Franklin Clarke Franklin Clarke ( born February 7 , 1934 in Beloit , Wisconsin ) is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys . He was named after Franklin D . Roosevelt , the 32nd president of the United States . Early years . Clarke attended Beloit Memorial High School where he was an all - state football player . He later became the first African - American varsity football player at the University of Colorado at Boulder ( also the first to letter ) , joining the Buffaloes in September 1954 , after attending Trinidad State Junior College ( Colo . ) for two years , where he had a brilliant career ( he had to sit out the 1954 season after transferring ) . He was joined by John Wooten the following year . Because this was before the civil rights movement , the pair often had to endure open racism outside of Boulder . Clarke amassed 532 yards receiving , ending his career fifth at the time in receiving yards at Colorado . He was so well liked among his peers on campus , that he was chosen as King of the annual CU Days festival ( CU ' s equivalent of Homecoming King ) . He was an honorable mention All - Big 7 conference performer as a junior , when he was second in the league in receiving . As a senior he was selected to play in the Copper Bowl All - Star Game . In 2008 , Clarke was inducted into the Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame . Professional career . Cleveland Browns . Clarke was drafted in the fifth round of the 1956 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns . The Browns kept him around for three seasons ( 1957 - 1959 ) , even though he stood on the sidelines during the first two . He had a total of 10 catches during those three years , so he was left unprotected in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft . Dallas Cowboys . Clarke was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft . His coaches at Colorado and Cleveland criticized his blocking , but the Cowboys were still intrigued by the 6 - 1 , 215 - pound player . Instead of picking at his deficiencies , Tom Landry chose to accentuate his strengths . The coach appreciated his speed , soft hands and his ability to run precise routes , so he was converted into a split end . He did not make an immediate impression in Dallas either , catching only 9 passes in a backup role , during the 1960 season . However , he moved into the starting role in 1961 , finishing with 919 yards , 41 receptions and 9 touchdown s . Additionally he started a streak ( 1961 - 1962 ) of seven consecutive games with at least a touchdown pass , which still stands as a Cowboys record shared with Bob Hayes ( 1965 - 1966 ) , Terrell Owens ( 2007 ) and Dez Bryant ( 2012 ) . Clarke turned out to be the Cowboys ' first bona fide long - ball threat — before " Bullet " Bob Hayes joined him . Hayes even credits Clarke for teaching him the proper way to catch " the bomb " — the long pass . He is also credited as the first african american star athlete , on a Cowboys that played in a then racially divided Dallas . His opening day performance against the Washington Redskins in 1962 was one for the ages . His ten receptions for 241 yards , remains the best opening day performance in terms of most yards receiving , of any wide receiver in the history of the NFL . That year would be his best , becoming the first player in team history to gain more than 1000 yards in a season ( ground or air ) and recording 47 passes for career high numbers in yards ( 1043 ) and touchdowns ( 14 ) . In addition to leading the NFL with 14 scores and 22 . 2 yards per catch . On September 23 , 1962 , Clarke was part of an infamous play where , for the first time in an NFL game , points were awarded for a penalty . The Cowboys were holding in the end zone on a 99 - yard touchdown pass from Eddie LeBaron to Clarke , and the Pittsburgh Steelers were awarded a safety , helping them win the game 30 - 28 . He moved to tight end towards the end of his career , but he remained productive and became a clutch third down receiver . In 1964 , he caught 65 passes for 973 yards and was named All - Pro as a tight end . Clarke led the Cowboys in yards and touchdowns from 1961 to 1964 , and catches in 1963 and 1964 ( third in the NFL with 65 receptions ) . He also held the franchise record for most touchdowns in a season by a receiver with 14 from his 1962 season , which stood for 45 years until 2007 , when it was broken by Terrell Owens . He retired after the 1967 NFL Championship Game against the Green Bay Packers , in what is now known as the “ Ice Bowl ” , won by the Packers , 21 - 17 . Clarke caught 281 catches for 5 , 214 yards and 51 touchdowns in 140 NFL games , which ranks sixth in receiving yards in Dallas Cowboys history . Personal life . He became the first African American TV Sports anchor in Dallas and at CBS . On weekends , Clarke anchored sports reports for WFAA - TV ( Channel 8 ) when not working NFL games for CBS . During the week , he threw himself into work at a bank and at the youth council .