Pitt football pioneer Bobby Grier, 1st Black player in the Sugar Bowl, dies at 91

  • July 7, 2024
Pitt football pioneer Bobby Grier, 1st Black player in the Sugar Bowl, dies at 91

The Grier family of Camielle, Rob Jr. and Robert “Bobby” Sr. were united in their love for football. The elder Grier was a standout player for the Pitt Panthers and broke the color barrier by becoming the first Black player to appear in the Sugar Bowl in 1956.

Robert “Bobby” Grier Sr., who was a fullback, linebacker and defensive back at Pitt but more significantly a civil rights pioneer in the 1950s, has died. Grier, who was 91, died June 30, according to a Pitt news release.

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