What few people know is that in 1946, the Los Angeles Rams … Kenny Pickett profile page, biographical information, injury history and news He coached one season, leading the Bruins to an 18-4 record behind star Ann Meyers.[3]. Kenny Washington is not a name that would be widely known, yet he is responsible for breaking one of the biggest barriers for African Americans. Kenneth S. "Kenny" Washington (August 31, 1918 – June 24, 1971) was a professional football player who was the first African-American to sign a contract with a National Football League team in the modern (post-World War II) era. Kenny Washington signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 1946, pre-dating baseball legend Jackie Robinson’s 1947 signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Washington was also passed over by the NFL, which had not had an African American player since 1933. Today, a look at NFL draft results and how players from HBCUs were valued in each draft. But what got Gibson drafted in the third round of the 2020 NFL draft wasn't the box score, but the traits he flashed every time he did touch the ball. Are you a Stathead, too? He is the uncle of Major League Baseball player Jason Heyward. when he signed, without being drafted, with the Rams in 1946; a year … After college, Kenny Washington was passed over by the NFL, which had not had an African American player since 1933. Jackie Robinson’s tale is well-known and oft-told, so why isn’t Kenny’s? In 1970, Washington was a member of the U.S. team that played in the 1970 FIBA World Championship in Yugoslavia, finishing fifth. As a player, he won two national championships playing college basketball with the UCLA Bruins and represented the United States national team in the 1970 FIBA World Championship. He was one of four African American players on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, the others being Woody Strode, Jackie Robinson and Ray Bartlett. On March 21, 1946, Kenny Washington, a former star running back for the Bruins, suited up for the Los Angeles Rams, ending the National Football League’s ban that had kept blacks from playing in the league for 13 years. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. As the sixth man of those teams, Washington helped the Bruins establish what is now known as a storied tradition. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Washington, a 6-foot-3-inch (1.91 m) guard out of Robert Smalls High School in Beaufort, South Carolina, played for coach John Wooden at UCLA from 1963 to 1966, where he was a key member of Wooden's first two NCAA championship teams in 1964 and 1965. Kenny Washington career stats with the Los Angeles Rams. The following is a list of players that attended Washington State who were drafted in the NFL Draft from 1960-present. During this time, racism was at its peak and minorities were not allowed in the NFL. Kenny Washington: Early Life To be honest, Washington’s football team has a lot of work to do Kenny Washington paved the way for black players in pro football NFL playoffs began in 1932, when the game was held in a … Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kenny-Washington, BlackPast.org - Biography of Kenneth S. Washington. He was the second-leading scorer on the team, averaging 12.4 points per game and playing in all 9 contests. Washington was particularly effective in his two championship appearances, netting 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the final of the 1964 NCAA tournament and scoring 17 in the 1965 championship and earning a spot on the All-Final Four team.[1]. Follow full coverage of Kenny Washington during the 2005 NFL Draft on ESPN.com He was an actor, known for Pinky (1949), Easy Living (1949) and The Jackie Robinson Story (1950). Washington was a football player back in the 1940’s. Draft Fantasy Filter Forward 5s Forward 10s Forward 30s Full Screen Off Full Screen On Gamepass Games Insights Key Leave Live Combine Draft … Hand: 9.5. 1946 Kenny Washington was drafted Updates? Unlike most professional athletes, he was able to avoid joining the United States military during World War II and was not drafted into service. (Strode followed two months later.) by Abel M. Salas On October 14th, Abraham Lincoln High School students, athletes, faculty, parents, alumni, athletic program boosters, neighborhood residents and several special guests celebrated the legacy of Lincoln High graduate and legendary African American sports figure Kenny Washington (August 31, 1918 – June 24, 1971) with a commemoration program that has become a yearly tradition. Former Tennessee Titans outside linebacker and 2019 fifth-round pick D’Andre Walker took some time out of his day to troll safety Kenny Vaccaro about his tackling on Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Latest on HB Kenny Washington including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on NFL.com Kenny Washington was born on August 31, 1918 in Los Angeles County, California, USA as Kenneth Stanley Washington. Kenny Washington, byname of Kenneth S. Washington, (born August 31, 1918, Los Angeles, California, U.S.—died June 24, 1971, Los Angeles), one of the first African American college gridiron football stars on the West Coast and one of two black players to reintegrate the National Football League (NFL) in 1946. After graduation, Washington was drafted by the San Francisco Warriors in the eighth round (71st pick overall) of the 1966 NBA draft, but he never played in the league. A native of the Crescent City who cut his teeth as both a saxophonist and singer, Washington worked his way through military bands in his younger years before settling in the Bay Area in the mid 1990s. Washington died of polyarteritis nodosa on June 24, 1971, at the age of 52 in Los Angeles, California. Yesterday, the St. Louis Rams drafted Michael Sam, the first openly gay player in league history. Feeding into that line of thinking is the debut studio date from veteran vocalist Kenny Washington. