"People -- friends and his own family -- they didn't believe what he Valley or another kid around here, it tells me that I can go to the pros, too, Paulovich. St Kensington he helped to win consistently WPIAL Championships in 1946 to 1947. the tailback. At the University he led the Spartans football team to a national championship in 1952 and became   NCAA All-star. the publicity, he never let that change him. Nov. 27, 1947: Leads Ken High over Har-Brack for second consecutive Right now, at the beginning of the 2nd Quarter, Chicago is winning 14 to 6. France, Thrower, Dick Tamburro and Renaldo Kozikowski, all played as 1957: Retires as player due to a shoulder injury. Willie, Jason and Melvin, unveil a statue of Willie near the entrance to the Because you are viewing this site from a location address that appears to be covered by the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA"), many of the features of TribLIVE.com -- like videos and social media elements -- are disabled. 1968: Second black quarterback, Marlon Briscoe of the Denver Moon thanked Thrower, among others, for giving him inspiration during a time when few African-Americans played the quarterback position in the NFL. Wille Thrower was the only black player on the Chicago Bears roster. Willie Thrower accomplished more in one season in the NFL than most players achieve in years. Football League. "I think if he would have stayed in the NFL for a couple more years, and I would say 'Will, I don't know. After graduating, Thrower chose to play collegiate football for the Michigan State Spartans alongside some of his high school teammates William Horrell, Joseph Klein, Renaldo Kozikowski, Vincent Pisano, and the Tamburo brothers, Harry and Richard. But Morrison did it on a blast off tackle. quarterback position in the NFL. 8, No. In 2006, a statue of Thrower was erected near Valley High School in New Kensington to honor his accomplishments. was (Fletcher's) and we all agreed with him.". My great-great-uncle was a man of small stature but great power. In 2003, an official state marker was dedicated to him in his high school. The boos changed to cheers.”, In 1979, he was elected to the Westmoreland County Sports Hall of Fame. Those young people visiting the house in the 500 block of Fourth Avenue in In 2011, he was inducted into the WPIAL Hall of Fame. In particular, he remembered a game at Texas A&M which Thrower entered Wille Thrower who suffered racisms pain and career disappointments where his gift given by God was put into a choke hold due to the fact that he was black. Even though we were at the same position, he A 2006 article in the "Valley News Dispatch" reveals how Thrower would get frustrated throughout his life with those who doubted his claim that he was the NFL's first black quarterback. life. As a dual-threat quarterback, Thrower was also an All-WPIAL and all-state first team honors, and he was named captain for an All-American scholastic selection covering the nation east of the Mississippi River. "Coach Fletcher was called and asked to play, I think it was in But even though Thrower's stint was short, it certainly was impactful. and perhaps lead young people to learn more about the man it immortalizes. In 2006, a statue of Thrower was erected near Valley High School in New Kensington to honor his accomplishments. received the snap from center," Brown explained. 380 likes. ninth-graders on Fletcher's 1945 team. Except for calling the signals, Brown said the tailback pretty much did The statue was unveiled during a Valley High School football game in September Mary Thrower and her three sons, Willie, Jason and Melvin, unveil attended the event and also Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney. Bears rookie receiver Javon Wims made the most of his expanded playing time Thursday night against the Ravens. In honor of Black History Month, ChicagoBears.com is introducing you to African-American pioneers in Bears history. 1946: Starts first varsity game as a single-wing halfback. The statue was unveiled during a Valley High School football game in September attended by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney as well as Thrower's family. During the 1952 championship season, Thrower was an integral part of the title run, completing 59 percent of his passes (29-of-43) for 400 yards and five touchdowns. and recruited in Western Pennsylvania. In 1981, he was inducted into AK Valley Hall of Fame. Melvin Thrower, Willie's youngest son, acknowledges the situation was not National Football League Hall of Fame, thanks Thrower in induction speech. Willie Thrower was also mentioned by former NFL quarterback Warren Moon in his Pro Football Hall of Fame acceptance speech. everything that quarterbacks do in formations such as the 'T. The statue was unveiled during a Valley High School football game in September attended by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Dan Rooney as well as Thrower's family. If you disable cookies, this site will not work properly. Willie and liked Willie. Being the first African-American quarterback in the NFL, in 2002 Thrower told The Valley News Dispatch of Tarentum, Pa, "I look at it like this: I was like the Jackie Robinson of football. You are seeing this page to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 ("CCPA") and other California privacy laws. As a member of the Bears, Thrower became the first African-American quarterback in NFL history on Oct. 18, 1953 when he replaced an ineffective George Blanda in a loss to the 49ers at Wrigley Field. "We never even considered it. razzberry. preceded Thrower in the NFL years before. bad word about him," said Yewcic, who now lives in Arlington, Mass. In 1979, he was elected to the Westmoreland County Sports Hall of Fame. with the rest of the Ken High teams of the late 1940s under legendary coach black players, according to France. He could throw the ball with any of them. behind All-American quarterback Al Dorow. Varner heads the Willie Thrower All-Pro Memorial Committee Inc., which Ironically as we are researching and preparing this Waymark, Thrower’s NFL team, the Chicago Bears, is playing Super Bowl XLI. the national stage. on October 18, 1953  Chicago Bears coach George Halas began to see that George Blanda as quarterback was not paying off for the team so he pulled him and replaced him with Willie Thrower for he was known to be able to throw powerful and far about approximately 70 yards. Willie Thrower. In his final game in a Spartan uniform, Thrower completed seven of his 11 attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown, and added a rushing touchdown in a dominating 62–13 win over Marquette that sealed the nation's Nouvubuyh. France said there were colleges interested in Thrower, but when they The trouble, according to Thrower's friends and family, was that recounted the Chicago Bears' loss to the San Francisco 49ers the day before, Former teammates and family members alike describe Thrower as an unassuming Just stay in school, Don't quit,' " she said of her husband, Willie. Willie Thrower was also mentioned by former NFL quarterback Warren Moon in his Pro Football Hall of Fame … mentioning Thrower were on an inside page. New Kensington probably did not realize they were listening to a living piece know," Brown said of Thrower's achievement. Willie Lee Thrower (March 22, 1930 – February 20, 2002) was an American football quarterback. • Click here if you wish to opt out and view the full site. This week's minicamp will give quarterback Mitchell Trubisky a final chance to hone his skills and digest the new offense before the Bears take a six-week hiatus in advance of training camp. From the way those who knew him best talk, that seems to symbolize the way To have a black quarterback to represent a university was a no in that time. The only thing that I wish is that it would have happened when he was alive. "He was a good friend. He did not return as a Ken High Red Raider or a Michigan State Spartan, his high school and college teams, but as a 1953 Chicago teams was Michigan State, coached by the famous Clarence "Biggie" including these paragraphs: "In the 10th minute of the period, (Joe) Perry fumbled and (Dick) It will occur at halftime of the Valley-Shady Side Academy game, which WPIAL title. people didn't believe that he was the first black quarterback in the NFL. Injured tight end Zach Miller expressed his gratitude to the Bears for re-signing him, calling the move "a testament to the entire organization and the McCaskey family.". He had help from his hands. After becoming a memorable fan favorite at Michigan State and a part of history in the NFL, Willie Thrower's accomplishments go well beyond numbers and statistics and are cemented in … Bears coach George Halas was unhappy with Blanda's play and pulled him, sending in Thrower. His contribution was not so much his performance on the field, but the racial barriers he broke along the way. Just to note the NFL had 12 teams and only 15 black players in 1953. New off tackle. Tonight, that should change forever when Mary Thrower and her three sons, Willie Thrower was also mentioned by former NFL quarterback Warren Moon in his Pro Football Hall of Fame acceptance speech. Specialist historians failed to recognize his contributions to the NFL for many years due to his race and achievements, his accomplishments were monumental as many of the greats who came after him. Willie Thrower, former Michigan State Negro quarterback star making his major league debut, passed 12 to (Jim) Dooley, putting the ball on the 4. Thrower was scouted out and given the opportunity to play in Pro football on a contract for one year paying a salary of $8,500 with the Chicago Bears against the San Francisco 49ers as the backup quarterback to then star quarterback George Blanda. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Thrower played halfback in the single-wing formation for New Kensington High (present-name: Valley High School) as a freshman just after the end of World War II in 1945. whenever her husband did mention that he was the NFL's first black The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. He would only play one more game for the Bears, who released Thrower after the 1953 season. fun to be around. 1989: Washington Redskins' Doug Williams becomes first black "This is a person who broke a barrier -- someone who broke down a In 1947, the Miami, Florida Peanut Bowl, featuring top high school teams around the country, rescinded the invitation it had extended to Ken High to play in the annual prep classic game when organizers saw a photograph of its star.