Notable people · Sports
Marion Motley
Georgia-born fullback raised in Canton, where he starred at McKinley High School. He signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1946 and was one of the first two Black players in modern pro football.
At a glance
- Born
- 1920-06-05
- Died
- 1999-06-27
- Education
- Canton McKinley High School, Canton, OH
- South Carolina State College, Orangeburg, SC, 1939-1940
- University of Nevada, Reno, NV, 1941-1943
- Known as
- Sports
- Organizations
- Cleveland Browns
Life story
Marion Motley was born in Leesburg, Georgia, in 1920 and moved to Canton, Ohio, at age three. He played football and basketball at Canton McKinley High School, then went to South Carolina State College (1939-40) and the University of Nevada (1941-43). A knee injury ended his time at Nevada in 1943.
He served in the Navy at Great Lakes in 1944-45, then signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1946. With Bill Willis he broke pro football's color barrier that September. He led the AAFC in rushing in 1948 when the Browns went 15-0, and led the NFL with 810 rushing yards in the 1950 title season.
He was traded to Pittsburgh in 1955 and released midseason. In 1965 he publicly asked why the Browns would not hire a Black coach. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1968 and died in 1999.
Timeline
- 1920-06-05: Born (Leesburg, GA) source
- 1923: Family moves to Canton (Canton, OH) source
- 1939: Enters South Carolina State College (Orangeburg, SC) source
- 1943: Knee injury; leaves Nevada (Reno, NV) source
- 1944: Navy service (Great Lakes, IL) source
- 1946-09: Signs with Browns; breaks color barrier with Willis (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1948: Leads AAFC in rushing; Browns go 15-0 (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1950: NFL champion; leads league with 810 rushing yards (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1955: Traded to Pittsburgh, released midseason (Pittsburgh, PA) source
- 1965: Questions why the Browns have no Black coach (Cleveland, OH) source
- 1968: Pro Football Hall of Fame (Canton, OH) source
- 1999-06-27: Dies of prostate cancer (Cleveland, OH) source
What Marion is known for
- Broke pro football's color barrier in Sept 1946 with Bill Willis, seven months before Jackie Robinson in baseball
- Career 5.7 yards per carry, an NFL record
- Pro Football Hall of Fame 1968
- Career 5.7 yards per carry (NFL record per existing record)
Honors and things named for them
- Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1968
- Browns Ring of Honor
- NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams
- Nevada #41 retired
Places in Ohio to see
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (museum)
2121 George Halas Dr NW, Canton, Stark County ZIP 44708 · Canton · Stark County
Ohio places
Where Marion Motley was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Lived: Canton, Stark County ZIP 44702 · Canton · Stark County
- School: Canton (McKinley High School), Stark County ZIP 44703 · Canton · Stark County
- Worked: Cleveland, Cuyahoga County ZIP 44114 · Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Marion Motley (Wikipedia) birth Leesburg GA, death Cleveland, Canton McKinley HS, Browns 1946-53, HOF 1968