Black Man in the Huddle : Stories from the Integration of Texas Football.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jacobus, Robert D.

Contributor:

Gordon-Reed, Annette.

Series:

Swaim-Paup Sports Series, sponsored by James C. '74 & Debra Parchman Swaim and T. Edgar '74 & Nancy Paup

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Football--Texas--History--20th century.

Football.

Discrimination in sports--Texas--History--20th century.

Discrimination in sports.

African American football players--Texas--History--20th century.

African American football players.

Texas--Race relations--History--20th century.

Texas.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (277 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

College Station : Texas A&M University Press, 2019.

Summary:

"What was it like for young black men growing up in a totally segregated environment and transitioning to an integrated one?" asks author Robert Jacobus in the preface to this collection of interviews. How did they get involved in sports? How did the facilities, both academic and athletic, compare to the white schools? What colleges recruited them out of high school? Searching for the answers to these and other questions, Jacobus interviewed some 250 former players, former coaches, and others who were personally involved in the racial integration of Texas public school and college athletic programs. Starting with Ben Kelly, the first African American to play for a college team in the former Confederacy when he walked on at then San Angelo College, and continuing with great players such as Jerry Levias, Ken Houston, Mel Renfro, Bubba Smith, and more, the players tell their stories in their own words. Each story is as varied as the players themselves. Some strongly uphold the necessity of integration for progress in society. Others, while understanding the need for integration, nevertheless mourn the passing of their segregated schools, remembering fondly the close-knit communities forged by the difficulties faced by both students and teachers. Interlaced with historical context and abundantly illustrated, the first-person accounts presented in Black Man in the Huddle form an important and lasting record of the thoughts, struggles, successes, and experiences of young men on the front lines of desegregation in Texas schools and athletic programs. By capturing these stories, Jacobus widens our perspective on the interactions between sport and American society during the momentous 1950s, '60s, and '70s.

Contents:

Cover

Title

Copyright

Dedication

Contents

Foreword

Preface

1. A Black Man in the Huddle

2. The Hand-Me-Downs

3. Go West, Young Blacks, Go West!

4. Integration Year of the Forfeits

5. The Flood Gates Open

6. The Alamo City Breaks Down Doors

7. Colleges' Integration Pain and Victories

8. Integration on Both Sides of the Ball

9. The Bucs Bring in the New Decade

10. Texas' White Schools Challenge the HBCUs

11. The Eagles Fly High

12. Leaving Texas

13. Be Careful What You Wish For

14. The Coogs and the SWC

15. Everyone Joins the Fold

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781623497521

1623497523

OCLC:

1055567295