Caste Football Time Machine

I was a regular reader of Sports Illustrated in 1967, not a subscriber but I read library copies every week. It was the fall of 1968 when blacks started appearing in TV commercials. Nowadays they are featured in almost every commercial. Their numbers significantly increased that year in episodes of prime time TV programs.
 
Billy Howton, the oldest living NFL player, died the other day at 95 years old. As much I've followed football I recall little about him. When I saw the headline "Believed to have been oldest living NFL player," I was expecting to read about an obscure player, but Howton is now obscure only because the system has no interest in old White athletes as he had an excellent career. Some highlights:

A Texan, Howton was a second round draft pick as a WR by Green Bay in 1952 and became the first NFL rookie with a thousand yard receiving season with 1,231 yards at a time when teams only played 12 games. That's equivalent to over 1,700 yards by a rookie today. He led the league in receiving yards twice and was named to four Pro Bowls and was a two-time All Pro.

When he retired in 1963, Howton was the NFL's all-time leading receiver in catches (503) and yards (8,459). "For my money, Howton is the toughest receiver to cover in the National League," black Hall of Fame safety Emlen Tunnell is quoted as saying.

Howton was the first president of the NFL Players Association.

No surprise that there's little in the way of highlights on YouTube. Here's a very brief clip of the game against the Rams in 1956 when Howton had 7 catches for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns. RIP Billy Howton:

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Don Wassall said:
Billy Howton, the oldest living NFL player, died the other day at 95 years old. As much I've followed football I recall little about him. When I saw the headline "Believed to have been oldest living NFL player," I was expecting to read about an obscure player, but Howton is now obscure only because the system has no interest in old White athletes as he had an excellent career. Some highlights:

A Texan, Howton was a second round draft pick as a WR by Green Bay in 1952 and became the first NFL rookie with a thousand yard receiving season with 1,231 yards at a time when teams only played 12 games. That's equivalent to over 1,700 yards by a rookie today. He led the league in receiving yards twice and was named to four Pro Bowls and was a two-time All Pro.

When he retired in 1963, Howton was the NFL's all-time leading receiver in catches (503) and yards (8,459). "For my money, Howton is the toughest receiver to cover in the National League," black Hall of Fame safety Emlen Tunnell is quoted as saying.

Howton was the first president of the NFL Players Association.

No surprise that there's little in the way of highlights on YouTube. Here's a very brief clip of the game against the Rams in 1956 when Howton had 7 catches for 257 yards and 2 touchdowns. RIP Billy Howton:

​
Click to expand...

So he’s basically the Jerry Rice of his era. I just checked ESPN and I don’t see any mention. Maybe I’m a few days late, but I don’t recall seeing anything earlier in the week either. I’m sure there must have been an article, but guess it wasn’t a top headline. As you alluded to, the MSM had no interest in highlighting this great player from yesteryear because he’s White. RIP as well.
 
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