He was a leading pass-blocker and rusher in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and ended his career with an average of 5.7 yards per carry, a record for running backs that still stands.

Fellow Hall of Fame fullback Joe Perry once called Motley "the greatest all-around football player there ever was".

Although the color barrier was broken in all major American sports by 1950, the men endured shouted insults on the field and racial discrimination off of it.

He attributed his trouble finding a job in football to racial discrimination, questioning whether teams were ready to hire a black coach.

[4][5] As a punishing fullback for the Wolf Pack, Motley played against powerful West Coast teams including USF, Santa Clara, and St.

[4] As United States involvement in World War II intensified, Motley joined the U.S. Navy in 1944 and was sent to the Great Lakes Naval Training Station.

[4] Motley played fullback and linebacker at Great Lakes, and was an important component of the team's offense and defense.

[8] After the war, Motley went back to Canton and began working at a steel mill, planning to return to Reno in 1946 to finish his college degree.

[9] At the beginning of August, however, Brown invited Bill Willis, another African-American star, to try out for the team at its training camp in Bowling Green, Ohio.

[10] The four men broke football's color barrier a seven months before Jackie Robinson was promoted from the Class AAA Montreal Royals to join the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

[4] With the Browns, he joined a potent offense led by quarterback Otto Graham, tackle and placekicker Lou Groza and receivers Dante Lavelli and Mac Speedie.

[12] His forte was the trap play, a scheme where a defensive lineman was allowed to come across the line of scrimmage unblocked, opening up space for Motley to run.

"[18] Motley and Willis did not travel to one game against the Miami Seahawks in the Browns' early years after they received threatening letters.

[19] Attitudes toward race in America began to change after the war, which had caused social and political upheaval and prompted people to think about the future with more ambition and confidence.

[20] Although progress was slow and racially motivated hostility continued for many years, the color barrier was broken in all major sports by 1950.

[21] Many of Motley and Willis's teammates on the Browns were used to playing with black players in college, where teams were integrated across most of the country.

[5] The presence of Motley and Willis, meanwhile, contributed to strong attendance at many of the Browns' early games as large black audiences came to watch them.

[23] In December 2002, quarterback Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons rushed for 173 yards on 10 carries against the Minnesota Vikings, eclipsing Motley's average.

While he showed occasional signs of his old form that season, it became clear to the Browns' coaching staff that he was no longer in his prime.

[32] As Motley's production declined, the Browns relied on Otto Graham's passing to Lavelli and receiver Ray Renfro, who also lined up as a running back.

He got occasional scouting assignments from the Browns, but as the Civil Rights Movement began to coalesce in 1965, he issued a statement saying he had been refused a permanent coaching position by the team numerous times.

[37] Art Modell, the Browns' owner, responded by saying the team filled its coaching positions based on ability and experience, not race.

[1] Motley also signed on to coach an all-girl professional football team called the Cleveland Dare Devils in 1967.

[38] By 1969, the team had only played a few exhibition games as Cleveland theatrical agent Syd Freedman struggled to drum up interest in a women's league.

[12] In 1968, Motley became the second black player voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, located in his hometown of Canton.

Having played successfully as a fullback and pass blocker on offense and as a linebacker on defense, he is seen as one of the best all-around players in football history.

Blanton Collier, an assistant who took over as the team's head coach after Paul Brown's firing in 1963, said Motley "had no equal as a blocker.