Sid Blanks

Sidney Blanks (April 29, 1941 – December 12, 2021) was a running back who played college football at Texas A&I University from 1960 to 1963, earning All-American honors as a member of the Javelinas. Recruited by coach Gil Steinke, Blanks became the first African American to play in the Lone Star Conference and the first to receive a football scholarship at an integrated school in Texas. He went on to play professionally in the American Football League for the Houston Oilers from 1964 through 1968. He was inducted into the Texas A&I Hall of Fame in 1981 and the Lone Star Conference Hall of Fame in 2002.