Nathaniel Borden (September 22, 1932 – September 30, 1992) was a professional

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

in the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL) for the Green Bay Packers and

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

. He also was a member of the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League (AFL). He played college football at

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universi ...

Early years

Borden attended William L. Dickinson High School, where he was an All-state fullback and tackle. He also practiced the

discus throw The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by th ...

, the shot put and the two-mile run. He accepted a scholarship from

. As a freshman, he played at defensive tackle. He played as a

in his next two years. As a senior, he was moved back to defensive tackle. He never missed a game, playing in 36 straight contests.

Professional career

Green Bay Packers

Borden was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 25th round (293rd overall) of the

1955 NFL Draft The 1955 National Football League draft was held January 27–28, 1955 at the Warwick Hotel in New York City. This was the ninth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery. With the previous eight winners ineligib ...

. During this early period, Borden was one of the few African-American players on the Packers along with Frank Purnell, who played in 1957. When he could not find housing within the city limits, he had to room at a rundown motel just outside Green Bay. A number of Packers were also staying at the motel. They told the manager he would lose their business if Borden could not room there. Quarterback

Bart Starr Bryan Bartlett Starr (January 9, 1934 – May 26, 2019) was an American professional football quarterback and head coach for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of ...

befriended Borden and frequently had him and his family at Starr's home for dinner. He was a starter at

during four straight seasons. When

Vince Lombardi Vincent Thomas Lombardi (June 11, 1913 – September 3, 1970) was an American football coach and executive in the National Football League (NFL). Lombardi is considered by many to be the greatest coach in football history, and he is recognized a ...

was hired as the new head coach for the 1959 season, Borden was the only African-American player on the roster and Lombardi had to assist him in finding a decent place to live. He wasn't protected for the NFL Expansion Draft due to a knee injury.

Dallas Cowboys

Borden was selected by the

in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft and became the first starter at left defensive end in franchise history, registering 48 tackles. The next year, he was switched to the right side, after John Gonzaga was traded and

Bob Lilly Robert Lewis Lilly (born July 26, 1939), nicknamed "Mr. Cowboy", is an American former professional American football, football player who was a defensive tackle. After playing college football for the TCU Horned Frogs football, TCU Horned Frog ...

was drafted. He was released on September 11,

1962 Events January * January 1 – Western Samoa becomes independent from New Zealand. * January 3 – Pope John XXIII excommunicates Fidel Castro for preaching communism. * January 8 – Harmelen train disaster: 93 die in the wor ...

Buffalo Bills

, he was signed by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League. He played in three games before an ankle injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He was cut in

1963 Events January * January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Co ...

Toronto Argonauts

On July 15,

, he signed with the

Toronto Argonauts The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario ...

of the

Canadian Football League The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. He was released on July 26.

Personal life

1961 Events January * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and consular relations with Cuba (Cuba–United States relations are restored in 2015). ** Aero Flight 311 (K ...

, he was a college scout for the

during the offseason. In 1965, he was hired to scout for the United Scouting organization of the NFL, before being hired by the Green Bay Packers for the same role. In

1967 Events January * January 1 – Canada begins a year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of Confederation, featuring the Expo 67 World's Fair. * January 5 ** Spain and Romania sign an agreement in Paris, establishing full consular and ...

, he was hired as a scout by the Atlanta Falcons. In

1973 Events January * January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 15 – Vietnam War: ...

, he took a job as a part-time scout for the Cincinnati Bengals. In 1974, he was hired as a fulltime scout with the World Football League. After finishing his scouting years, Borden became the assistant to the mayor of Jersey City, Jim Sutcliffe. After Sutcliffe lost a bid for re-election, Borden moved to

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, where he was assistant to the mayor Russ Dorn. He was also the Officer of Urban Development in the city of Las Vegas. Borden died of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

in Las Vegas on September 30, 1992. He left behind two sons and a daughter.

References

External links

Nate Borden - databaseFootball.com bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Borden, Nate 1932 births 1992 deaths Players of American football from Jersey City, New Jersey American football defensive linemen William L. Dickinson High School alumni Indiana Hoosiers football players Green Bay Packers players Dallas Cowboys players Buffalo Bills players American Football League players Dallas Cowboys scouts Green Bay Packers scouts Atlanta Falcons scouts Cincinnati Bengals scouts Deaths from cancer in Nevada