JOHNNY BRIGHT INCIDENT

The "'Johnny Bright Incident'" was a violent, and most likely racially motivated, on-field assault against African-American player Johnny Bright by White American player Wilbanks Smith during an American college football game held on October 20, 1951 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The game was significant in itself as it marked the first time that an African American athlete with a national profile and of critical importance to the success of his Drake University team had played against Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) on their home turf. Bright's injury also highlighted the racial tensions of the times and assumed notoriety when it was captured in what was later to become both a widely disseminated and eventually Pulitzer Prize winning photo sequence. The event later came to be known as the "Johnny Bright Incident."
The event had much in common with the death of African American footballer Jack Trice from Iowa State University thirty years earlier.

Contents

The Incident

The Photographic Sequence

The Aftermath

References

Sources

The Incident

Johnny Bright's participation as a halfback/quarterback in the collegiate football game between Drake University and Oklahoma A&M on October 20, 1951 at Lewis Field was controversial even before the players took the field. Although Bright had been the first African-American football player to play at Lewis Field two years prior (without incident); in 1951, Bright was a pre-season Heisman Trophy candidate from Drake, and led the nation in total offense.^[1] Bright had never played for a losing team in his college career, and on the day of the contest, Drake University carried a five game winning streak into the contest. Drake's record owed much to Bright's superior rushing and passing abilities. During the first seven minutes of the game, Bright was knocked unconscious three times by blows from Oklahoma A&M defensive tackle, Wilbanks Smith. While Smith's final elbow blow broke Bright's jaw, he was still able to complete a 61-yard touchdown pass to Drake halfback Jim Pilkington a few plays later.^[1] Soon afterward, the injury finally forced him to leave the game. Bright finished the game with less than 100 yards, the first time in his three year collegiate career at Drake. Oklahoma A&M eventually won the game 27-14.^[1]
Bob Spiegel, a reporter with the ''Des Moines Register'', interviewed several spectators after the game, eventually publishing a report on the incident in the October 30, 1951 issue of the newspaper. According to Spiegel's report, several of the Oklahoma A&M students he interviewed overheard an Oklahoma A&M coach repeatedly say "Get that nigger" whenever the A&M practice squad ran Drake plays against the Oklahoma A&M starting defense, prior to the October 20th game.^[4] Spiegel also recounted the experiences of a businessman and his wife, who were seated behind a group of Oklahoma A&M practice squad players. At the beginning of the game, one of the players turned around said, "we're gonna get that nigger'".^[4] After the first blow to Bright was delivered by Smith, the same player again turned around and told the businessman, "see that knot on my jaw? That same guy [Smith] gave me that the very same way in practice."^[4]

The Photographic Sequence

A six photograph sequence of the incident captured by ''Des Moines Register'' cameramen John Robinson and Don Ultang clearly showed Smith's jaw-breaking blow was thrown well after Bright had handed the ball off to Drake fullback Gene Macomber, and was well behind the play.^[7] The photographic sequence recording the incident won Robinson and Ultang the 1952 Pulitzer Prize for Photography, and eventually made the cover of ''Life Magazine''.

The Aftermath

Drake University and fellow Missouri Valley Conference member Bradley University withdrew from the Conference in protest for several years, not only in response to the Bright incident, but because both Oklahoma A&M and the Conference refused to take any disciplinary action against Wilbanks Smith.^[8] The "Johnny Bright Incident", as it became widely known, eventually provoked changes in NCAA football rules regarding illegal blocking, and mandated the use of more protective helmets with face guards.^[4]
Recalling the incident without apparent bitterness in a 1980 ''Des Moines Register'' interview three years before his death, Johnny Bright commented:
When asked about Smith, whom he had not seen since the incident, Bright said he felt "null and void" about Smith, but added:
On September 28, 2005, Oklahoma State University formally apologized to Drake University and to Bright for the incident in a letter from Oklahoma State University President David Schmidly to Drake President David Maxwell.^{[10] [11]}

References

1. Aggies Outlast Drake, 27-14 White, Maury
2. Aggies Outlast Drake, 27-14 White, Maury
3. Aggies Outlast Drake, 27-14 White, Maury
4. Bright not bitter: Blow helped clean up sports Hanson, Dave
5. Bright not bitter: Blow helped clean up sports Hanson, Dave
6. Bright not bitter: Blow helped clean up sports Hanson, Dave
7. Bright's Jaw Broken, Drake Streak Ends, 27-14
8. 1951 John Bright incident causes Drake withdrawal from MVC Moorhead, Jim
9. Bright not bitter: Blow helped clean up sports Hanson, Dave
10. Drake will name field for Bright: Oklahoma State has apologized for a 1951 incident that injured the football player Witosky, Tom
11. Schmidly closes door on Johnny Bright disgrace Darcy, Bob

Sources

★ Drake Heritage Collection - The Johnny Bright Story

★ The Johnny Bright Incident - 50 Years Forgotten by Ted Soutar

★ KCCI-TV8 Des Moines, Iowa - Drake Names Football Field After Johnny Bright: OSU Apologizes For Player's Actions