Gene Washington

Gene Alden Washington, born January 14, 1947, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is an American former professional football player who played wide receiver in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions. Raised in California, he attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School, where he played quarterback and led the team to a league championship in 1964. That year he shared the Back of the Year award and was selected to the All-City team. He also played forward on the school's championship basketball team. A strong student and school leader, Washington was elected the school's first black student body president in 1965. During high school he held jobs with a public opinion research firm and as an assistant cashier, and served as a youth leader in his Baptist church. He came out of high school as the number one football recruit in Southern California.