words, of 17 of the players from that era, including Charlie Powell, Bob Mann, Eddie Macon, and Bobby Watkins. They may not be well known, but their tales about trying to make it as black players in a white sport are variously poignant, funny, resentful, and nostalgic.--Wilkens, Mary Frances Copyright 2009 Booklist

Pro football was fully segregated from 1933 to 1945; the story of its integration is one of great significance-and not yet adequately addressed. Piascik (The Best Show in Football: The 1946-55 Cleveland Browns) interviewed a dozen black football players who played in the AAFC, the NFL, or the AFL between 1946 and 1961. The players ranged from Hall of Fame fullback Joe Perry and stars George Taliaferro and Bob Mann to lesser lights like Eddie Macon, Eddie Bell, Charlie Powell, and John Brown. Of particular interest is Harold Bradley, a guard for the Browns and Eagles in the 1950s whose father, Harold Sr., played in the NFL in the 1920s before the color ban was enacted. The reminiscences cover the lives of these men both in and out of football. The stories they tell are humorous, disturbing, angry, sad, and uplifting. An involving and essential read for anyone interested in football.-J.M. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.