SHELBY — The legacy of Charles Follis, the first African American professional football player, is officially cemented in history.
Sunday, Feb. 3 – what would’ve been Follis’ 140th birthday – marks the first official “Charles Follis Day” in the state of Ohio. The holiday became official when Gov. John Kasich signed it into law last summer.
Follis played for the Shelby Blues in Richland County, leading the team to a state championship. His story was unearthed by local playwright Jim Stoner while researching noteworthy football stories at the Shelby Museum of History back in 1994.
“I’ve always been a football historian, and I stumbled upon the photograph of Charles Follis seated with the Shelby football team,” Stoner said on Friday afternoon, standing in the Shelby Museum of History where it all began 25 years ago.
“(Coach) Frank Schiffer curiously had his hand on Charles’ shoulder,” Stoner said. “And for a white man to be willing to have his photo taken in such circumstances, I was taken aback. I had to know his story.”
Stoner was joined by Shelby Mayor Steve Schag, Representative Mark Romanchuk, and a handful of other local officials on Friday to commemorate the first-annual Charles Follis Day.
“I’ve often said that Shelby has a storied past with a bright future,” said Mayor Schag. “It’s very inspiring to see where we’ve come from. In that story, the life of Charles Follis is truly one of the bright gems.”
Known as the “Black Cyclone” for his tenacity in athletics, Follis overcame many trials and barriers on the field, and off, before his untimely death in 1910. During a time of residual racial tension in America, Follis became a trailblazer in the African American community and a sports legend among fellow football players, historians and enthusiasts alike.
In 2012, Stoner began writing a play inspired by Follis’ nickname – “The Black Cyclone.” The story is set in Ohio in 1902, still in the shadow of the Civil War, and civil rights for blacks were merely a volatile talking point. “The Black Cyclone” captures the strength of the Follis family, and how they fought to make a home in white America against a backdrop of what has become the NFL.
Follis became the first African American professional football player in 1902 when Frank Schiffer paid him to come to Shelby to play football. In recognition of his many accomplishments on the football field, Follis was honored with a plaque at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, received a proclamation from the city of Shelby, and was recognized by Wooster High School after they designated their football field as “Follis Field.”
The designation of Charles Follis Day came with legislation sponsored by Representative Mark Romanchuk.
“I was shocked this story had never been told before,” Romanchuk said. “It was a real honor for me to carry the legislation that designated Feb. 3 as Charles Follis Day. I look forward to many other things that will happen in the future.”
The future is bright for Stoner – and Follis, by extension. According to Stoner, a film about Follis and “The Black Cyclone” is in the works, hoping to become official in 2019. The play “The Black Cyclone” will be staged for free at Mansfield Senior High School on April 12 and 13. Funds are currently being raised to build a Charles Follis monument in Wooster, and Stoner hopes to create The Black Cyclone Trail with stops in Wooster and Shelby in the near future.
“The Black Cyclone isn’t going to be a secret much longer,” Stoner said. “As long as we keep telling the tale and celebrating him the way we are, Charles Follis is going to get his due. I’m very proud of having been a part of that.”
