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The African American Gallery
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PERMANENT EXHIBIT
CURRENT EXHIBIT
Rockford NFL Players
It’s football season!
Some of the NFL careers spotlighted in the exhibit are:
Marshall Starks was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 8 th round of the 1961 NFL draft. In 1960, there were only 61 black players. He also played cornerback for two seasons with the New York Jets.
Carlos Polk was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 4th round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played for 8 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys. Polk now serves as assistant special teams coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
Some of the NFL careers spotlighted in the exhibit are:
Marshall Starks was picked by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 8 th round of the 1961 NFL draft. In 1960, there were only 61 black players. He also played cornerback for two seasons with the New York Jets.
Carlos Polk was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 4th round of the 2001 NFL draft. He played for 8 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and Dallas Cowboys. Polk now serves as assistant special teams coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
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James Robinson signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 2020. That year, Robinson broke the NFL record for most scrimmage yards of any undrafted rookie. He is currently playing for the New York Giants. In the mid 1970s, Rockford East High School had several graduates that had outstanding NFL careers. They were Ira Mathews (Rockford’s first Super Bowl winner), the late Jerry Latin, Leonard Bell, Stuart Walker, Jerry Holloway, and Russell Polk. The exhibit honoring Rockford’s Black NFL players and other athletes will be on display every Sunday until November 9, 2025. |
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