Saturday, September 15, 2007

Charlie “Choo Choo” Brackins


Black quarterback Charlie “Choo Choo” Brackins played in 1955 for the Green Bay Packers. Drafted in the 16th round of the 1955 draft by the Packers out of Prairie View A&M, where he was a four-year starter and led his team to 33 victories in 37 games. He was a big tall passer at 6'-2" and 205 lbs.

Brackins became the fourth black quarterback to play in an NFL game. He played in the closing minutes for the Green Bay Packers in a blowout game against the Cleveland Browns on October 23,1955. Green Bay won the game 41-10 and Brackins had two incompletions.

His career only lasted seven games and the Packers placed him on waivers after he had broken curfew before a game in Chicago and other unnamed problems. After the “violations,” Brackins never got a chance to return to the NFL. He had tryouts, mostly as a defensive back, but never caught on again and injured his knee before leaving the game. He died of cancer in 1990 at the age of 58.