In 1946, a full year before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball, Kenny Washington was asked to be the first black to play in the NFL. He agreed, but announced to the team that he would not be able to do it alone, so he convinced them to also sign his friend Woody Strode. Images of Washington exist from college and his PCL days, but this photo shows him with strode alongside the other quarterback and receiver duo of the Rams after it was announced that he had signed an NFL contract and broke their color barrier. The image is a fantastic image that shows Washington passing the ball to his receiver (Strode) while Bob Waterfield and Jim Benton (both white) are segregated in the image and are also completing a pass. A fantastic and important image that essentially is announcing the color barrier is broken while still segregating the back players in the photo. From Washington's own estate, this is one of the most important photographs we have ever offered and it is being presented here, individually, for the first time ever.

Size: 8x10
Designation: Vintage 1
Condition: 2.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall Grade: 7.5/10