Charles Follis

Charles W. Follis, a.k.a "The Black Cyclone," (February 3, 1879 – April 5, 1910) was the first African-American professional football player. He played for the Shelby Blues of the "Ohio League" from 1902 to 1906. On September 16, 1904, Follis signed a contract with Shelby making him the first African-American contracted to play professional football. He was also the first black catcher to move from college baseball onto a black professional baseball team.

Early life
Charles was born on February 3, 1879 in Cloverdale, Virginia. However his parents moved to Wooster, Ohio when he was still a young boy. He was one of seven children, which consisted of four sisters and two brothers. All three of the Follis brothers played football for Wooster High School. Charles younger brother Curtis died at the age of 19 from a football related injury.

In 1899, Charles helped organize the varsity football team for Wooster High School. He served as the team's halfback and was elected the team's captain by his white schoolmates. He then led Wooster to an undefeated season. The football field/outdoor track facility at the new Wooster High School, was dedicated in 1998 in his honor (Follis Field).

Pro football career
After graduating high school in 1901, Follis entered Wooster College. However he chose to play football for the amateur Wooster Athletic Association, rather than the college squad. It is during his time with the Wooster Athletic Association that he would earn the nickname, "The Black Cyclone." At the end of the 1901 season, Wooster played the Shelby Blues in a two game series. Follis' performance brought him to the attention of the Shelby team management. Finally Frank C. Schiffer, Shelby manager; decided he wanted Follis to play with his team, not against them. He secured Follis for his team and set him up with a job at a local hardware store. Charles' working hours were arranged so that he could both practice and play football.

During the 1902 and 1903 seasons, Follis played for Shelby and dominated his opponents on the field. During a 58-0 win over a team from Fremont, Follis ran for a 60-yard touchdown. In 1904, he helped led the Blues to a 8-1-1 record. Their only loss was to the Massillon Tigers, the 1904 Ohio League champions. Then in 1906, the Blues became an entirely open professional team. However Charles missed the early part of the season due to an injury. He did return in the second half of the season. Finally, on Thanksgiving Day 1906, while playing against the Franklin Athletic Club of Cleveland, he suffered another injury. This time though he ended his career.

Baseball
Follis was the first black catcher to move from college baseball into the Negro Leagues. During the 1901 and 1902 seasons, while playing for Wooster University, Follis became the talk of the Ohio college circuit. His closest competitor at the position, was Branch Rickey of nearby Ohio Wesleyan University.

In 1902, he left Wooster University and by 1909 he was catching for the Cuban Giants. He became the Giants' star catcher, their leading slugger and their most popular player. Follis was credited with many stolen bases, double plays, and even two triple plays in his career. However he had a better reputation as a power hitter. On May 16, 1906, Buttons Briggs, a pitcher formerly of the National League's Chicago Cubs, was brought in by Elyria to pitch against the Wooster Giants. This moved was intended to intimate Wooster, since Briggs won 20 games in 1905. However Follis as the lead-off batter in the first inning, first ball hit a home run off the former major league star's first pitch. He completed the day with four-for-six against Buttons.

In 1910, Follis died of pneumonia. He was 31.

Branch Rickey
One of Follis' Shelby teammates during the 1902 and 1903 seasons was Branch Rickey. Rickey would later become the general manager of baseball's Brooklyn Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates. He was often hired to play for Shelby while attending nearby Ohio Wesleyan University. Rickey also played against Follis on October 17, 1903, when he ran for a 70-yard touchdown against the Ohio Wesleyan football team. It is highly probable that Rickey's first-hand observation of Follis influenced his decision to sign Jackie Robinson to a Major League Baseball contract in 1947, breaking baseball's color barrier.