Charles Fremont West Charles Fremont " Pruner " West was an American track star , football player , and respected medical doctor . He was the first African American to play quarterback in a Rose Bowl . Personal . West was born in 1899 to William B . and Hannah Thomas from Washington County , Pennsylvania . He was the third of four children . The family moved from their farm in Burgettstown to Washington , Pennsylvania in 1911 . West ' s father opened a drug store that later was turned into a grocery store and was elected to Washington City Council . West ' s nickname , Pruner , came from a mispronunciation of " Peruna " a cough syrup sold by his father . Charles was an outstanding athlete at Washington High School and was scouted by Pittsburgh Pirates . Rumors circulated that he had outraced a horse and wrestled the family bull to the ground . Career at Washington & Jefferson . In 1920 , he entered Washington & Jefferson College , where he played football and threw javelin for the track and field team . He was captain of track team in 1924 . At the time , he was one of a few African - American players in private colleges . In 1921 , he was the halfback and the backup quarterback for the Washington & Jefferson football team , but took over the starting quarterback job after the game against University of Pittsburgh , a position he would hold the rest of the season . That following January , he became the first African American quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl and led his team to a hard - fought 0 - 0 tie against the California Golden Bears . On November 24 , 1921 , W & J arrived via train in Wheeling , West Virginia to play the West Virginia Mountaineers amid chants of " Kill the nigger , " in reference to West . The crowd was unable to tell which W & J player was him , as Pruner was a relatively light - skinned African American . West was the last member of the team off the train and told the confused crowd , " We didn ' t bring him with us this time . " Following the 13 - 0 victory , Pruner visited a Wheeling drug stores that displayed a sambo - type doll with the tag " West " in an ambulance . West introduced himself to the drug store owner and asked for the display " after [ he ] was done with it . " The embarrassed store owner gave it to him on the spot . In a similar incident , Washington & Lee traveled to Washington for a game , but refused to play against West , as it was against their " tradition . " Robert " Mother " Murphy sent the Washington & Lee team , who knew that West was on the roster when they scheduled the game , a message saying , " W & J does not play without Pruner West . " Washington & Lee balked and went home with their " guarantee " and a 1 - 0 forfeit loss amid catcalls and a " near riot " at the train station . It became known later that Murphy knew that West had a sprained ankle and would not have been able to play anyway , but he refused to honor W & L ' s request . Pruner missed the first half of the November 4 , 1922 game against Lafayette College at the Polo Grounds with his arm taped to his side . He returned for the second half to spark a 14 point comeback to win 14 - 13 . Walter Camp named him as an All American honorable mention in 1923 . Medical career . Pruner later signed with the Akron Pros professional football team , but he quit to attend medical school at Howard University in Washington , DC , where he also coached football . He practiced medicine in Alexandria , Virginia for many years . He and his wife Laverne had 2 children : Linda West Nickens and Nathaniel West . He was an excellent skeet and trap shooter and loved hunting and fishing . In 1978 , West was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from W & J . He died in 1979 . Legacy . He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame on May 6 , 1979 . In 2011 , his role in the advancement of African Americans in collegiate sports was recognized in a joint W & J / West Virginia University ceremony at the U . Grant Miller Library . A large photo of West ' s throwing a javelin is displayed at the W & J Hall of Fame at Cameron Stadium .