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| Charles Follis 1879-1910 |
Victor Cruz will be salsa dancing all night after the New York Giant's Superbowl XLVI win! Keeping up with the spirit of champions, let's remember Charles Follis the first African American professional football player. At his high school, Follis organized the first football team and was elected captain(1899). He attended college at Wooster College, but chose to play for a local amateur team instead. Upon graduation (1904), he signed a contract with the Shelby Blues of the Ohio League. Follis led the Blues with only one season loss. At the Thanksgiving Day game of the 1906 season, Follis suffered a career-ending injury.
Follis turned to baseball since he played for Wooster and in the Ohio Trolley League. He played for the Cuban Giants, an African American baseball team(since all the teams were segregated), as a catcher. After playing on April 5, 1910, Follis caught the pneumonia and died of his sickness.
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