Forgotten Four: The Integration of Pro Football
In 1947, Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play Major League Baseball.
One year earlier, in 1946, Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Marion Motley, and Bill Willis were all integrated into the National Football League and the All America Football Conference.
Ross Greenburg Productions produced Forgotten Four, a feature length documentary which airs in September of 2014 as a commemoration to their accomplishments as the first African American pro football players. Washington and Strode both played for the Los Angeles Rams and Paul Brown engineered Motley and Willis into his system on the Cleveland Browns. This film will tell the story that should have been told long ago.
The "Forgotten Four", Kenny Washington, Woody Strode, Bill Willis & Marion Motley, integrated the NFL in the modern era. It was their courage and achievements that helped lead to Jackie Robinson's integration of baseball. Subscribe to the NFL YouTube channel to see immediate in-game highlights from your favorite teams and players, daily fantasy football updates, all your favorite NFL Network podcasts, and more!