Honored yesterday at the College Football Hall of Fame were Hayden Fry and Jerry LeVias. LeVias was the first black player in the Southwest Conference and, according to AP, “faced death threats, isolation, and verbal and physical assaults just to play football for Southern Methodist in 1966,” where Fry coached.
When S.M.U. offered him the coaching job, Fry, then a 33-year-old Arkansas assistant, made one demand. “I told them I wouldn’t accept the job unless I could have black players,” he said.
After almost a month, the administration relented and said he could have one black player, but insisted on strenuous standards – including a 1000 SAT score – on his admission. White players had to score only 750.