Herb Trawick facts for kids
Herb Trawick, Montreal, 1946
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| Born: | February 22, 1921 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Died: | September 16, 1985 (aged 64) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | G/OT/DL |
| College | Kentucky State College for Negroes |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1946–1957 | Montreal Alouettes |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL East All-Star | 1946-1950, 1954-1955 |
| Honors | 1949 - Grey Cup champion |
| Career stats | |
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Herb Trawick (born February 22, 1921 – died September 16, 1985) was a famous Canadian football player. He made history as the first African American to play professional Canadian football. Herb played his whole 12-year career with the Montreal Alouettes. He was an offensive lineman and a defensive guard.
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Early Life and Military Service
Herb Trawick went to Kentucky State College. He earned a degree in physical education. He was a top football player there. From 1940 to 1942, he was named an All-American three times. After college, he joined the U.S. Army during World War II.
Joining the Montreal Alouettes
In 1946, Lew Hayman and Leo Dandurand were starting a new team. This team was the Montreal Alouettes. They saw how popular Jackie Robinson was. Jackie was the first black baseball player in the pros. He played for the Montreal Royals. Hayman and Dandurand wanted a black player on their football team too.
They looked for the best player. Herb Trawick was their top choice. He was surprisingly fast for his size. He was about 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall and weighed 230 pounds (104 kg).
A Long Career in Football
Herb Trawick played for the Montreal Alouettes for 12 seasons. He played from 1946 to 1957. He played in 147 regular-season games. He was chosen as an Interprovincial Rugby Football Union All-Star seven times. When he stopped playing in 1957, Herb was the only player left from the very first Alouettes team.
He also played in four Grey Cup games. The Grey Cup is like the championship game in Canadian football. In 1949, the Alouettes won the 37th Grey Cup. Herb scored a touchdown in that game. He picked up a fumbled ball and ran it in. This was against the Calgary Stampeders.
Herb also played in three Grey Cup games against the Edmonton Eskimos. These games were from 1954 to 1956. In the 42nd Grey Cup game, he had another touchdown on a fumble return. But it was called back, meaning it didn't count.
Life in Montreal
Herb Trawick made Montreal his home. He was very welcomed by the people there. Even though he had a college degree, it was hard for him to find work outside of football. He worked as a doorman. In 1953, he became a Canadian citizen. He was also known for his kind work in the community. He helped many charities.
Awards and Special Recognition
Fans really loved Herb Trawick. The Alouettes retired his jersey number, No. 56. This means no other player on the team can wear that number. It's a big honor.
In 1975, Herb was chosen for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He was also added to the Kentucky State University Athletics Hall of Fame in the same year.
Herb Trawick passed away on September 16, 1985, in Montreal. On July 16, 1997, a park in Montreal was named after him. It is called Parc Herb-Trawick.
In 2006, Herb Trawick was honored again. He was voted onto the Honour Roll of the Canadian Football League's Top 50 players. This list was made by the Canadian sports network TSN.
