Lou Molinet

Lou Molinet
Date of birth November 30, 1904
Place of birth Chaparra, Cuba
Date of death August 27, 1977(1977-08-27) (aged 72)
Place of death West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Career information
Position(s) Fullback, Halfback, Quarterback
Height 5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight 195 lb (88 kg)
College Cornell
Career history
As player
1927 Frankford Yellow Jackets
Career highlights and awards
Career stats

Ignacio Saturnino (Lou) Molinet (1904–1976) was the first professional football player of Hispanic descent to play in the National Football League. He played in 1927 for the Frankford Yellow Jackets.

Early life

Despite having a French name, Molinet. Lou's parents had come to Cuba from Spain, their ancestors likely crossed the Pyrenees Mountains from France. He was educated primarily in America, attending prep school in New Jersey before enrolling at Cornell University, where he followed in the footsteps of his older brother, Joaquin, who was later inducted into the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame.

Cornell

Molinet lettered twice each in basketball and football. However after his sophomore year ended, both of his parents died. He found the prospect of returning to Cornell too challenging, so he remained at home in Cuba. But when the Frankford Athletic Association in Philadelphia contacted him about playing for the Frankford Yellow Jackets, the defending NFL champion, he returned. The team contracted Molinet for a salary of $50 per game. In addition, he received $50 per week to attend practice.

NFL

In 1927, Molinet rushed for 75 yards and passed for another 35 yards. He also caught several passes, and even scored a touchdown. He helped Frankford finish in seventh place. He played in nine NFL games that season.

Later life

Molinet spent his later life working at Eastman Kodak. He actually worked for the Carrier Corporation, first in New York City, then in Rochester and then in Syracuse. Many in media referred to him as "Lou" Molinet. However his family states he was never called that. His nicknames were really "Molly," and "Iggy".

First Cuban player

Prior to 1999, it was concluded that Jess Rodriguez, a fullback with the 1929 Buffalo Bisons, was the first NFL player of Hispanic heritage. However in 2000, Heidi Cadwell, Molinet's granddaugher, contacted the Pro Football Hall of Fame about donating her grandfather's NFL contract from 1927. Her call was of great interest to the Hall because at the time it was widely believed that Rodriguez was the first Hispanic player in NFL history. Further research by the Hall of Fame and Hispanic historian Mario Longoria confirmed that, in fact, Molinet played in the NFL in 1927.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, April 29, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.