History

Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

Gifted football star Marion Motley was one of pro football’s first black players. In 1946, Motley was one of four African American men to break pro football’s color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns. This production tells the Ohio native’s story of adversity, personal tragedy and triumphs using rarely heard archival interviews and new interviews with historians, friends and descendants.

Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

26m 51s

Gifted football star Marion Motley was one of pro football’s first black players. In 1946, Motley was one of four African American men to break pro football’s color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns. This production tells the Ohio native’s story of adversity, personal tragedy and triumphs using rarely heard archival interviews and new interviews with historians, friends and descendants.

Episodes

  • Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

    26m 51s

    Gifted football star Marion Motley was one of pro football’s first black players. In 1946, Motley was one of four African American men to break pro football’s color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns. This production tells the Ohio native’s story of adversity, personal tragedy and triumphs using rarely heard archival interviews and new interviews with historians, friends and descendants.

Schedule

  • Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

    Friday
    Feb 7

    30 Minutes

    Historians, sports writers, NFL alumni, friends and descendants help tell the story of Marion Motley, who was among the first Black men to break professional football's color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns in 1946.
  • Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

    Saturday
    Feb 8

    30 Minutes

    Historians, sports writers, NFL alumni, friends and descendants help tell the story of Marion Motley, who was among the first Black men to break professional football's color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns in 1946.
  • Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

    Saturday
    Feb 8

    30 Minutes

    Historians, sports writers, NFL alumni, friends and descendants help tell the story of Marion Motley, who was among the first Black men to break professional football's color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns in 1946.
  • Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley: TVSS: Banner-L1

    Lines Broken: The Story of Marion Motley

    Saturday
    Feb 8

    30 Minutes

    Historians, sports writers, NFL alumni, friends and descendants help tell the story of Marion Motley, who was among the first Black men to break professional football's color barrier when he joined the Cleveland Browns in 1946.

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