UK Football Standout Nate Northington Featured in Documentary Spotlighting SEC's First African-Ameri
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Nate Northington, who became the first African-American football player in the SEC as a Kentucky Wildcat in 1967, will be featured in a one-hour documentary set to air on CBS Sports Network on Monday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET. The documentary – “Forward Progress: The Integration of SEC Football” – explores Northington’s arrival at UK and its impact at both the SEC and national level.
“Nate Northington and his teammates Greg Page, Wilbur Hackett and Houston Hogg represent an important chapter in the history of Kentucky football,” UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart said. “We are proud of the courage and perseverance it took to break the color barrier in the SEC and thankful Nate’s story will be told through this documentary.”
Northington and Page arrived at UK in 1966 after an effort to integrate the SEC that began with Kentucky Gov. Edward T. Breathitt, while Hackett and Hogg came a year later. The documentary examines this effort and the relationship between close friends Northington and Page, whose dreams to integrate the SEC together were cut short by Page’s tragic passing.
The documentary features an in-depth interview with Northington, as well as conversations with former Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall, his African-American teammates Hackett and Hogg, and NBA Hall of Famer Wes Unseld.
For more information, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.
