Bernie Custis, pro football's first black quarterback who blazed the trail for future CFL stars Warren Moon, Chuck Ealey and Damon Allen, has died. He was 88.
Custis made pro football history on Aug. 29, 1951, when he became a starter with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who confirmed his death Thursday.
He starred at quarterback at Syracuse and was selected sixth overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 1951 NFL draft. But the former college roommate of Al Davis was told he'd play safety with the club, a move he resisted.
The native of Washington opted to sign with Hamilton instead, starting every game in his first season in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union, one of the leagues that would later form the Canadian Football League.