October 10, 1894 – Walter Gordon was a guard/tackle from the University of California from 1916 through the 1918 season.
Walter grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, and was the grandson of an enslaved person. Mr. Gordon became one of the first black football players on the West Coast. The National Football Foundation’s bio on him tells us that Gordon was a great lead blocker on offense and a hard-hitting tackler on defense.
The National Football Foundation selected him to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 1975. After graduation, Walter joined the Berkeley Police Force, attended law school, and became a lawyer in 1922. He coached football and conducted some scouting for California University. Eventually, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him the Governor of the US Virgin Islands.
One thought on “Walter Gordon A Cal Legend”