Herb Trawick
Encyclopedia
Herb Trawick was a famous professional Canadian football
player and was the first African American
to play professional Canadian football. Trawick spent his entire 12 year career as an offensive lineman and defensive guard with the Montreal Alouettes
.
and graduated with a degree
in Physical education
. He was a three time All-American
in football
, from 1940 to 1942. After school he enlisted in the U.S. Army
during World War II
.
and Leo Dandurand
were managing the new Montreal Alouettes
franchise in 1946, and they did not fail to notice how popular and well received the first black baseball player in the pros, Jackie Robinson
(when he played minor league ball with the Montreal Royals
.) They were determined to have a black player on their team.
Trawick was not their first choice, but he was the best. Surprisingly quick for 5 foot 10 inches and 230 pounds, he would go on to play 12 seasons (from 1946 to 1957) with the Larks
, 147 regular season games in all, and be voted an Interprovincial Rugby Football Union All Star seven times. When he retired in 1957, Trawick was the only "original" Alouette remaining with the team.
He also played in 4 Grey Cup
games, scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the Als 1949 Grey Cup championship
win against the Calgary Stampeders
. Trawick played in the three-game Grey Cup
set against the Edmonton Eskimos
from 1954 to 1956, and had a touchdown on a fumble return called back in the classic 42nd Grey Cup
game.
Though he was welcomed in Montreal
and made it his home, things were not perfect. Though university educated, he could only find work as a doorman. He became a Canadian citizen in 1953. He was noted for his generous community charity work.
and the Kentucky State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975.
Trawick died in 1985 in his adopted home town of Montreal
. On July 16, 1997, a park
was named in his honour by the City of Montreal. Parc Herb-Trawick is situated southwest of the intersection of Lionel-Groulx Avenue and Richmond Street.
In 2006, Trawick was voted to the Honour Roll of the Canadian Football League
's Top 50 players
of the sport's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN
.
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
player and was the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to play professional Canadian football. Trawick spent his entire 12 year career as an offensive lineman and defensive guard with the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
.
College career & military service
Trawick attended Kentucky State UniversityKentucky State University
Kentucky State University is a four-year institution of higher learning, located in Frankfort, Kentucky, United States, the Commonwealth's capital. The school is an historically black university, which desegregated in 1954...
and graduated with a degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. He was a three time All-American
College Football All-America Team
The College Football All-America Team is an honor given annually to the best American college football players at their respective positions. The original usage of the term All-America seems to have been to the 1889 College Football All-America Team selected by Casper Whitney and published in This...
in football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, from 1940 to 1942. After school he enlisted in the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Professional career
Lew HaymanLew Hayman
Lewis Edward "Lew" Hayman was an American sports figure. He was one of the driving forces behind the Canadian Football League as coach, general manager, team president, and league president. As head coach, he was a five-time Grey Cup winner with three different teams...
and Leo Dandurand
Leo Dandurand
Joseph Viateur "Léo" Dandurand , was a sportsman and businessman. He was the owner and coach of the Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team in the National Hockey League...
were managing the new Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
franchise in 1946, and they did not fail to notice how popular and well received the first black baseball player in the pros, Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
(when he played minor league ball with the Montreal Royals
Montreal Royals
The Montreal Royals were a minor league professional baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec, that existed from 1897–1917 and from 1928–60 as a member of the International League and its progenitor, the original Eastern League...
.) They were determined to have a black player on their team.
Trawick was not their first choice, but he was the best. Surprisingly quick for 5 foot 10 inches and 230 pounds, he would go on to play 12 seasons (from 1946 to 1957) with the Larks
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
, 147 regular season games in all, and be voted an Interprovincial Rugby Football Union All Star seven times. When he retired in 1957, Trawick was the only "original" Alouette remaining with the team.
He also played in 4 Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
games, scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the Als 1949 Grey Cup championship
37th Grey Cup
The 37th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 1949 before 20,087 fans at Varsity Stadium at Toronto. Montreal Alouettes defeated Calgary Stampeders 28-15...
win against the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. Trawick played in the three-game Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
set against the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
from 1954 to 1956, and had a touchdown on a fumble return called back in the classic 42nd Grey Cup
42nd Grey Cup
The 42nd Grey Cup football game was played on November 27, 1954, before a full house at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Canada.The underdog Edmonton Eskimos won a contest over the Montreal Alouettes by the score of 26 to 25...
game.
Though he was welcomed in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and made it his home, things were not perfect. Though university educated, he could only find work as a doorman. He became a Canadian citizen in 1953. He was noted for his generous community charity work.
Awards and honours
Much loved by his fans, Trawick's jersey #56 is one of seven retired by the Alouettes. Trawick was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of FameCanadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
and the Kentucky State University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1975.
Trawick died in 1985 in his adopted home town of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. On July 16, 1997, a park
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
was named in his honour by the City of Montreal. Parc Herb-Trawick is situated southwest of the intersection of Lionel-Groulx Avenue and Richmond Street.
In 2006, Trawick was voted to the Honour Roll of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Top 50 players
TSN Top 50 CFL Players
The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the...
of the sport's modern era by Canadian sports network TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
.