CFL mourns the passing of Bernie Custis

[ticatfan]

TORONTO — The Canadian Football League is mourning the death of a trailblazer as Bernie Custis has passed away at the age of 88.

Custis was the first black starting quarterback in professional football, setting the tone for generations to come when he commanded the huddle for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1951.

“Bernie was one of the great pioneers in our sport and our league, and he changed professional football with his courage and leadership,” said Bob Young, Caretaker of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. “Most football legacies have a one dimensional impact, but Bernie’s universal influence on the game as a player, and his legacy in Hamilton and Ontario after his playing days, is truly legendary as a builder of the game.

“His elegant nature and graceful style will always be an important part of the Tiger-Cats and our entire league history.”
Custis won a Grey Cup Championship with Hamilton a few years later and went on to a sterling coaching career at the junior, college and university levels. Now, Custis is a member of the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, the McMaster University Hall of Fame and the Syracuse University Athletic Hall of Fame.More....
http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/23/cfl-mou...bernie-custis/

[ticatfan]

He did something no other man had done before, but it wasn’t something Bernie Custis talked a lot about.

Coming out of Syracuse University there was no question Custis was a very good quarterback. The trouble was, he was African-American. And in 1950 the colour of your skin meant more to some in American professional football than your talent on the field.

Custis came to Canada where he signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. On Aug. 29, 1951, he made history as the first black starting quarterback in professional football.

Custis, who died Thursday at the age of 88, played for both Hamilton and Ottawa. After retiring he went on to have a successful career coaching junior and college football in Canada.
Called a trailblazer and leader, the Washington, D.C., native opened the door for players like Chuck Ealey, Warren Moon, Condredge Holloway and Henry Burris to become CFL quarterbacks. Despite the accolades, Custis always remained humble.

Ealey, who quarterbacked the Tiger-Cats to the 1972 Grey Cup championship, remembers meeting Custis when the two played basketball in Hamilton.

“He was a total gentleman in everything he did, totally respectful in every way possible,” said Ealey. “You would never have known that Bernie played in the CFL and (what) he went through (because) I don’t ever remember him having a conversation about it.

“It was kind of one of those things you know but you don’t have to get into. You move on with your life and deal with the people around you.”

While Custis deserves the recognition he has received, Ealey believes Canada warrants praise for not caring about his skin colour.
http://www.cfl.ca/2017/02/24/ealey-h...-custis-paved/

[Mace]

RIP indeed.