The first black starting quarterback in pro football history has passed away.
The CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats broke the news on Thursday that Bernie Custis has passed away at 88.
A Syracuse alum — and a college roommate of future Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis — Custis was taken in the 1951 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, who wanted the young quarterback to switch to safety. Instead, Custis took his talents to the CFL, where he is credited with being first black starting quarterback in pro football history, making his debut on Aug. 29, 1951, with the Tiger-Cats.
Custis went on to play for six season in the CFL before becoming a coach. Custis coaches as recently as 1988 with McMaster University in Ontario.
While Custis never played in the NFL, his success helped pave part of the path that led to the rise of Warren Moon and Chuck Ealy. Moon actually took as similar route to Custis, as Moon played several years in the CFL before getting his shot as a starter in the NFL.
[H/T Hamilton Tiger-Cats]
