Charles Janerette, Jr.
Charles Janerette, Jr., a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, became the first Negro to play against the all-white Alabama squad when the Penn State football team met the Crimson Tide in the inaugural Liberty Bowl, held in Philadelphia. The Nittany Lions won the game 7-0.
On October 26, 1984, Janerette was fatally shot by Philadelphia police, who accused him of attempting to steal a squad car. Janerette, who had suffered from a mental illness for the twelve previous years, had played for four NFL teams in six seasons in the early 1960s.
