Bobby Marshall was a college player who earned All-America status while enrolled at the University of Minnesota during the early part of the 20th century. Marshall became a star in the Big Nine Conference, which was later renamed the Big Ten. He was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
College Football Pioneer
Marshall was the first black to play college football in the Big Nine conference. Marshall played end for the University of Minnesota from 1904 through 1906. The Golden Gophers were one of college football's dominant teams of the early part of the 20th century. They went 27-2 during Marshall's run and outscored opponents by a 1,238-63 margin.
Hall of Famer
Marshall was named to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971 for his exploits on the football field. He was a pioneer for blacks on the football field but he was also an outstanding player. He was known as an excellent blocker and was named to the Walter Camp All-America team after the 1905 season. In 1906, he kicked a game-winning field goal against the University of Chicago, which was one of the dominant college football teams of that era.
Baseball Career
Marshall earned a law degree in 1907 at the University of Minnesota. Marshall had a hard time making a living as a lawyer after college and chose to delay his legal career. He played professional baseball for the Minnesota Keystones and the St. Paul Gophers, both of which were all-black professional teams. Marshall went on to play with the Chicago Leland Giants in 1910, which was one of the best all-black professional teams of that era.
Lawyer
Marshall returned to Minnesota after the 1910 season and joined the Otto A. Pitzke and Franklin law firm and later practiced with the office of Nash and Armstrong. In addition to working as a lawyer, he continued his athletic career as a coach and administrator through 1930. Marshall married in 1918 and raised four children. According to the African American Registry, Marshall developed signs of Alzheimer's disease and died in 1958 at the age of 72.
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