George Jewett George Henry Jewett II ( April 1870 – August 12 , 1908 ) was an American athlete who became the first African American football player at both the University of Michigan and Northwestern University , and in the Big Ten Conference . He played for the Michigan Wolverines as a fullback , halfback , and field goal kicker in 1890 and 1892 and was considered one of Michigan ' s greatest players in the pre - Fielding H . Yost era . Early years . Jewett grew up in Ann Arbor , Michigan , the son of a successful blacksmith . At the time of the 1870 United States Census , he was listed as being one month old . His father was George Jewett , a blacksmith born in Kentucky in approximately 1845 , and his mother was Letty Jewett , born in Michigan in approximately 1848 . He had an older sister , Mary , born in approximately 1868 . The family was residing in Ann Arbor at the time of both the 1870 and 1880 Censuses . Jewett attended Ann Arbor High School where he was the class valedictorian in 1889 . In high school , he was the captain of the debate , football and baseball teams . He was also the fastest sprinter in the Midwest , having won the Amateur Athletic Union 100 - yard dash competition , and was fluent in German , Italian and French . College football . University of Michigan . Jewett attended the University of Michigan from 1890 to 1893 , where he became the first African - American in the school ' s history to letter in football . In 1890 , Jewett was the starting fullback for the Michigan team that went 4 - 1 and outscored opponents 129 - 36 . In 1892 , Jewett was the starting halfback on a Michigan team that beat Amos Alonzo Stagg ' s University of Chicago team , went 7 - 5 and scored 298 points . At Michigan , he was the leading rusher , scorer and kicker . Jewett was regarded as " one of the greatest stars " in Michigan football in the pre - Fielding H . Yost era . In addition to playing as fullback and halfback , Jewett was also the team ' s field goal kicker and has been called " the Afro - American phenomenon of the University of Michigan . " Oberlin College coach John Heisman described Jewett as a " superior athlete , " and University of Chicago coach Amos Alonzo Stagg referred to him as " a very tough opponent . " Oberlin College game against John Heisman . In 1892 , Jewett played a central role in a memorable game against an Oberlin College team coached by John Heisman . Michigan met Oberlin at Ann Arbor in November 1892 . Jewett scored four touchdowns in the game , including an unopposed 45 - yard touchdown run after Oberlin thought time had been called . After Oberlin went ahead , 12 - 6 , Jewett scored his second touchdown on a run from 25 yards out , but his kick failed , so the Wolverines trailed 12 - 10 . Oberlin scored again to make it 18 - 10 . A few minutes later , Jewett ran to " within a foot of the goal line , " and the umpire ( a former Michigan player ) ruled that Jewett had scored a touchdown . Jewett completed the kick after touchdown and the score was 18 - 16 . Jewett also made a touchdown - saving tackle in the Oberlin game , catching up with Charles Savage from behind at the five yard line after a 90 yard run . After Oberlin scored to go ahead 24 - 22 , the referee ( an Oberlin player acting as referee in the second half ) announced that time had run out and called the game . The umpire ( a Michigan man ) ruled that four minutes remained on the game clock owing to timeouts that Oberlin ' s timekeeper had not recorded . As the Oberlin team left the field claiming victory , Michigan lined up , snapped the ball , and Jewett walked the ball across the goal line for Michigan ' s fifth touchdown . The next day , the " Michigan Daily " reported : " Oberlin compromised herself by leaving the field before time was up . . . . Referee Ensworth , an Oberlin substitute , lost all tab of time , and called the game at 14 minutes to 5 , while the captain of each team had agreed to play until 10 minutes of that hour . " Both schools still record the game as a victory . Northwestern University . Jewett studied medicine at Michigan , but reportedly left abruptly after a run - in with the dean of medicine . He transferred to Northwestern University in 1893 where he received his medical degree and also became the first African - American to play for the Northwestern Wildcats football team . Jewett was not only the first African - American football player at both Michigan and Northwestern , he was also the first African - American athlete to letter in football for any of the schools that formed the Big Ten Conference . After breaking the barrier at Michigan in 1890 , Jewett was followed in the Big Ten programs by Fred Patterson at Ohio State University , Preston Eagleson at Indiana University , and then Jewett again at Northwestern . Jewett missed being the first African - American in college football by one year . In 1889 , William Henry Lewis and William Tecumseh Sherman Jackson played for Amherst . Eight years before Jewett ' s debut for the Michigan football team , Moses Fleetwood Walker became the first African - American to letter for Michigan , doing so on the baseball team . Later years and family . Jewett went on to practice medicine in the Chicago area . Jewett returned to Ann Arbor in 1899 . At the time of the 1900 Census , he was living in Ann Arbor with his parent . He listed his occupation at that time as janitor , while his sister Mary was a music teacher , and his father continued to be employed as a blacksmith . Jewett later opened a business in Ann Arbor called The Valet , referred to in some sources as a dry cleaning shop and in others as a cleaning and pressing shop . Jewett ' s shop was located on State Street , between the Congregational Church and Newberry Hall ; Jewett delivered finished work by horse and carriage . Jewett was married on November 4 , 1901 to Lillian Zebbs . They had two children , George H . Jewett ( 1902 – 1977 ) and Richard Jewett ( born 1908 ) . Jewett died suddenly in 1908 at the age of 38 , leaving his wife , Lillian , and two sons ; his son Richard was eight days old when his father died . Richard was the father of Coleman Jewett , well known Ann Arbor athlete , educator and craftsman , and grandfather of Michael Jewett , the host of 89 . 1 Jazz heard on weekday afternoons on WEMU radio . Jewett is buried at Forest Hill Cemetery in Ann Arbor . He was inducted into the Pioneer High School Hall of Fame in March 2004 .