Joe Lillard facts for kids
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| Position: | Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born: | June 15, 1905 Tulsa, Indian Territory |
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| Died: | September 18, 1978 (aged 73) New York City, New York |
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| High school: | Mason City (IA) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Oregon | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Joseph Johnny Lillard Jr. (born June 15, 1905 – died September 18, 1978) was an amazing American athlete. He played three major sports: football, baseball, and basketball. From 1932 to 1933, he was a talented running back for the National Football League's (NFL) Chicago Cardinals.
Joe Lillard was one of the last African-American players in the NFL for many years. After 1933, no Black players were in the league until 1946. This was because of an unofficial rule called the "color line." Lillard was so good that the media nicknamed him "The Midnight Express." In 1933, he scored almost half of all the points for his team!
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Joe Lillard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was then called Indian Territory. He was the first child of Joe Lillard and Annie Johnson. Joe started playing baseball when he was just six years old. He also loved to sing and tap dance as a kid.
When Joe was nine, his mother passed away. His father had left earlier. In 1915, Joe moved to Mason City, Iowa, to live with relatives. He went to Mason City High School and graduated in 1927. In high school, Joe was a star in both basketball and football. He also won many state titles in track events.
College Sports Journey
Joe Lillard originally planned to go to the University of Minnesota. But he changed his mind when his football coach, Clarence Spears, moved to the University of Oregon. So, Joe decided to follow him to Oregon.
In 1930, Joe played for Oregon's freshman football team. The next year, he joined the main varsity team. In one game against Idaho, Joe scored all of Oregon's points, helping them win 9–0.
However, Joe faced a problem. He was suspected of playing semi-professional baseball for a team called the Gilkerson Colored Giants. College rules at the time said players couldn't get paid for sports. This put his college eligibility at risk. Joe said he only got money for driving the team, not for playing.
Even with the questions, Joe played in a big game against Washington. He scored a touchdown and intercepted two passes, helping Oregon win 13–0. But soon after, the college sports conference ruled him ineligible. This meant he couldn't play college sports anymore. Joe left the university and became a professional football player.
Playing Professional Football
After college, Joe Lillard played in some professional all-star games. His amazing runs, including a 55-yard touchdown, caught the eye of NFL teams. For the 1932 NFL season, he joined the Chicago Cardinals.
In his first NFL game, Joe helped his team tie 7–7 by kicking an extra point. The next week, the Cardinals tied the Chicago Bears. The Chicago Defender newspaper praised Joe, calling him "the whole show."
Later in the 1932 season, Joe's playing time decreased. Some said it was due to injuries or missing practices. But the Chicago Defender suggested it was due to racism from the coach. Joe finished the season with 121 rushing yards.
In the 1933 NFL season, Joe was often a backup player. But when he played, he was one of the Cardinals' best. In one game, he kicked a field goal to win the Cardinals' only game of the season. After the kick, he was punched by an opposing player and then ejected from the game for fighting back.
Joe had a fantastic game against the Bears on October 15, 1933. He kicked a field goal and had 110 yards in punt returns. This included an amazing 50-yard touchdown return where he outran famous player Red Grange. Even though the Cardinals lost, Joe's performance was incredible.
In 1933, Joe Lillard scored 19 points himself and threw two touchdown passes. He also gained 373 rushing yards. The Chicago Defender called him "easily the best halfback in football." Joe also sometimes played as a quarterback.
Joe Lillard was known as a multi-talented player. He could pass, run, and kick. Many people called him a "superior athlete" because of his skills in football, baseball, and basketball. Some even said he was one of the best players in the NFL.
However, Joe often faced unfair treatment. White opposing players would try to make him angry and start fights. Fans also yelled racist insults at him. After the 1933 season, the Cardinals did not keep Joe. This decision was criticized as being racially motivated. The Cardinals' coach admitted there was an unofficial rule against Black players in the NFL. This rule was meant to keep Black players out of the league.
After 1933, Joe Lillard never played in the NFL again. He played in 18 NFL games in total, gaining 494 rushing yards. He was the last African-American player in the NFL until 1946.
Life After the NFL
Even though his NFL career ended, Joe Lillard kept playing football. In 1934, he played for the Westwood Cubs. In 1935, he joined the New York Brown Bombers, a semi-professional team of African-American players. Joe was a star for the Brown Bombers, scoring many touchdowns. He stayed with them until 1937.
Later, Joe played for other minor league teams. In 1939, he became the captain of the Union City Rams. This made him the first African-American to be a captain on a major mixed-race professional team. His last year in minor league football was 1941.
Baseball Career
Besides football, Joe Lillard was also a right-handed pitcher in the Negro leagues for five seasons. He was one of only a few athletes who played in both the Negro leagues and the NFL. He was known for his very fast pitches, but sometimes had trouble controlling them.
In 1932, Joe played for the Chicago American Giants. In 1933, he had a great season, winning four games as a pitcher and hitting two home runs as a batter. He played for the Giants again in 1934 and 1937. In 1937, he also played for the Cincinnati Tigers. His last Negro league season was in 1944, with the Cincinnati/Indianapolis Clowns.
Basketball Career
Joe Lillard also played basketball as a guard for several years with the Savoy Big Five team. In 1934, he started his own team called the Chicago Hottentots. They mostly played games in Wisconsin and Iowa. In 1937, Joe joined the famous Harlem Globetrotters.
Later Life and Impact
In the late 1930s, Joe Lillard started writing a sports column for a newspaper. Later in his life, he moved to New York City. He worked at an appliance store and for a sporting goods company. Joe Lillard passed away in 1978.
Joe Lillard was the 12th Black player in NFL history. After 1933, an unofficial "gentlemen's agreement" among NFL owners meant no African-American players were hired. This "color line" lasted until 1946. Joe Lillard's story shows the challenges Black athletes faced during this time.
Images for kids
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Joe Lillard in his Chicago Cardinals uniform.
See also
- Racial issues faced by black quarterbacks
