Wally Triplett, PSU trailblazer, dies at 92
Wally Triplett, a pioneering AfricanAmerican football player who helped integrate the college and professional game, died Wednesday. He was 92.
Triplett, from La Mott, Montgomery County, became the first AfricanAmerican football player at Penn State in 1945. In 1948, Triplett and teammate Dennie Hoggard became the first African-Americans to play in the Cotton Bowl, when Penn State played SMU to a 13-13 tie.
Penn State went 23-3-2 during Triplett’s three years as a letterman.
The Detroit Lions drafted Triplett in 1949, making him the first AfricanAmerican player drafted to play in the NFL. Triplett still holds the team record for most return yards (294) in a game, which he accomplished in 1950.
After two seasons with the Lions, Triplett served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He later played with the Chicago Cardinals of the NFL.
“This is a tremendous loss for not only our football program, but the Penn State community as a whole,” Penn State coach James Franklin said in a statement. “Wally was a trailblazer as the first African-American to be drafted and play in the NFL and his influence continues to live on. He had a profound effect on me and the team when he visited in 2015 and shared valuable lessons from his life story and ability to overcome. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Wally’s family.”
“As the first African-American to be drafted and to play in the National Football League, Wally is one of the true trailblazers in American sports history,” the Detroit Lions said in a statement. “He resides among the great men who helped reshape the game as they faced the challenges of segregation and discrimination.”