Marion Motley, University of Nevada, circa 1941

Photograph of Nevada football player #41, Marion Motley, running with the ball during a game. Motley was a fullback for the Wolf Pack from 1940 to 1942. Motley signed with the Cleveland Browns in 1946 after receiving a camp invite from legendary football coach Paul Brown. Over his first five seasons of professional football, all with the Browns, Motley helped his teams win 5 league championships, including all 4 All-America Football Conference Championships (1946-1949) and the inaugural National Football League Championship in 1950. He was an AAFC All-Pro in 1948, an NFL All-Pro in 1950, and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All-1940’s Team. Motley’s professional career lasted from 1946 to 1953 with the Browns and the 1955 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Over his 9 seasons playing professional football, Motley totaled over 4,700 rushing yards, rushed for 31 touchdowns, and averaged 5.7 yards per carry. Motley was one of the four African Americans who broke the NFL’s color barrier in 1946. He was named to the NFL’s 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1968. Motley was selected to Nevada's Team of the Century and was inducted into the Nevada Athletics Hall of Fame in 1973.