One of the many steps in ending segregation at the University of Mississippi was through the integration of athletics. Here are the first Black athletes to break the color barrier for the four big Ole Miss sports — football, basketball and baseball.
Football: Ben Williams and James Reed
Robert Jerry “Ben” Williams, also known as “Gentle Ben,” was among the first two Black student athletes to sign a football scholarship at Ole Miss.
Williams was a four-year letterwinner for the Rebels. In 1975, Williams was the first Black Ole Miss football player to earn All-American honors.