Cornelius R. Roberts (February 29, 1936 – July 11, 2023) was an American professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to:
Sports
* A position in various kinds of football, including:
** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position
** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...
in the
Canadian Football League (CFL) and
National Football League (NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
USC Trojans. He began his career in the CFL with the
Toronto Argonauts before joining the NFL's
San Francisco 49ers.
High school career
Roberts graduated from
Oceanside High School in Northern
San Diego County.
College career
At the
University of Southern California, Roberts led the
Trojans to a 44–20 victory over
Texas during the 1956 season. It was the first time a black player competed against a white player in that state. He rushed for 251 yards on only 12 carries and was cheered as he left the field. Prior to the event, the University of Texas did not want him to attend the game, but the USC players refused to play without him. He was shouted down and called the "N" word by some fans.
Roberts got a degree in
business administration
Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...
from what is now the
Marshall School of Business.
Professional career
After being drafted in the fourteenth round of the 1958 NFL draft by the New York Giants, Roberts opted instead to sign with the
Toronto Argonauts of the "Big Four" (soon to be renamed the Eastern Conference) of the
Canadian Football League, whose head coach was fellow Californian
Hamp Pool
Hampton John "Hamp" Pool (March 11, 1915 – May 26, 2000) was an American football player, coach and scout who was part of two National Football League (NFL) championship teams during his playing career and served as head coach for three profes ...
. Forming what the Canadian Press called "the best all-round backfield in the Big Four" along with
Dick Shatto and fellow rookie
Dave Mann, Roberts rushed for 595 yards and five touchdowns, including touchdown runs of 67 and 85 yards. After 10 games in double blue, however, he became a casualty of the 12-man import quota limiting the number of US players who could suit up for the Argos, and was released by Pool in favour of the more versatile
Jim Rountree, a defensive standout. After making headlines north of the border, Roberts tried out in 1959 for the
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. Founded in , the Steel ...
, but failed to make the team. After being cut, he was picked up by the
San Francisco 49ers and played for the team between 1959 and 1962.
Death
Roberts died at a care facility in
Norwalk, California, on July 11, 2023, at the age of 87.
References
External links
*
1936 births
2023 deaths
American football fullbacks
San Francisco 49ers players
USC Trojans football players
Sportspeople from San Diego County, California
Players of American football from Los Angeles
Players of Canadian football from Los Angeles
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