Eldridge Dickey facts for kids

Eldridge Reno Dickey (born December 24, 1945 – died May 22, 2000) was a talented American football player. He played college football at Tennessee State University from 1965 to 1968. After college, he was chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft.

Dickey made history as the first African-American quarterback picked in the first round by a professional football team. This was either an American Football League (AFL) or National Football League (NFL) team. Even though he played very well in training camp, the Raiders moved Dickey to play wide receiver when the season started. He never got to play as a quarterback in a professional AFL or NFL game.

Eldridge Dickey's Football Journey

Eldridge Dickey started playing football in junior high school. He continued playing at Booker T. Washington High School in his hometown of Houston, Texas. He was a very smart person.

College Football Success

At Tennessee State University (TSU), Dickey became a star. He was named an HBCU All-American three times. He threw for 6,523 passing yards and scored 67 touchdowns.

Dickey was a gifted athlete. His best positions were quarterback and punter. He could even throw accurate passes with both his left and right arms! With Dickey as their leader, TSU played in the Grantland Rice Bowl in 1965 and 1966. Dickey was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 1966 game.

In 1966, TSU had an amazing season. They went undefeated and untied for the first time ever. They also won their first National Black College Football Championship. The 1966 team scored an average of 41 points per game. They only allowed opponents to score about 4 points per game.

Drafted by the Pros

In the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft, the Oakland Raiders picked Eldridge Dickey. This made him the first African-American quarterback ever drafted in the first round of professional football. The Raiders also picked another quarterback, Ken Stabler, in the second round.

Even though many believed Dickey played better than Stabler in training camp, the Raiders decided to move Dickey to play wide receiver. This was a big change for Dickey. He had once told his old coach that if he couldn't play quarterback, he didn't want to play at all. But Dickey accepted the new position, hoping he might still get a chance to play quarterback later.

Professional Career Challenges

Many people think that changing positions affected Dickey's performance. In the 1968 season, he played in 11 games. He made only one catch for 34 yards and returned 6 punt returns for 48 yards.

He didn't play in another game until 1971. In that season, he made 4 catches for 78 yards and scored 1 touchdown. However, he was cut from the team after 7 games. This happened after he dropped a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs that could have been a touchdown.

On January 28, 1972, the Baltimore Colts got Dickey from the Raiders. Later, in 1984, he signed with the Denver Gold of the United States Football League. But he never played for that team.

Eldridge Dickey always wished he could have played quarterback professionally. In 2005, he was honored as the quarterback of the All-Time HBCU football team.

Eldridge Dickey's Life

Eldridge Dickey married LaCanas Casselle in 1966. Later in his life, he became a minister. He passed away on May 22, 2000, due to a stroke.