As much as African Americans love sports and watch football, it’s hard to believe that no one ever praises the first African American to ever play professional football. Known as “The Black Cyclone,” Charles W. Follis was born Feb. 3, 1879, in Cloverdale, Va. As a child, Follis’ parents moved to Wooster, Ohio. History records him as being the first black athlete to play professional football.
Follis played football in high school on the Wooster High School team, along with his two brothers. However, one of his brothers died from a sports injury at age 19. Even with the emotional pain of losing a sibling, Follis became the high school team’s halfback and was even team captain. He led the team as they completed an undefeated football season.
After graduating from high school in 1901, Follis attended Wooster College. Instead of playing with the college team, however, he played football with the Wooster Athletic Association. It was here that he earned his nickname “The Black Cyclone.” While playing against the Shelby Blues, manager, Frank C. Schiffer offered him a place on the team and a position working at a nearby hardware store.
The Shelby Blues would be the team he played for from 1902 until 1906. Playing for the Blues, he scored a 60-yard touchdown in one game in a 58-0 win. What was unusual about the 6-foot-tall, 200-pound Follis was that he was often bigger than his opponents, allowing him to just run over the opposing team. During the 1904 season, the team suffered just a single loss to the Massillon Tigers who ended up being the champion that year. In 1906, on Thanksgiving Day, 1906, he decided to end his career after sustaining an injury.
Follis was admired for handling all of the pressure of being the only black player in the league and for handling the off-field racial pressure. One of his admirers was a teammate of his from the Shelby A.A. team, future Dodger’s executive Branch Rickey. His relationship with Follis led many historians to believe it was what inspired Rickey to sign Jackie Robinson some 40-years later by signing Jackie Robinson.
Although he was no longer able to play football, his injury was not severe enough to prevent him from returning to his baseball roots. In 1909, he began pitching for the Cuban Giants. However, this did not last long because in 1910 he succumbed to pneumonia and died at the age of 31.
In dedication to him, the new facility at Wooster High School was named Follis Field in 1998.
