Lesser known sports figures made difference

Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali are some of the names that come up when talking about sports figures that helped to spark social change in this country on and off the field. On the heels of Barack Obama’s inauguration, it is important to understand that there were other people in the sports world that don’t necessarily get the credit they deserve. These are some of the sports figures that helped to spark social change, but whose names aren’t as recognizable.

Larry Doby

While many people know about Jackie Robinson, the first black player in Major League Baseball, many people either don’t know or forget about Larry Doby. When Robinson signed with the Dodgers in 1947, he was the first black in the National League. Doby, who signed with the Cleveland Indians a few months later, was the first black in the American League. There are stories about Robinson and the things that he endured as a black playing professional baseball but rarely do stories come up about the racism that Doby endured. Just because Doby wasn’t the first in the majors doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be remembered for what he went through. Robinson’s name will always be synonymous with breaking the color barrier in MLB but Doby’s name shouldn’t be far behind.

1970 Southern Cal football team

In 1970, Southern Cal went and played against the Alabama Crimson Tide. This essentially was a meeting of an integrated football team (USC) and a white football team (Alabama). Southern Cal won the game, 42-21, as Alabama native and USC running back Sam Cunningham ran over Alabama to the tune of 135 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly USC sparked integration in southern college football. After the game, schools in the South knew they would have to integrate to compete on a national level. The season after their loss to Southern Cal, Alabama had black starters. Today, the Southeastern Conference is commonly referred to as having the best athletes in college football as well as being the toughest conference in college football.

Coach Don Haskins and the 1966 Texas Western basketball team

Haskins led his Texas Western team into 1966 NCAA Championship game against Hall-of-Fame coach Adolph Rupp and his Kentucky Wildcats. This game changed college basketball history because Haskins started five black players against Rupp’s all-white team. In 1966, the thought was white players were smarter than blacks and if you started all black players, the white players would out smart and out think them. That logic would be put to rest as Texas Western would defeat Kentucky, 72-65. The victory forced the integration of basketball teams, especially in the South. The loss to Texas Western was one Rupp would never get over. Rupp came into the game saying five blacks would never beat his team and left making excuses for the Wildcats’ loss. The game would help to integrate basketball teams in the South.

Tommie Smith and John Carlos

Smith and Carlos finished first and third, respectively, in the 200 meter dash at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. On the podium during the playing of the national anthem, both men raised their gloved fists in the air. By making the display, the men hoped to bring attention to the civil rights battle that was being fought in the United States. While some progress had been made, there was still more to be done. After the display, the men were suspended from the team and they were sent home. Once back home, both men received death threats from outraged people who felt they had turned the Olympics into a political forum. Smith and Carlos took a stand and did something that they believed in, even knowing that there would be circumstances.