Warren McVea, first Black player to get a football scholarship at a major Texas school, dies at 79
October 19, 2025
Warren McVea, the speedy running back who was the first Black player to receive a football scholarship to a major Texas school and later helped Kansas City win its first Super Bowl title, died Sunday after a long illness. He was 79. McVea’s daughter, Tracey Ellis, said he died at home in Los Angeles surrounded by family members. From San Antonio, McVea starred at the University of Houston before joining Cincinnati in 1968 in the AFL. He moved to Kansas City the following season, with the Chiefs beating Minnesota 23-7 in the Super Bowl. Under coach Bill Yeoman at Houston, McVea had a school-record 3,009 all-purpose yards in 1966. In the first football game played on artificial turf, he had a 99-yard scoring catch.