Celebrating Asian American Heritage Month: John Lee, first Korean American to play in the NFL

John Lee, born May 19, 1964 in Seoul, South Korea, is the first Asian American to play in the National Football League.  He played baseball in South Korea before moving to Los Angeles with his parents when he was in the sixth grade.  He began playing football in high school and was granted an athletic scholarship to UCLA for his kicking talent.

He went on to set many kicking records, some of which still stand today, while at UCLA. 

He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of the 1986 NFL draft, to a four-year $900,000 contract, the highest paid player at that time for his position.  Lee is the first Asian American to play in the NFL.  Unfortunately, Lee suffered a slump and began missing field goals.  He was waived in 1987 and signed as a free agent by the LA Raiders in 1988 but was waived after missing 2 out of 3 field goals in the preseason.

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Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawai'ian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month: Roman Gabriel, first Asian American quarterback in the NFL

Roman Gabriel, born August 5, 1940 in Wilmington, North Carolina to a Filipino immigrant, played college football for the North Carolina State and earned two All-American honors in 1960 and 1961. He was second pick in the 1962 NFL draft and played for the Los Angeles Rams, becoming the first Filipino-American to play quarterback in the NFL. He played backup quarterback from 1962 to 1965, when he started winning games.  In 1966, Gabriel was moved to starting quarterback. 

In 1967, he was named AP Offensive Player of the Week for the last two weeks of the season, and a second-team All-Pro.  He was named MVP in 1969.

After the 1972 season, he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles and played with them until 1977.

He had a brief acting career, appearing twice on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In and on an episode of Wonder Woman.

He passed away in April 2024.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Tom Fears, first Mexican-American drafted into the NFL

Thomas Fears, born December 3, 1922 in Guadalajara, Mexico, became the first Mexican-born player to be drafted into the National Football League.  His family moved to Los Angeles when he was six.  He attended LA's Manual Arts High School where he first played football.  He enrolled at Santa Clara University but studied only one year before being drafted to serve the next three years in military service in WWII.  Although he sought to become a fighter pilot, he was shipped to Colorado Springs to play football for a service team.

When he was released, he was drafted by the Rams in 1945 as a defensive back, but remained in school, and transferred to UCLA.  His abilities allowed him to become a wide receiver in 1948.  In his first three seasons, he led all NFL receivers in catches, and broke the league's single-season record with 77 catches in 1949.

During the October 18, 1953 game against the Detroit Lions, he fractured two vertebrae, which would limit his ability for the next to years.  

On January 27, 1957, he was hired as head coach of the New Orleans Saints expansion team, becoming the first Latino head coach in the NFL.  His term was not long, and after three dismal seasons, he was replaced.

He passed away in January 2000 after a six-year battle with Alzheimer's disease.  He is the first Mexican-born NFL player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Tom Flores, first Hispanic quarterback in professional football

Tom Flores, born March 21, 1937, is the first Hispanic to start at quarterback in American professional football, and the first Hispanic head coach.  He won Super Bowls as a player, an assistant coach and head coach.  

He played for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs.  He became the first Hispanic NFL head coach for the Oakland Raiders in 1979 and held the position until 1987.  He was head coach of the Seattle Seahawks from 1992-1994.

He won two Super Bowls as head coach of the Raiders.

Celebrating Black History Month: Fritz Pollard & Bobby Marshall, first African-American athletes in the NFL

Bobby Marshall, Fritz Pollard

Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard and Robert Wells "Bobby" Marshall became the first African-American athletes in what would become the National Football League in 1920.

Fritz Pollard went to Brown University and majored in chemistry(!).  He played halfback on Brown's football team (becoming the first black player for Brown), which went to the 1916 Rose Bowl.  He played pro football (running back) for the Akron Pros and became a co-head coach in 1921.  He also played for the Milwaukee Badgers, Hammond Pros, Gilberton Cadamounts, Union Club of Phoenixville and Providence Steam Rollers. 

In the 1930s, he founded his own professional football team, the Brown Bombers, but the Depression ended their run.  Pollard left football and went into other ventures.

Bobby Marshall played football for the University of Minnesota and went on to play professional for the Rock Island Independents, Minneapolis Marines and the Duluth Kelleys.