CANTON, Ohio (AP) — The four men who smashed the race barrier in professional football in 1946 have been selected to share the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Ralph Hay Pioneer Award.
The Canton, Ohio,-based organization announced Thursday that Kenny Washington, Woody Strode and Hall of Famers Bill Willis and Marion Motley — often called the Forgotten Four —will be honored during the Hall's enshrinement week in August.
The award is named for the former owner of the Canton Bulldogs who hosted the NFL’s formational meeting in Canton in 1920. It was established in 1972 and is presented in recognition of “significant innovative contributions to professional football.