In 1946, Herb Trawick became one of the first African Americans to play professional football when he signed with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. That same year, UCLA teammates Kenny Washington and Woody Strode made their groundbreaking debuts in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams. After graduating from Kentucky State College where he was a three-time All-American (1940-42), Trawick served in the Army during World War II. When he returned from duty, he caught the attention of Lew Hayman, head coach and GM of CFL’s newly formed Alouettes franchise, who saw the immense popularity of Jackie Robinson with the Montreal Royals and was determined to bring a Black player to his team.

Standing 5’ 10” and weighing 230 pounds, Trawick spent his entire 12-year career with the Als, playing both ways on the offensive and defensive lines where his power and remarkable agility made him a force on the gridiron. By the time he retired in 1957, Trawick was the only original Alouette still with the team, a testament to his commitment and impact. His achievements include seven CFL All-Star and four Grey Cup appearances. His most memorable moment was scoring a touchdown on a fumble recovery during the Als’ triumph in the 1949 Grey Cup. A member of the CFL Hall of Fame, his #56 jersey is one of seven retired by the Alouettes.

Featured here is a vintage CFL East All-Star jersey worn by Herb Trawick in the 1950s. The red durene fabric shows the mileage of a classic gridiron gamer, with plenty of stretching, tugging, and soiling typical of an interior lineman in the trenches. The Wilson tagging indicates size 48 is partially ripped off the front left tail. The player’s No. “56” appears in white tackle twill front and back. White round tackle twill additions with seven red stars (Trawick’s number of All-Star appearances, perhaps?) are sewn into each shoulder. This is an ideal example of what an early football jersey should look like, and a piece of North American sports history from a pioneer who blazed the trail for future Black athletes. Graded a perfect A10 by MEARS with full paperwork.