Eddie Macon #41

Eddie Macon #41. Eddie Macon was a pioneer throughout his football career as the first African American player at Pacific, and the first to play in the Sun Bowl. He helped the Tigers to an undefeated season and no. 10 national ranking in 1949 and led Pacific in total points for three straight seasons. Macon returned a punt 100 yards for a touchdown against Boston University in 1950 and averaged 18.9 yards per punt return in college, among the best marks in NCAA history., While playing for the Tigers, Macon endured the racism that was prevalent in the country during that time with dignity and grace. When Pacific traveled to play LSU in 1950, Macon was originally told her could play in the game but upon arrival in Louisiana he learned otherwise. Pacific’s coaches whisked Macon out of the team hotel and took him to a black church where he ended up spending the night at the home of a black funeral director. The next day, Pacific’s traveling party went sightseeing in New Orleans but three restaurants refused to seat the group, given Macon’s presence. Finally, one establishment allowed the visitors to eat in a banquet room, as long as Macon used the back entrance and took the freight elevator., Macon was selected in the second round of the 1952 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. After two seasons, he left the Bears to play for his old college coach Larry Siemering and alongside Eddie LeBaron with the Calgary Stampeders in 1954. The move so angered George Halas that he sued Macon and blackballed him from the league. As a result, the Bears did nothing for decades to honor Macon has their first African American player. After being out of football for two years, which he spent as a longshoreman, he joined the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1957 for 3 seasons. As a member of the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League during their inaugural season in 1960, Macon was converted to defensive back and earned All-AFL honors as he tied for second in the league with nine interceptions. Number 41 was officially retired by Pacific in April of 2008.