Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

 
Willie “The Pro” Thrower was a trailblazer, the first African-American quarterback to play in an NFL game in 1953 with the Chicago Bears. But before Thrower made history in the NFL, he was an outstanding football player at New Kensington High School in the late 1940s. He played some at halfback and helped New Kensington win back-to-back WPIAL championships in 1946-47. As a senior in 1948, Thrower was a first-team all-WPIAL, all-state and was named to the Wigman Wiseman All-American team. He was the first black quarterback in the Big 10 Conference at Michigan State, and although never a starter, he stepped in for injured Tom Yewcic and led Michigan State to a crucial victory against Notre Dame en route to the 1952 national championship.