PBS Documentaries to Highlight Black Players in Pro Football

Two documentaries will debut Friday in the Northeast Ohio television market, highlighting the contributions of Black players on the history of professional football.

“Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley” dives into the life and times of one of the four men who re-integrated pro football in 1946.

Motley and teammate Bill Willis joined the Cleveland Browns as the franchise debuted as one of the teams in the new All-America Football Conference. Also in 1946, Woody Strode and Kenny Washington were joining the Los Angeles Rams in the National Football League.

Motley, who grew up in Canton, stands as the rushing leader in the AAFC’s four-year history. When the Browns moved to the NFL in 1950, he led all rushers with 810 yards on only 140 carries (a league-best 5.8 average). He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1940s and the NFL 100 All-Time Team.

Following the Motley documentary, PBS Western Reserve will air “Black College Football Hall of Fame: Journey to Canton.” It will explore the contributions of players from Historically Black Colleges and Universities on pro football and the development of the Black College Football Hall of Fame to honor the best of the best from HBCUs.

For more information on the Motley documentary, check out this article from Thomas Moore.

For more information on the broadcasts and other Black History Month programming, visit the PBS Western Reserve website.