ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) – The African American Gallery at Rockford’s Ethnic Heritage Museum welcomes its newest exhibit Sunday, highlighting local black athletes who played professional football.
Three players are featured: Marshall Starks, Carlos Polk and James Robinson.
Starks played in the league in the 1960s when there were only 61 black players.
Polk who played in the NFL for eight seasons and is now with the Dallas Cowboys as a special teams coach.
Robinson set a record in 2020 for the most rushing yards by an undrafted player.
“We only had one piece of article for James Robinson, I guess somebody from his family saw it and went back and told Grandma. And a couple weeks later, Grandma sent us a basket full of articles,” said David Ruffin who is a member of the Heritage Museum’s Board of Directors.
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