Cal Burrows Honored
Cal Burrows was the African-American trainer on the team, and little is known about his time at the University, about what he did later in life or even about the way he looked. Photos are scarce and what is known about him is that he was an invaluable member of the team.
“We know that Burrows went on the road trip and that the players would wake up in the middle of the night screaming in pain. Football has always been violent, but back then, it was even more so because there was no equipment. He would have to get up and rub them down because of the pain. He’s the unsung hero in all this—even though he never played, he was invaluable to the team. He never got the recognition back then because of the culture, but we’re going to make sure he gets it now.”
Cal is finally getting the recognition he is due, albeit more than a century later than appropriate. Learn more about Mr. Burrows and the entire story of the 1899 team in our new book.
