He was captain of the 1916 Yale Bulldogs[2] and a consensus first-team choice for the 1916 College Football All-America Team.

[5] Black served in the United States Navy during World War I.

During the war his ship the USS President Lincoln was hit by a torpedo launched from a German U-boat.

The sub's captain claimed to be a Yale alumnus who recognized Black and spoke with him.

A previous report of the incident had the captain as a Harvard graduate, who took Black on board and set the sub's course for Germany.