The College Football Hall of Fame is celebrating a story of one of the most powerful combinations in American history — sports and civil rights. The Wyoming Black 14 were honored with their own display for Black History Month.

The Wyoming Black 14 dates back to October of 1969. John Griffin was a starting slot receiver for the University of Wyoming; then a junior, he had aspirations — as did many of the 14 — for his team and beyond. 

These aspirations would be cut short when their head coach, Lloyd Eaton, cut 14 Black players from the team after they approached him about a peaceful protest: wearing a black armband at their upcoming game against BYU in protest of a racially discriminatory policy from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which owns BYU.

Today, the Wyoming Black 14 is celebrated. The College Football Hall of Fame features a Wyoming 14 armband & Black 14 Banner, the 1969 Wyoming vs. BYU game program, media guides, news collages, photos, and more —- all on display. 

“It’s pretty surreal, actually… to be recognized, to be celebrated like at the [College Football] Hall of Fame and last year with the NCAA Inspiration Award,” Griffin said. “It’s pretty surreal, and it’s also gratifying.” 

The desire for protest came at a time when tensions were high, Griffin said. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated the year prior in 1968. Moreover, he and others were inspired by Tommie Smith and John Carlos, who each raised a first wearing a black glove after their first and third place wins in the 1968 Olympics, respectively. 

It’s easy to look back with awe and inspiration at the stand the Black members of the team tried to take. At the time, though, the 14 had no idea the ramifications that simply asking to protest — not even protest itself — would have.

“He said to us that we would never be anything in our lives, that we would be on social services for the rest of our days. No White…