researching obscure college football player--1951 Topps Magic #65 Bill Matthews

[Maris61]

Ty, thank you for the info on NYU's program--as well as the bio and fantastic photo of Tanner.

And thanks for the other input, John. Also, I think I consider players as "barrier breaking" a little more loosely than some others would use that term. And even in baseball, for exmple, there were different periods where a few black athletes played very early before the majority colluded to ban them--and then of course another, bigger wave with integration much later on beginning w/ Robinson. But still some very good points. And it does appear that some schools were integrating well ahead of other schools (and ahead of the professional leagues). Again, though, from the article and other random sources, I'm still unclear how pervasive the integration was for many of the schools--even those that may have had, say, one player of color, which is far from demonstrating a program was peacefully "integrated." And I like how that article alludes to the difficulties of those who may have been the lone athlete of color on their team or even in their entire school. . . . Even if some school has one black football player twenty years prior, I'd still credit another black athlete as a barrier breaker if they're among the first such athlete in whatever their own region or individual school. . . . In any case, I appreciate the dialogue on this--and that ESPN article.