The National Football League — and even the Cleveland Browns — were never the same after Claude ‘Buddy’ Young.
He spent 11 seasons in the league as a fullback and halfback in both the All-America Football Conference and the NFL, playing for the New York Yankees (AAFC), New York Yanks, Dallas Texans, and Baltimore Colts.
He made more than 100 appearances as a professional and logged more than 5,000 combined yards and 48 combined touchdowns during his days in the league.
His impact, however, went far beyond that.
Back in 1964, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozzelle hired him to become the first African American executive in any of the nation’s major sports leagues.
He was an advocate for racial equality within the game, rising to prominence with a memo titled ‘Some observations on the NFL and negro players.’
With that in mind, and in the wake of Black History Month, Browns GM Andrew Berry made sure to give him his flowers and talk a little about his impact not only on football but on all major sports (via NFL on Twitter).
"It was a foundational moment for the game in an enduring example of advocacy that helped pave the way for real change at every level of the sport."@Browns GM Andrew Berry highlights the importance of Buddy Young and his influential memo. #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/jDftCno7xV
— NFL (@NFL) February 25, 2024
Young made a case for the league to reconsider how it treated and paid its black athletes, urging all teams to hire at least one black person to their front office.
He stated that black people should be represented in the front office and coaching staff as much as they’re on the sidelines.
This man was ahead of his time, and what may have seemed like a little step at the time wound up paving the way for many more changes to come over time.
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