The Forgotten First

Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, Bill Willis, and the Breaking of the NFL Color Barrier

By: Keyshawn Johnson, Bob Glauber

Narrated by: Rhett Samuel Price

The unknown story of the Black pioneers who collectively changed the face of the NFL in 1946.

The Forgotten First chronicles the lives of four incredible men, the racism they experienced as Black players entering a segregated sport, the burden of expectation they carried, and their many achievements, which would go on to affect football for generations to come.

More than a year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, there was another seismic moment in pro sports history. On March 21,1946, former UCLA star running back Kenny Washington - a teammate of Robinson's in college - signed a contract with the Los Angeles Rams. This ended one of the most shameful periods in NFL history, when African American players were banned from league play.

Washington would not be alone in serving as a pioneer for NFL integration. Just months after he joined the Rams, thanks to a concerted effort by influential Los Angeles political and civic leaders, the team signed Woody Strode, who played with both Washington and Robinson at UCLA in one of the most celebrated backfields in college sports history. And that same year, a little-known coach named Paul Brown of the fledgling Cleveland Browns signed running back Marion Motley and defensive lineman Bill Willis, thereby integrating a start-up league that would eventually merge with the NFL.

The Forgotten First tells the story of one of the most significant cultural shifts in pro football history, as four men opened the door to opportunity and changed the sport forever.

©2021 Keyshawn Johnson and Bob Glauber (P)2021 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"Absolutely remarkable and eye-opening. The Forgotten First delivers the moving tale of the four men who broke the NFL’s color barrier, the trials they endured en route to their groundbreaking moment and beyond, and those who helped make their pursuit successful. The story of Jackie Robinson’s breaking of MLB’s color barrier is well-documented and celebrated, but amazingly, the saga of Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis’ quest for equality during this dark time in the history of pro football and the United States remains largely unknown, by even the most diehard NFL fans. Keyshawn Johnson and Bob Glauber’s documentation of this breakthrough moment is rich in detail and revelation and is a must-read for football fans and historians." (Mike Jones, NFL columnist for USA Today)

“We’ve all heard of Jackie Robinson, but this deeply researched story of the overlooked players who reintegrated the NFL is a window into the roots of what would become the country’s most popular sport. Johnson and Glauber follow the heartbreaks and victories of the four men who transformed football and amplify the echoes of their careers in the race and diversity issues with which the NFL still grapples today.” (Judy Battista, NFL.com columnist and NFL Network reporter)

“Marion Motley, Bill Willis, Kenny Washington, and Woody Strode played a role in the history of football that’s not known by most people. It’s as important as any element in football since the game’s inception. They helped give Black players an opportunity that was not previously available to them, and they paved the way for kids like me to live a different life. Thanks, Dad, for taking me to Browns games and giving me a chance to dream.” (Tom Jackson, Denver Broncos All-Pro linebacker, Emmy award-winning broadcaster for ESPN)

Great look into the history of the early NFL...

A great look into the early history of the NFL, and the contributions of African American athletes that pushed the NFL and America into a better world.

The only thing I'd change in this book would be to shift the chapter about the modern NFL's coach representation problem to the end of the book. While relevant, it felt jarring as the rest of the book was sequencial and focused on the athletes in the books title.

Great Book

If you like history or the NFL, you will love the book. Each man the story talks about has a fascinating tale and it touches on so many others that their lives intersected with. An important historical narrative.

a great surprise

I'm from the Los Angeles area and a huge USC football fan. I can't believe that I knew nothing of the twelve year ban on black players nor any of the forgetten four. I hope that this book inspires the NFL to give Kenny Washington the due that he deserves. his contribution to football is nothing short of incredible and inspiring. thank so much for bringing these stories to light.

At times fascinating, but overall poorly written

I expected more from this book. It contained a few frustrating contradictions, at times it repeated stories it had previously covered, and although it did contain a number of fascinating facts, it really failed to provide the kind of nuance and detail that the subject matter demanded. It felt like there was a lot more to the story left to be told. The truly frustrating problem was the monotone delivery of the speaker. I question if it was even a real person.