Throughout the month of February, NESN and Berkshire Bank are proud to celebrate Black History Month — honoring the many accomplishments and achievements of African-Americans in New England sports. To see all the great stories celebrated on NESN, visit NESN.com/BlackHistoryMonth
There are African-American pioneers in sports that you hear about all the time and rightfully so. Jackie Robinson and Boston Bruins legend Willie O’Ree are at the top of the list when it comes to their stories being shared time and time again. However, there are many men and women, whose stories are not known nearly enough, despite them paving a path, on which others have walked.
Someone who fits that billing is former Boston College running back Lou Montgomery, an individual about whom Boston fans should know more for years to come.
Montgomery was raised in Brockton, Mass., and graduated from Brockton High School, where he was the star athlete and and earned All-Scholastic honors. With all these accolades to his name, Montgomery could have played college football pretty much wherever he wanted. Top schools like UCLA and USC recruited him, but he decided to stay near home and chose BC. In doing so in 1937, he became the school’s first African-American football player.
Once head coach Frank Leahy took over the Eagles, Montgomery became one of their star players as they focused on running the football. Montgomery should have enjoyed a higher profile, but Jim Crow laws forced him to miss some of BC’s biggest games.
Two of which came in 1939 when BC visited Florida and Clemson. The Eagles lost both of them, including the Cotton Bowl against Clemson, to finish the year at 9-2. Montgomery’s absence was clear. After all, he averaged a Boston College record 9.68 yards per carry in 1939.
While these injustices toward Montgomery are part of the story, what he did as a teammate makes him more commendable. He chose to support his teammates, urging them to let them play against the powerhouse opponents, even when they wanted him to be out there on the field with them. He was all about his team through and through.
With Montgomery having to miss key games, Leahy started reducing his role the following season. Boston College went 11-0 in 1940, including a win over Tennessee in the Sugar Bowl to end the season.
Montgomery’s legacy lives on, as BC inducted him into its varsity club hall of fame in 1997 and retired his number 21 jersey in 2012 at Alumni Stadium.
Honoring Montgomery through these accomplishments is one thing, but remembering what he did for Boston College and how much of an impact he left is another. Montgomery is a pioneer, a legend, and someone whose legacy will live on forever.
