John Spinks — known as "Johnny" in his younger years[1] 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.[1] Powerfully built and tipping the scales at 220 pounds, Spinks was regarded as a key play]er for the team even as a sophomore during the 1949 season.[1] Spinks helped Alcorn A&M win the South Central Athletic Conference (SCAC) football title in 1949, playing extended minutes and scoring a touchdown in a 45–6 drubbing of Rust College of Holly Springs, Mississippi in the final conference game of the season.[2] 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.[3]
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.[4] 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."[5]
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.[6]
Professional career
Jack Spinks (#37), was the only African-American player on the 1952 Pittsburgh Steelers squad.
During his 1952 rookie season, Spinks — the only black player on the Pittsburgh roster — was used primarily in a blocking capacity at fullback.[7] 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.[7] Ironically, these would be the only rushing yards gained in a five year NFL career.[7]
As the 1953 season approached, he remained on the Steelers' roster, scoring a touchdown in a September 9 preseason game against the Washington Redskins on a 10 yard run.[8]
^H.D. Thoreau (ed.), The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide, Including the Official Rules, 1950. New York: National Collegiate Athletic Bureau, 1950; p. 226.
^H.D. Thoreau (ed.), The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide, 1951. New York: National Collegiate Athletic Bureau, 1951; p. 196.
^Homer F. Cook Jr. and Steve Boda Jr. (eds.), The Official National Collegiate Athletic Association Football Guide, 1952. New York: National Collegiate Athletic Bureau, 1951; p. 170.
