1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hi everyone, I'm Eves and welcome to This 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, a podcast where we one day 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,879 Speaker 1: ship nugs of history straight to your brain through your 5 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: ear hole. Today is October. The day was October ninety one. 6 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,639 Speaker 1: During a college football game between Oklahoma and M and 7 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:34,720 Speaker 1: Drake University, a white player named will Banks Smith assaulted 8 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: a black player named Johnny Bright. The incident was indicative 9 00:00:38,920 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 1: of the racial discrimination and violence prevalent at the time. 10 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:46,960 Speaker 1: Oklahoma State University didn't formally apologize for the occurrence until 11 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:50,760 Speaker 1: more than fifty years later. The Oklahoma A and m 12 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,840 Speaker 1: Aggies were set to play against the Drake Bulldogs and Stillwater, 13 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 1: Oklahoma at Louis Field in nineteen Bright was reportedly the 14 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: first African American to play on the field. He was 15 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: the star of Drake's football team, and he was pegged 16 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: as a contender for the Heisman Trophy, an award given 17 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 1: annually to the most outstanding college football player. Going into 18 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 1: their game against Oklahoma and M in the Missouri Valley Conference, 19 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: the Drake Bulldogs were undefeated with five wins. Bright led 20 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: the nation in total offense and was skilled in rushing 21 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 1: and passing, largely contributing to the team's success. If Drake 22 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: won the game against Oklahoma, they would get the conference title. 23 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: But word went around before the game that Oklahoma and 24 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:38,560 Speaker 1: M's coach Jennings Brian Whitworth was telling his team to 25 00:01:38,600 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: target Bright and get him out of the game. In 26 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,400 Speaker 1: the first quarter, Oklahoma and M's defensive lineman Will Banks 27 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: Smith hit Bright several times. One of those times, Smith 28 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: forearmed Bright in the face, breaking Bright's jaw. Bright was 29 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: not wearing a face mask, which was not mandatory at 30 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: the time. Bright stayed in the game for se rule 31 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: more plays after the blow, but he was eventually in 32 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: too much pain to continue playing. Drake lost the game 33 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:11,360 Speaker 1: to fourteen. The day after the game, the Des Moines 34 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: Sunday Register published a six photographs sequence of the incident. 35 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: The photographs showed that Smith through the blow after Bright 36 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:22,919 Speaker 1: had handed the ball to fullback g mccomber. Photographers John 37 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: Robinson and Don Altang won the nineteen fifty two Surprise 38 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: for Photography for their captures of the incident. Smith got 39 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,720 Speaker 1: hate mail for assaulting Bright, but he also got letters 40 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:38,800 Speaker 1: of support from white supremacists. The incident led to a 41 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: rule change that required players to leave the game if 42 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,799 Speaker 1: they were caught striking an opponent with a forearm, elbow, 43 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:50,400 Speaker 1: or locked hand. Flagrantly. Rough play and unsportsmanlike conduct was 44 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: also penalized with a mandatory suspension. The n c double 45 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: A Rules Committee also made it mandatory for players to 46 00:02:57,360 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: wear helmets with face masks made up nonbreakable molded plastic 47 00:03:01,040 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: with round edges. After the nineteen sixty one season, the 48 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: rules committee recommended that players wear mouth protectors. Bright was 49 00:03:09,639 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: playing football again in two weeks after having a tooth 50 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: removed and his jaws wired together. Bright didn't win the Heisman. 51 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 1: He finished fifth in the balloting for the trophy, and 52 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,440 Speaker 1: though he was the number one pick for the Philadelphia 53 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: Eagles in nineteen fifty two, he decided to play in 54 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:31,280 Speaker 1: the Canadian Football League instead. Drake University withdrew from the 55 00:03:31,320 --> 00:03:35,040 Speaker 1: Missouri Valley Conference because Oklahoma A and M refused to 56 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: discipline Smith, the conference did not acknowledge the incident. Oklahoma 57 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: returned to the conference for football in nineteen seventy one. 58 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: Decades after the incident, Smith maintained that the assault was 59 00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,720 Speaker 1: not racially motivated and that people were making those kinds 60 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:55,480 Speaker 1: of plays against star athletes in mini games. In the 61 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:58,760 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty interview, Bright stated his belief that the incident 62 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: was racially motivated it. Bright died of a heart attack 63 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:07,280 Speaker 1: in nineteen three. In two thousand five, Oklahoma State University 64 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: President David Schmidley wrote a letter to Drake University apologizing 65 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,000 Speaker 1: for the incident. I'm Eve Jeff Code, and hopefully you 66 00:04:15,040 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 67 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: If you've seen any good history means lately, you can 68 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,279 Speaker 1: send them to us on social media at t d 69 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 1: I h C Podcast, or you can go the old 70 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 1: fashioned route and send us an email at this day 71 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:37,760 Speaker 1: at I heart media dot com. Thanks for tuning in 72 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: and we'll see you again tomorrow. For more podcasts from 73 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: iHeart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 74 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:58,200 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.