George Flippin facts for kids

George Flippin was an amazing American football player and a doctor. He was born on February 8, 1868, and passed away on May 15, 1929. George was a left halfback for the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team. He became their first star player and was also the first Black player on the team. He was one of the very first Black players in college football across the entire country. Because of his great achievements, he was added to the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 1974.

Early Life of George Flippin

George Flippin's father, Charles, was a freed slave. He bravely fought in the Civil War for the Union side. Charles was part of the 14th United States Colored Infantry Regiment. After the war, he became a doctor.

George was born in Ohio in 1868, three years after the Civil War ended. His mother, Mahala, passed away in 1871. After her death, George's father and brother moved. They first went to Kansas, then settled in Henderson, Nebraska in 1888.

George Flippin's Football Career

George Flippin attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. He studied there from 1891 to 1894.

Football was a very new sport back then. The University of Nebraska's football team had only been around for a few months when George arrived. He quickly joined the team, which was called the 1891 Nebraska Old Gold Knights football team.

Becoming a Star Player

George's first game was against the Iowa Hawkeyes. This was only the fifth game in the university's football history. George showed amazing talent right away. He quickly became the star player of the new team.

Facing Challenges and Racism

Because George Flippin was on the Nebraska team, some other teams refused to play. For example, the Missouri team would not play a scheduled game on November 5, 1892. They gave up the game, which meant Nebraska won by default. This would have been the very first game between the two teams.

Nebraska's student newspaper, the Daily Nebraskan, made fun of the Missouri team. They said Missouri's unfair treatment of Black players would make them lose games, just like they lost the Civil War. The newspaper proudly stated that including all races was a part of Nebraska's identity.

George Flippin faced racism in other ways too. He was not allowed into an opera house in Denver after a game. He also sued a bathhouse in Lincoln because they would not let him in due to his race. In Omaha, a restaurant made the football team eat in a private room. They did not want George to be seen in the main dining area.

Leaving Nebraska Football

After the 1894 season, George's teammates voted him to be the team captain. However, Nebraska's football coach, Frank Crawford, would not allow a Black man to be the team captain.

Because of this, George Flippin left Nebraska. He decided to study medicine in Chicago. He paid for his schooling by playing football for the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Chicago. He earned $75 per season playing for them.

In 1974, George Flippin was honored for his football achievements. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame.

Life as a Doctor

After earning his medical degree in Chicago, George Flippin became a doctor. He worked in Stromsburg, Nebraska until he passed away in 1929. He even started the very first hospital in that community.

In 1910, he married Mertina Larson, who was a schoolteacher in Stromsburg. At that time, there were rules in Nebraska that made it difficult for people of different races to marry. So, George and Mertina, who was white, traveled to Iowa to get married. George Flippin is the only Black person buried in the Stromsburg cemetery.