Who is this guy?

When I celebrate Black History Month by kicking some knowledge, I always try to really dig, as the DJ's say, "back in the stacks". From my past topics ranging from the Hens to boxing great Joe Gans, I want to demonstrate both the richness and celebration of Black History.

I always try to be honest with my readers. So when I think of Charles Follis, I think of the movie Casino when a bar patron, after seeing Sam Rothstein come into the bar to much fanfare, says "who is this guy?"

Charles Follis (above) is THE first black professional football player. He played for the Shelby Blues of the Ohio league from 1902 to 1906. He was nicknamed "The Black Cyclone".

Follis entered Wooster College in 1901 and played amateur ball instead of college ball. When the coach of the Blues first caught a glimpse of Follis, he decided that he rather have Follis play with his team instead of against his team. He helped lead the Blues to a 8-1-1 record, losing only to the eventual league champion. In 1906, he suffered an early season injury, but came back the second half to contribute. An injury on Thanksgiving day ended his football career.

This is why I love research. In 1975, historians discovered old editions of the Shelby Daily Globe newspaper and verified in a September 16th, 1904 edition that Follis had indeed signed a professional contract.

While playing for Shelby, one of his teammates was a student at Ohio Wesleyan University who played football. Branch Rickey later became the general manager of the baseball Brooklyn Dodgers and signed Jackie Robinson to a major league contract that broke baseball's color barrier.

My research didn't make the connection, but I will: No doubt that watching the "Cyclone" had a influence.

His history making didn't stop with football. He also became the first black catcher to move from college baseball to the Negro leagues, doing the Bo Jackson thing before Bo Jackson. He played catcher for the Cuban Giants in 1909.

Hollis died a year later from pneumonia at the age of 31.

So, if you ever get on Jeopardy, you know the question to the answer " He was the first Black professional football player."

Conversion

It was Super Bowl night, and I was hanging out with my boyz in B-More. With the game already decided, we took the party to the backyard for more male bonding stuff when it happened. One of my crew is a die-hard Cowboys fan. Has been for a while. In spite of this poor judgment, he is still one of my best friends.

Anyway, in the split of a instant, it happened: He converted. He came home. He is now a Ravens fan. One of my other boyz, who thought he was joking (as did I) gathered every one together where he in fact confirmed his statement. He is now a member of the purple and black. He has not given a specific reason for the conversion, but I'm sure it was a combination of things both on and off the field. I still wasn't convinced until I saw his truck the following weekend. There was no star on the truck. Anywhere. It was gone.

It's true.

Flashback to Super Bowl night. After my friend, who shall remain nameless because he is now in the Ravens conversion protection program, all eyes were on me like Tupac. While I never went through a Greek pledge period, I got a whiff of it that night. There they were, ten plus guys, who are some of my closest friends on the planet, were there urging me to follow my friend's footsteps.

Being a fan of the Washington franchise all my life, they were asking me to, in a sense, give up a part of my identity not just as a fan but also as a Washingtonian. While my team has also gone through it's trials & tribulations, they are still my team. Even if they don't play their games in DC anymore.

Now that I have said all that, I thought about it. I thought about it hard. I thought about it very hard. My boyz didn't know it at the time, but if someone had thrusted a hat in my lap, that might have done it.

For my regular readers, you know that I have been conflicted about this for the last couple of years. That debate inside of me has not gone away.

In either case, next season is going to be a very interesting year for BreezyG.