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More than fifty years ago, Nathaniel "Nate" Northington changed the
face of sports as the first African American to play college
football in the Southeastern Conference. When this trailblazing
athlete stepped onto the field for the University of Kentucky vs.
Ole Miss game on September 30, 1967, he played not only for his
team, but for his best friend and roommate Greg Page, whose tragic
death pushed Northington further into the spotlight - and into the
fight for equality. In Still Running: My Life as the First Black
Football Player in the SEC, Northington recounts how he and other
African American football players fought on the gridiron throughout
the civil rights movement to achieve success both on and off the
field. Northington shares the story of his life - growing up in
hardworking, self-reliant neighborhoods, first in Louisville's
"Little Africa" and later in Newburg; the strong, supportive
foundation provided by his parents; and the events of his childhood
that forged in him a desire to confront racial injustice and
violence. His athletic ability, character, and scholastic
achievement took him to the front lines of the fight, compelling
Kentucky Governor Ned Breathitt and UK president John Oswald to
select him to help lead the way for integration in Kentucky college
football. Northington reveals what life was like in the locker room
and on campus, and how his brotherly friendship with Greg Page -
also a Black member of UK's 1966 freshman team - and subsequently
Page's devastating death, propelled him forward in his goal of
integrating the SEC. Containing new material and an updated history
addressing the ongoing racial justice movement, Northington's story
is about more than integration within college football - it is an
honest and inspirational testament to a life defined by faith,
strength, resilience, and determination.
More than fifty years ago, Nathaniel "Nate" Northington changed the
face of sports as the first African American to play college
football in the Southeastern Conference. When this trailblazing
athlete stepped onto the field for the University of Kentucky vs.
Ole Miss game on September 30, 1967, he played not only for his
team, but for his best friend and roommate Greg Page, whose tragic
death pushed Northington further into the spotlight - and into the
fight for equality. In Still Running: My Life as the First Black
Football Player in the SEC, Northington recounts how he and other
African American football players fought on the gridiron throughout
the civil rights movement to achieve success both on and off the
field. Northington shares the story of his life - growing up in
hardworking, self-reliant neighborhoods, first in Louisville's
"Little Africa" and later in Newburg; the strong, supportive
foundation provided by his parents; and the events of his childhood
that forged in him a desire to confront racial injustice and
violence. His athletic ability, character, and scholastic
achievement took him to the front lines of the fight, compelling
Kentucky Governor Ned Breathitt and UK president John Oswald to
select him to help lead the way for integration in Kentucky college
football. Northington reveals what life was like in the locker room
and on campus, and how his brotherly friendship with Greg Page -
also a Black member of UK's 1966 freshman team - and subsequently
Page's devastating death, propelled him forward in his goal of
integrating the SEC. Containing new material and an updated history
addressing the ongoing racial justice movement, Northington's story
is about more than integration within college football - it is an
honest and inspirational testament to a life defined by faith,
strength, resilience, and determination.
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