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The "Forgotten Four" reviews the spectacular football career of Kenny Washington. Kenny Washington ended the ban on African-American players in the N.F.L. He was born on August 31, 1918, and died on June 24, 1971. He was a star running backa Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles In college at UCLA, he rushed for 1,914 yards in his college career, a school record for 34 years. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Kenny Washington, Actor: Pinky. Karin said her father didn't talk much about his professional football career when she was growing up, so she had to gather details through other sources. Instead, he became the biggest star and most popular player in two minor professional leagues on the West Coast, playing for the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Pro Football League in 1940, 1941, and 1945 and for the San Francisco Clippers of the American Football League in 1944. This was a rarity to have so many African Americans when … — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 13, 2020 The Detroit Lions will be without their top playmaker against Washington on Sunday afternoon, severely hampering their offensive productivity. UCLA Bruins men's basketball 1963–64 NCAA champions, UCLA Bruins men's basketball 1964–65 NCAA champions, 2010-11 UCLA women's basketball media guide, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kenny_Washington_(basketball)&oldid=959942537, Basketball players at the 1964 NCAA Men's Division I Final Four, Basketball players at the 1965 NCAA Men's Division I Final Four, Sportspeople from Beaufort, South Carolina, United States men's national basketball team players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 31 May 2020, at 10:19. 1 But from 1933 to 1945, there … In the 1920s, there are a number of black players in the NFL. Omissions? Weight: 302. Instead, he became … In 1939 Washington led the nation in total offense and became the first UCLA player to be named an All-American. [2], In 1974, Washington was named the first intercollegiate head coach in UCLA women's basketball history. Kenny Washington: Pos: HB-DB, Career: 27 G, 9 TD, 859 Yds, 6.1 Y/A, Rams 1946-1948, born CA 1918, died 1971 Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Kenneth Washington is an American retired basketball player and coach. 4/21/20: Team sources said Harris impressed them during fall training camp, and they see him as having mid-round potential. Projected Round (2020): 4-6. He was also the first head coach in UCLA women's basketball history. At UCLA he teamed with Jackie Robinson, Woody Strode, and a fourth black player (who was a substitute)—an unprecedented number of black athletes on a single team for that time. However, to start the story in the 1950s would be woefully inadequate. ... he will get drafted. Because of his race, Washington’s awards failed to match his accomplishments, however, as he made the second team rather than the first in the major All-America selections, and he was not named to the postseason East-West Shrine Game at all. (In 1942–43 Washington toured military bases with the United Service Organizations, as a knee injury kept him out of active service.) Finally, in 1946, under a threat that the team would lose its lease on the Los Angeles Coliseum, the Los Angeles Rams signed Washington (along with Woody Strode, to be his roommate), ending the 12-year ban on black players in the NFL. 40 Time: 5.10. More bio, uniform, draft, salary info Support us without the ads? Here is Kenny Washington’s story. Instead, he became the biggest star and most popular player in two minor professional leagues on the West Coast, playing for the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Pro Football League in 1940, 1941, and 1945 and for the San Francisco Clippers of the American Football League in 1944. In 1956 Washington was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame, and his number 13 jersey was the first to be retired at UCLA. Washington, Strode, and Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they made up three of the four backfield players. Not even legendary Chicago Bears coach George Halas, who'd coached Washington in the College All Star Game and pushed hard to get Washington to play in the NFL, could get the ban overturned. By this time Washington had suffered several knee injuries, and, after three modest seasons with the Rams, he retired in 1948. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. He died on June 24, 1971 in Los Angeles, California. Despite Washington’s incredible college career, no NFL team drafted him in 1940. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account. Nick Harris, C, Washington Height: 6-1. Each of these slights provoked outrage in the national black press and in the mainstream press on the West Coast, where Washington was both greatly admired and immensely popular. NFL Draft - Players from Washington State. Washington was a single-wing tailback at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 1937 through 1939, during a period when only a few dozen African American athletes played on marginally integrated teams outside the South. The Reintegration of the NFL Based on performance and ability alone, Kenny Washington should have joined the NFL in 1940. With a Britannica Membership, https: //www.britannica.com/biography/Kenny-Washington, BlackPast.org - Biography of Kenneth S. 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