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Kenny Washington (American football)
Encyclopedia
Kenneth S. "Kingfish" 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.
at 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. 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. Washington, Strode, and Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they made up three of the four backfield players. This was a rarity to have so many African Americans when only a few dozen at all played on college football teams. They played eventual conference and national champion USC to a 0-0 tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl
on the line. It was the first UCLA-USC rivalry
football game with national implications. UCLA teammates have commented how strong Washington was when confronted with racial slurs and discrimination.
He led the nation in total offense
and became the first consensus All-America
n in the history of the school's football program in 1939. However, he was named to second team All-America
selection instead of the first and was omitted from the East-West Shrine Game
that year. These slights were the source of much outrage among West Coast media outlets which blamed them on racial discrimination.
According to Time
magazine's coverage of the 1940 College All-Star Game
, Washington was "Considered by West Coast fans the most brilliant player in the U. S. last year."
After graduation, George Halas
attempted to sign Washington to the Chicago Bears
, but was blocked by NFL owners. Instead, Washington played for the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League
from 1941 to 1945. Unlike most professional athletes, he was able to avoid joining the United States military during World War II
and was not drafted into service. In 1946, when the Cleveland Rams
moved to Los Angeles, the commissioners of the Los Angeles Coliseum stipulated as part of the agreement that the team be integrated
. As a result, the team signed Washington on March 21, 1946, and fellow UCLA (and Hollywood) teammate Strode later on May 7. His NFL stint only lasted three years, but the impact he had on the league was enormous. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1956 and his number 13 jersey was the first to be retired at UCLA.
's 1950 U.S. Senate campaign
. The night before Nixon's crushing victory over Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas, he spent the evening at Washington's south Los Angeles home playing music and trying to relax.
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was the first African-American to sign a contract with a National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
team in the modern (post-World War II) era.
UCLA Bruins
He was a star running backRunning back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
at Abraham Lincoln High School
Abraham Lincoln High School (Los Angeles, California)
Abraham Lincoln High School, usually referred to simply as Lincoln High School, is a secondary school located in the Lincoln Heights district of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is located in the East Los Angeles-area community, surrounded by El Sereno, Chinatown, Boyle Heights and...
in Los Angeles
In college at UCLA, he rushed for 1,914 yards in his college career, a school record for 34 years. He was one of four African American players on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, the others being Woody Strode
Woody Strode
Woodrow Wilson Woolwine "Woody" Strode was a decathlete and football star who went on to become a pioneering black American film actor. He was nominated for a Golden Globe award for best supporting actor for his role in Spartacus in 1960...
, Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
and Ray Bartlett. Washington, Strode, and Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they made up three of the four backfield players. This was a rarity to have so many African Americans when only a few dozen at all played on college football teams. They played eventual conference and national champion USC to a 0-0 tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl
1940 Rose Bowl
The 1940 Rose Bowl, played on January 1, 1940, was an American Football bowl game. It was the 26th Rose Bowl Game. The USC Trojans defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 14-0. Ambrose Schindler, the USC quarterback, was named the Rose Bowl Player Of The Game when the award was created in 1953 and...
on the line. It was the first UCLA-USC rivalry
UCLA-USC rivalry
The UCLA–USC rivalry is the American college rivalry between the UCLA Bruins sports teams of the University of California, Los Angeles and the USC Trojans sports teams of the University of Southern California ....
football game with national implications. UCLA teammates have commented how strong Washington was when confronted with racial slurs and discrimination.
He led the nation in total offense
Offense (sports)
In sports, offense or offence , also known as attack, is the action of attacking or engaging an opposing team with the objective of scoring points or goals...
and became the first consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in the history of the school's football program in 1939. However, he was named to second team All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
selection instead of the first and was omitted from the East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
that year. These slights were the source of much outrage among West Coast media outlets which blamed them on racial discrimination.
According to Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine's coverage of the 1940 College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
, Washington was "Considered by West Coast fans the most brilliant player in the U. S. last year."
Professional football
| "Considered by West Coast fans the most brilliant player in the U. S. last year, Washington cannot play major-league pro football because he is a Negro." |
| — Time magazine, 1940 |
After graduation, George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
attempted to sign Washington to the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but was blocked by NFL owners. Instead, Washington played for the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League
Pacific Coast Professional Football League
The Pacific Coast Professional Football League , also known as the Pacific Coast Football League and Pacific Coast League was a professional American football league based in California, USA, and competed from 1940 through 1948 in sports...
from 1941 to 1945. Unlike most professional athletes, he was able to avoid joining the United States military during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was not drafted into service. In 1946, when the Cleveland Rams
Cleveland Rams
The Cleveland Rams were a professional American football team based in Cleveland, Ohio.The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. The NFL considers the franchise as a second incarnation of the previous Cleveland Rams team that was a charter member of the second American Football League...
moved to Los Angeles, the commissioners of the Los Angeles Coliseum stipulated as part of the agreement that the team be integrated
Racial integration
Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation . In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity regardless of race, and the development of a culture that draws on diverse traditions, rather than merely...
. As a result, the team signed Washington on March 21, 1946, and fellow UCLA (and Hollywood) teammate Strode later on May 7. His NFL stint only lasted three years, but the impact he had on the league was enormous. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1956 and his number 13 jersey was the first to be retired at UCLA.
Politics
Washington was a staunch Republican and strongly supported Richard NixonRichard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's 1950 U.S. Senate campaign
United States Senate election in California, 1950
The 1950 United States Senate election in California followed a campaign characterized by accusations and name-calling. Republican Richard Nixon defeated Democrat Helen Gahagan Douglas, after Democratic incumbent Sheridan Downey withdrew during the primary election campaign...
. The night before Nixon's crushing victory over Congresswoman Helen Gahagan Douglas, he spent the evening at Washington's south Los Angeles home playing music and trying to relax.
Later career
After his retirement from football, Washington became a distinguished police officer for the Los Angeles Police DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
The Los Angeles Police Department is the police department of the city of Los Angeles, California. With just under 10,000 officers and more than 3,000 civilian staff, covering an area of with a population of more than 4.1 million people, it is the third largest local law enforcement agency in...
.