Oct. 26, 2009

DID YOU KNOW? John Brown, who represented North Carolina Central University (then North Carolina College) on the gridiron in the 1940s, was one of the first to play professional football out of a historically black college or university.

Brown shares the honor with Ezzret Anderson of Kentucky State and Elmore Harris of Morgan State, who all began their professional football careers in 1947. Brown and Anderson were teammates on the Los Angeles Dons, while Harris was a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers.

According to NCCU records, Brown was the first of the three to sign a professional football contract. He played center and linebacker with the Dons from 1947-49, before moving to the Canadian Football League.

Brown played for the NCC Eagles in 1940, 1942 and 1946-47, lettering in both football and basketball. He was part of the inaugural induction class of the NCCU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984.

As part of North Carolina Central University's Centennial celebration, the NCCU Department of Athletics will post sports history facts from the institution's first 100 years to its official web site, www.NCCUEaglePride.com, every week during the year-long observance.