Dave Mann

David Carl Mann (June 2, 1932 – May 22, 2012) was an American professional football halfback and punter in the National Football League and Canadian Football League. Born in Berkeley, California, Mann was one of the first two black players to play college football for Oregon State College, helping to break the color barrier there in 1951.

Mann played at Oregon State College from 1951 to 1954, one of two black players on the 1951 roster — the first in the history of the school. He was selected in the seventh round of the 1954 NFL draft by the Chicago Cardinals, and played for the Cardinals for three seasons as a punter, running back, and special teams member.

Mann then moved to the Canadian Football League, where he played for the Toronto Argonauts. On the eve of the 1959 season, he was arrested after a raid on his apartment discovered about $100 worth of marijuana. Although he was acquitted at trial in February 1960, the Argonauts elected not to play him pending the outcome of the trial, forcing Mann to sit out the entire 1959 season.