| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1920-03-23)March 23, 1920 Sewickley, Pennsylvania, US |
| Died | January 31, 2012(2012-01-31) (aged 91) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Sewickley |
| College | Virginia State |
| Career history | |
| 1948 | Toronto Argonauts |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Kenneth E. Whitlock Sr. (March 23, 1920 – January 31, 2012)[1] was an American professionalfootball player for theToronto Argonauts of theInterprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU), which later became part of theCanadian Football League (CFL). He was the first Black player for the Argonauts. After earning a master's degree in education, he became a schoolprincipal.
Whitlock was born inSewickley, Pennsylvania, the son of Frank Whitlock Sr., who was the first Black onSewickley High School's football team in 1906.[1] Following his father, Ken Whitlock also played football at Sewickley High.[2]
Whitlock attendedVirginia State College, where he played football with theTrojans.[3] He earned Negro All-American honors as a junior in 1940.[4][5] He left college to work, later returning to Sewickley to join theUnited States Marine Corps duringWorld War II.[1][6] The first Black marine fromAllegheny County, he served in an all-Black combat unit, the 51st Defense Battalion based inNorth Carolina.[1] He returned to college after the war, changing his major from agriculture to physical education.[6]
In1948, Whitlock joined theToronto Argonauts of theIRFU.[a][1][8] The Argonauts had won three straight league titles with an all-Canadian roster.[3][9] According to Whitlock, professional football in the United States wasmostly segregated at the time, which led him to view Canada as his opportunity for a career in sports.[10] At age 28, the 175-pound (79 kg) passing and kickinghalfback became the first Black player for the Argonauts.[10][11] In his regular-season debut, he scored on apunt for arouge in a 20–7 win overMontreal.[8] In the following game againstHamilton, Whitlock scored six points in the fourth quarter, including a five-yardtouchdown run, helping lead Toronto to a 14–7 win.[12] He played a total of four games for the Argonauts before being released.[9]
Whitlock returned to Virginia and earned a master's degree in education.[6] In 1953, he was named the actingprincipal of the Mary M. Scott School, a new elementary school within theRichmond Public Schools inRichmond, Virginia.[13][14] He was a principal at five schools before he retired in 1980. After beginning research for his autobiography in 1986,Breaking Barriers: The Ken Whitlock Story was published in 2001.[14]