Remembering the 1969 Pearl football team that was first All-Black team to win Clinic Bowl

In 1969 the Pearl High football team made the controversial decision not to participate in the inaugural TSSAA football state playoffs opting instead to become the first all-Black school to play in the Clinic Bowl at Vanderbilt’s Dudley Field.

The prestigious Clinic Bowl had long served as the championship game for teams in Middle Tennessee and Pearl coach James Armstrong was convinced that being the first all-Black school to play in the bowl, and hopefully win it, would send his players on a trajectory for success for the rest of their lives.

“Prior to the playoffs, at the end of each year, everybody’s highlight was playing in a bowl,” former TSSAA executive director Ronnie Carter said. “And the Clinic Bowl was by far the biggest. The playoffs were still in their infantile stages. They’ve started but they’re not as big as the bowls and for sure were not as big as the Clinic Bowl.”

In a narrow vote by Pearl’s players the decision was made to accept the opportunity to play Nashville-power Maplewood in the 21st Clinic Bowl on Thanksgiving Day.

In one of the hardest fought Clinic Bowls ever Pearl won 6-0 and just as Armstrong had envisioned many of his players went on to have successful careers not only on the football field but also in politics, the private sector and their personal lives.

Pearl’s players did not want to play in the Clinic Bowl

In 1969, employed black men averaged 64% of the earnings of employed white men, according to RAND corporation. Black men also faced an employment gap in many job categories from 1969-74.

Armstrong, a 1953 Pearl graduate and longtime football coach, wanted more for his players before he retired in 1972. He saw the Clinic Bowl as an achievement the Tigers could include on their resumes when they entered the job market that would impress business owners, employers and other influential…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/remembering-1969-pearl-football-team-110241346.html

Author : The Tennessean

Publish date : 2025-02-19 11:02:00

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