Sourdough Sam
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- Mar 20, 2019
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"Joe and Verl were like brothers," Mrs. Perry said. "They knew each other. They played against one another in junior college."
And they were almost assuredly the first interracial roommates in NFL history. Mrs. Perry was quick to mention that the Hollywood film Brian's Song created the image that Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo were the first Black-White roommates.
"That just wasn't true," Mrs. Perry said. "Joe and Verl were roommates almost 20 years before that."
Franklin Mieuli, a colorful and gregarious local media producer, acquired a minority ownership in the 49ers in the early 1950s. Rather than lounging in a hotel suite on the road, Mieuli looked forward to sharing a room with Perry.
"Joe and Franklin Mieuli were close," Mrs. Perry said. "Franklin was a character. He would call Joe 'roomie' when he saw him. They both liked music. Joe was a DJ at a local radio station and they shared the same taste."
Road trips through a handful of cities became particularly problematic. Jim Crow Laws often raised its nasty head in cities like Baltimore and Washington D.C. where Perry was banned from restaurants, and hotels prohibited him from staying with white players.
Morabito did his best to provide support. He set up private lodging for Perry with local families, or found accommodations where he and Perry could share a room together. Morabito always kept a watchful eye on Perry, reminding him to keep his temper in check, according to Mrs. Perry.
The racist attitudes he encountered on the road finally boiled over one night at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, the 49ers living quarters for games in Baltimore, Maryland.
"Joe went into the dining room to eat with his teammates and the staff wouldn't serve him," Mrs. Perry said. "He just lost it. He tore the place apart, turned over a table. He had some harsh words for the staff and they finally fed him."
Perry became the first NFL player to post back-to-back 1,000 yard rushing seasons in 1953 and 1954 when the league played just 12 games each year. That accomplishment was not lost on Morabito. He rewarded Perry after the 1953 campaign with a $5,090 bonus, $5 for every yard (1,018) gained.
Perry went over the 1,000 yard mark in 1954 by posting 137 yards rushing in a Week 11 trouncing of the Green Bay Packers at Kezar Stadium. At a postgame interview reported in the San Francisco Examiner, Morabito said, "There never was anybody like Perry. He keeps doing his job better than anybody I've ever seen. He always wears the same sized hat. I insist he's the finest man I've ever met."
In 1954, Perry was the first Black man and the first 49ers player to be named the NFL's Most Valuable Player. Morabito recognized those achievements at a 1955 preseason contest at Kezar Stadium with "Joe Perry Day." Prior to the game Perry was showered with gifts including new kitchen appliances, a television, golf clubs and a complete bedroom set. He celebrated his special day by rushing for 116 yards in a win over the reigning NFL champion Cleveland Browns, then hired a truck to haul away his new cache.
From 1954 to 1956 Perry was a vital cog in one of the NFL's greatest backfields. He teamed with Y.A. Tittle, John Henry Johnson and Hugh McElhenny in what became known as the Million Dollar Backfield. All four men are enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tittle was a seasoned quarterback when he lined up with Perry for the first time. He found Perry's speed a shocking revelation.