Bernard Eugene Custis was an American and Canadian football player who went on to a distinguished coaching career.
15 Facts About Bernie Custis
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Bernie Custis is known for having been the first black professional quarterback in the modern era and first in professional Canadian football, starting for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 1951.
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Bernie Custis was born in Philadelphia in 1928, and graduated from John Bartram High School in Philadelphia in 1947.
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Bernie Custis was a star quarterback for the Syracuse Orange football in 1948,1949 and 1950, setting numerous Syracuse records that would last for decades.
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Bernie Custis played the first two seasons of the Coach Schwartzwalder's 25-year tenure at Syracuse.
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Bernie Custis was awarded the Syracuse Football team's Most Valuable Player trophy for the 1948 season.
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Bernie Custis roomed with Al Davis, the future coach and owner of the Oakland Raiders, at Syracuse.
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Bernie Custis was selected in the eleventh round of the 1951 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
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When Bernie Custis refused, the Browns then offered to release him, on the condition that he would not play for another NFL team.
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Bernie Custis chose to sign with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Big Four the league that would form the eastern division of the Canadian Football League in 1958.
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Bernie Custis started at quarterback for Hamilton in 1951, becoming the first black player to play quarterback in Canadian professional football.
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Bernie Custis was named to the IRFU All Star team as a quarterback in 1951.
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Bernie Custis finished his professional career with the Ottawa Rough Riders, playing running back in 1955 and 1956.
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Bernie Custis was named the OUAA Coach of the Year in 1982 and 1984 and was named CIAU Coach of the Year in 1982.
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Bernie Custis was inducted into the McMaster Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.