in the oral tradition

To often, we take our pleasures for granted. See me, I’m a fan of sports. Since it is football season, I am more concerned about it as well as the fledgling NCAA basketball season more than other miscellaneous pleasurable pursuits. I learned of my direct love via my male family members. I learned not only of the love for the sport, but also history. They told me about the Satchel Page's, the Rube Foster's and the Curt Floods. I was unaware of these folks, and they had seen them before the era of television and were aided by radio. Jus as I tell my son about the Jack Tatum’s, the Lew Alcindor’s and the Jefferson Street Joe Gilliam’s. And Like I was, he too ca only visualize what I am trying to explain since he had not grown up seeing them Albeit he may have archival film footage courtesy of ESPN to help him, he still will never understand their greatness as I did unless I take the time to tell him.

One such figure that I was told of but never saw was Bill Willis. Willis was the first African American to ever start in the National Football League. A player with the Cleveland Browns, he was the one to open up the NFL and break down the color barrier. He played with the Browns from 1946 to 1953 and his record was enough for him to be elected into the pro football Hall of Fame in 1977. Willis also played/started both offense and defense for the Legendary Paul Brown.

While at Ohio State, he had his No. 99 jersey retired at halftime of the Wisconsin-Ohio State game. He was also Ohio States first Black football all American where he opened a many holes and blocked for the Buckeye’s 1944 Heisman Trophy winner Les Horvath. He also participated in track and field some five years after Jesse Owens attended the institution.

Yep I’m glad for listening to my folks and his break throughs, or else we would still be looking a football with a lot of slow ass men who likely would not hit as hard and/or talk shit on the field. And moreover, ‘m glad I listened to my elders and the stories the told. I guess it will be up to us to keep telling the stories in the oral tradition and then some, so these can be captured in His-story books and history. He was 86 years old so no telling what his eyes say or his spirit experienced.