Fourteen black football players who were kicked off the University of Wyoming’s football team in 1969 just received an apology from the school on Friday, Sept. 13. Before they were kicked off, the men wanted to join a student protest that took place when Wyoming played Brigham Young University, a school that’s owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. At that time, the church’s rules stated that black people weren’t allowed to become priests. Mel Hamilton and 13 other members of the Black 14 received an apology from the University of Wyoming after being kicked off the football team in 1969. (Photo: Aaron Ontiveroz/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) At one point, the 14 players asked if they could be in solidarity with the protesters by wearing black armbands during the game, and just for asking their coach Lloyd Eaton kicked them all off the team. The decision led to campus protests, and it made national news. Three of the students returned to play for the school in 1970 and three others decided to attend historically black colleges. Meanwhile, two of the men landed in the NFL. To mark the 50th anniversary of the incident, […]
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