Bernie Custis facts for kids

Bernard Eugene Custis (September 23, 1928 – February 23, 2017) was an amazing American and Canadian football player. He later became a very successful coach. Bernie Custis made history as the first black professional quarterback in the modern era. He was also the first in professional Canadian football, playing for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1951.

In 2019, a new school called Bernie Custis Secondary School opened in Hamilton, Ontario. It's right next to Tim Hortons Field. This stadium used to be Ivor Wynne Stadium, where Bernie played his first professional games.

Early Life and High School

Bernie Custis was born in Philadelphia in 1928. He graduated from John Bartram High School in Philadelphia in 1947. During high school, he was excellent at track and field sports.

College Football Star

Custis became a star quarterback for the Syracuse Orange football team. He played in 1948, 1949, and 1950. He set many records at Syracuse that lasted for decades.

He was recruited by Coach Reaves Baysinger. Later, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder took over. Custis played during Schwartzwalder's first two seasons. The team had a 4–5 record in 1949 and 5–5 in 1950.

Bernie Custis was named the Syracuse Football team's Most Valuable Player in 1948. He also shared a room with Al Davis, who later became a famous coach and owner of the Oakland Raiders.

Syracuse Passing Stats

Here are Bernie Custis's passing statistics from his college career:

Professional Football Career

National Football League Opportunity

Bernie Custis was chosen in the eleventh round of the 1951 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. However, the Browns already had a legendary quarterback, Otto Graham. The NFL had also not had a black quarterback in 30 years.

The Browns offered Custis a chance to play safety instead of quarterback. When he said no, they offered to let him go. But they added a condition: he couldn't play for another NFL team.

Making History in Canada

Custis decided to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in Canada. This league, the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), later became part of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

In 1951, Custis became the first black player to start as a quarterback in Canadian professional football. He started every game for Hamilton that year. The team finished with a 7–5 record. They won their first playoff game against Toronto. They lost a close Eastern finals game to Ottawa, 9–11. Custis was named an IRFU All-Star as a quarterback in 1951.

Even though he was an All-Star quarterback, he switched to running back in 1952. He was also very successful in this new position. The 1952 Tiger-Cats had a great season, finishing 9–2–1. However, they lost in the playoff finals to Toronto.

In 1953, Custis helped Hamilton win the 41st Grey Cup game. This is the Canadian pro football championship. They defeated the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 12–6.

Bernie Custis finished his playing career with the Ottawa Rough Riders. He played as a running back for them in 1955 and 1956.

Coaching Career

After his football career, Bernie Custis stayed in Canada. He became a teacher and an elementary school principal. At the same time, he coached junior football teams. He coached the Oakville Black Knights and the Burlington Braves. At Burlington, he coached Tony Gabriel, who later became a Canadian Football Hall of Famer.

From 1973 to 1980, he was the head coach at Sheridan College. His team had an amazing record of 86 wins and only 14 losses. They won six Eastern College Championships in a row from 1973 to 1978.

In 1981, he became the head coach at McMaster University. In his second year, he led the team from seventh place to first place. Over eight seasons, his record was 31 wins, 23 losses, and 1 tie. He was named the OUAA Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1984. He also won the CIAU Coach of the Year award in 1982. He was inducted into the McMaster Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.

In 1994, Bernie Custis was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He was honored as a "builder" for his huge contributions to junior and college football in Canada.

Highlights and Honors

As a Player

• IRFU (Canadian League) All-Star Quarterback: 1951
• IRFU (Canadian League) All-Star Running Back: 1954
• Grey Cup Champion (Canadian Football Championship): 1953
• Syracuse University Athletic Hall of Fame: Inducted 1977

As a Coach

• All-Star Coach: 1975, 1977, 1978
• OUAA Coach of the Year: 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985
• CIAU Coach of the Year (Frank Tindall Trophy): 1982
• Canadian Football Hall of Fame: Inducted 1998
• McMaster University Hall of Fame: Inducted 2000

See also

• List of black quarterbacks
• List of Grey Cup champions