by Cedric ‘BIG CED’ Thornton
He was the first Black athlete to receive a football scholarship to the University of Houston.
Warren McVea, the first Black athlete to receive a football scholarship to the University of Houston, has died at the age of 79.
According to NFL.com, the former running back died Oct. 19 after a long illness. He was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ first Super Bowl win before the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) merged.
No details of his illness were revealed, but his daughter Tracy Ellis confirmed that he died surrounded by family members at his Los Angeles home.
Warren “Wondrous Warren” McVea peacefully passed away on Sunday.
McVea grew up in San Antonio and was a two-sport athlete at Brackenridge, where he played football and participated as a sprinter in track and field. As a junior, he helped the school win a state title in 1962.
In the Super Bowl contest, he carried the ball 12 times for 26 yards against the Vikings. He retired after playing five seasons in the NFL, where he accumulated 2,552 all-purpose yards and scored 13 touchdowns.
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Source: Black Enterprise
