As many Spartan football fans know, former Michigan State Spartans Head Coach Hugh “Duffy” Daugherty was an instrumental figure in integrating the sport of college football. The Hall of Fame and four-time national championship-winning coach was the head man at MSU from 1954-1972, and oversaw one of the greatest eras, if not the greatest, in Michigan State football history. He did so while spearheading what was dubbed “The Underground Railroad” recruiting Black student-athletes out of the south where they were not allowed to play for major state schools.
Among the many famous players Daugherty recruited were Bubba Smith, Clint Jones, George Webster, and Gene Washington.