Marion Motley
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Marion Motley (born June 5, 1920, in Leesburg, Georgia, died June 27, 1999) was a former American Football fullback who played for the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Motley attended high school at Canton McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio and went to college at South Carolina State University and University of Nevada and after college, Motley joined the United States Navy. Motley planned on going back to college to get a degree, but the Cleveland Browns offered him a job. He started his pro football career in 1946, when the Browns were part of the AAFC.
When the AAFC shut down in 1950, Motley was the league's career rushing leader at 3,024 yards. In the 1950 season he led the league in rushing with 810 yards on 140 carries, averaging nine or ten carries a game, due to sharing the backfield with Hall of Fame quarterback Otto Graham. But Motley was an outstanding pass blocker and played linebacker on defense, which was uncommon at the time.
But in Motley's last four season's in professional football, he was suffering with injuries. He finally quit before the 1954 season. He soon returned and played in 1955 with the Steelers, but after a few games he left due to injuries.
After retiring he scouted players for the Browns, and wanted to coach. But at the time, racism was a big role in jobs and he was turned down most offers. In 1968 Motley was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Emlen Tunnell of the New York Giants was the first black player to achieve the honor, making Motley the second. The respected football writer Paul Zimmerman of Sports Illustrated has called Motley the best player in the history of football.
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: [Member profile]
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