Kenny Washington
Kenny Washington was born on August 31, 1918, in Los Angeles, CA. In school, Washington was an athletic force. He led Lincoln High School to the city title his junior year and then six months later to the football championship his senior season. After graduation, Washington played as a tailback at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), from 1937 to 1939. On the football field, Washington was nearly unstoppable. He was the first All-American in the history of UCLA football. He was also the first Bruin to be elected to the College Football Hall of Fame.
As a ballplayer, Washington hit well over .300 the two years he played on the varsity squad. Washington was rated better than his teammate Jackie Robinson He was the first Bruin to lead the nation in total offense and became the first consensus All-American in the history of the school’s football program in 1939. He rushed for 1,914 yards in his career, a school record for 34 years. From 1940 to 1945, Washington played for the Hollywood Bears of the Pacific Coast Professional Football League. He earned all-league recognition each year, including his first year when he suffered a knee injury that prevented him from being conscripted for the war.
Washington’s UCLA teammate Woody Strode was also on that team. Despite his impressive college numbers, an NFL career was not available to Washington upon graduating from UCLA. At the time, the league was in the midst of what would prove to be a 12-year ban on African American players, a policy that had been steered into place in 1933 by Washington Redskins owner George Preston Marshall. Not even legendary Chicago Bears coach George Halas, who’d coached Washington in the College All Star Game and pushed hard to get Washington to play in the NFL, could get the ban overturned.
When the Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles, the contract with Los Angeles Coliseum stipulated that the team would lose its lease if the team was not integrated. The Rams’ agreement with these terms ended the NFL’s 12-year ban on Black players. The team signed Washington on March 21, 1946, followed by Woody Strode. He played for the Rams for three years, but although his injuries had taken their toll, he was still able to lead the league in yards per carry in his second season, and even scored a 92-yard touchdown, which remains the Rams team record for the longest run from scrimmage.
Kenny Washington, along with teammate Woody Strode, and with Bill Willis and Marion Motley of the Cleveland Browns integrated modern day professional football in 1946. Washington retired from the NFL following the 1948 season. His No. 13 jersey was retired by UCLA in 1956, and that same year Washington was inducted into the College Hall of Fame. The NFL’s decision to sign Washington was a key turning point in both the development of professional football and the broader fight for racial equality in America. It signaled a turning moment for the game, opening doors for later generations of African American athletes. Washington’s talent and hard work on the field have earned him a number of honors and awards.