Early years John Spinks — known as "Johnny" in his younger years and "Jack" as an adult — was born February 4, 1930, in
Toomsuba, Mississippi.
College career He attended
Alcorn A&M College, a
historically black school located in
Lorman, Mississippi, where he played
fullback for the
Braves. The Braves would finish the season with a record of 7–1–2, their sole blemishes coming in the season's final three games against strong competition. Head coach
Dwight "Red" Fisher led his charges to another successful season in 1950, finishing with a record of 8–2 while outscoring their opponents 319 points to just 68. Spinks was already being recognized as a potential
All-America team prospect, as a "big" 215-pounder "who combines speed and courage with his weight" and who was "hard to stop and a consistent ground gainer." Alcorn A&M's record of 8 wins and 2 losses would be repeated during Spinks' senior season of 1951, with the team again rattling off seven conference wins before running into trouble late in the season.
Professional career Spinks was selected by the
Pittsburgh Steelers of the
National Football League (NFL) in the 11th round of the
1952 NFL draft, with the team making him the 126th overall selection. During his
1952 rookie season, Spinks — the only black player on the Pittsburgh roster — was used primarily in a blocking capacity at fullback. Although he saw action in 10 games, starting 3 of them, he carried the ball just 22 times for 94 yards, with his long carry going for a 42 yard gain. ==References==