One of the four Black players to break the race barrier in the NFL in 1946 finally got his due in Canton. This August, a bronze statue went up at Stadium Park memorializing Marion Motley, who started at McKinley High School in Canton and played as a linebacker and fullback for the Cleveland Browns in the ’40s under coach Paul Brown. The statue honors the Hall of Famer with a design by Canton artist Spyro Spondyl that features Motley running over derogatory signs such as “Cursed is the man who integrates.” Motley set records for rushing yards and was a part of five championship teams. With this statue, he will be remembered for generations to come.
