LESAProject

The name, Charles W. Follis (pictured center, holding football), may not ring any bells upon mention, but his place in sports history should be stated: He was the first black professional football player.Born Feb. 3, 1879 in Cloverdale, VA, Follis' parents moved to the City of Wooster, OH when he was a young boy.He would take an early interest in the game of football and played a primary role in organizing his Wooster High School's first varsity football team in 1899 while he was just a junior.Serving, that season, as both his team's starting halfback and its captain, Follis ...