C.R. Roberts was a college football star with the USC Trojans who went on to play for Canada’s Toronto Argonauts and the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, following a historic college career that included beating an all-white team in the segregated South.
- Died: July 11, 2023 (Who else died on July 11?)
- Details of death: Died in Norwalk, California, of natural causes at the age of 87.
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C.R. Roberts’ legacy
Born in Mississippi before moving to Los Angeles to escape the racism his family experienced, Roberts attended the University of Southern California, where he played for the Trojans. There, he played an unforgettable game that would define his career.
In 1956, the University of Texas Longhorns demanded the Trojans not allow Roberts or any other Black players to participate in a game that would take place in the segregated state. The Trojans refused to give in to the segregationist demand, and their full team took the field. Roberts led the Trojans to victory, rushing for 251 yards on 12 carries and setting a record that would hold for two decades. His own coaches removed him from the game for safety’s sake after his final third-quarter touchdown, fearing the all-white crowd at the Texas stadium might riot.
Roberts’ star-making performance earned him a ticket into professional football. After graduating with a degree in business administration, he was drafted by the New York Giants in 1958, but chose to play with the Canadian Football League instead. He spent a season with the Toronto Argonauts, but quota limits on American players forced the team to cut him. He went on to sign with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played until 1962. Roberts was inducted into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.
Notable quote
“I had something to prove to them.” —from a 2015 address to the USC Black Alumni Association
Tributes to C.R. Roberts
Full obituary: The New York Times
