Kenneth S. "Kingfish" Washington (August 31, 1918, Los Angeles, California – June 24, 1971) was a professional football player who was one of the first African-Americans to play in the National Football League's modern (post-World War II) era.
He was a star running back at Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles
In college at UCLA, he rushed for 1,914 yards in his college career, a school record for 34 years. He was one of four African America...
more
Kenneth S. "Kingfish" Washington (August 31, 1918, Los Angeles, California – June 24, 1971) was a professional football player who was one of the first African-Americans to play in the National Football League's modern (post-World War II) era.
He was a star running back at Abraham Lincoln High School in Los Angeles
In college at UCLA, he rushed for 1,914 yards in his college career, a school record for 34 years. He was one of four African American players on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, the others being Woody Strode, Jackie Robinson and Ray Bartlett. Washington, Strode, and Robinson starred on the 1939 UCLA Bruins football team, in which they made up three of the four backfield players. This was a rarity to have so many African Americans when only a few dozen at all played on college football teams. They played eventual conference and national champion USC to a 0-0 tie with the 1940 Rose Bowl on the line. It was the first UCLA-USC rivalry football game with national...
less
