Willie lawrence Thrower (March 22, 1930 – February 20, 2002) was an American football quarterback. Born near Pittsburgh in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Thrower was known as "Mitts" for his large hands and arm strength compared to his 5'11 frame. He was known to toss a football 60 yards. Thrower was a part of the 1952 Michigan State Spartans who won the national championship, He became the first African American to appear at the quarterback position in the National Football League (NFL), playing for the Chicago Bears in 1953. Thrower would often joke that even his neighbors did not believe this claim, as his accomplishment was not as well-publicized as Jackie Robinson's breaking of the baseball color barrier in 1947.