Kenny Washington breaks NFL color barrier
On March 21, 1946 Rams general manager Charlie “Chile” Walsh signed former UCLA standout Kenny Washington. The Rams purchased the 27-year-old’s contract from the Hollywood Bears and reportedly signed the halfback to a “five-figure salary,” the Los Angeles Sentinel reported. Walsh would tell the Los Angeles Times that the “financial arrangements are entirely satisfactory to Washington and keeping with the [ex-UCLA player’s] gridiron reputation.”
Liberty Magazine named Washington an All-American for the Bruins in 1939. Of the 664 players nominated, Washington was the only one who received the vote of every opponent he faced during the season. Former teammate and end Woody Strode will join him on May 7 both former UCLA and play in his first game at the Coliseum on September 6 become the first African-Americans to play in the NFL in the modern era. Their signing followed a 12-year ban on black players and was seen as a landmark event, similar to their backfield teammate Jackie Robinson’s integration of baseball that same year.
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The day Kenny Washington ended the NFL’s unofficial blackout
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