Did you know?

Seventy-six years ago this week - Oct. 31, 1950 - Washington Capitols forward Earl Lloyd (pictured) became the first black man to play in a National Basketball Association game. Lloyd's historic debut beat the debut of another black, Boston's Chuck Cooper, by one day. Lloyd, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward who carried a reputation as a defensive specialist, scored six points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out five assists in a solid first effort. Cooper played the next night in the Celtics' 107-84 loss to Fort Wayne, scoring nine points and snagging two rebounds.

This Week in

Illini and Spartan History

ILLINI HISTORY - On Oct. 31, 1925, 65,000 fans at Philadelphia's Franklin Field gathered to get their first look at Red Grange. On the seventh play of the game, Grange tore through left tackle then cut wide left for a 56-yard touchdown run. On the next kickoff, Red ambled to the center, then swerved to the left, advancing 60 yards before being caught. Said University of Pennsylvania coach Louis Young afterwards, "I saw (Jim) Thorpe in his heyday when he was the hardest man in football to stop. But I firmly believe that Grange eclipse what Thorpe ever did. In my estimation, Grange is the greatest player in football."

SPARTAN HISTORY - On Oct. 30, 1971, Michigan State tailback Eric "The Flea" Allen ran for an NCAA record 350 yards (on 29 attempts) as the Spartans defeated host Purdue, 43-10. Allen scored four touchdowns (24, 59, 30 and 24 yards) and caught two passes for another 47 yards. He would eventually set Spartan single-season and career rushing records with 1,494 and 2,654 yards, respectively. Photo restored by MomentsMadeClear.com