Biography
- Born: April 8th, 1924 – New Bern, North Carolina
- Death: October 21st, 2006 – Detroit, Michigan
- College: Michigan State
- Years Active: Detroit Lions (1948-1949), Green Bay Packers (1950-1954)
- Position: End
- Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame Induction: 1988
Experiences
During Bob Mann’s career with the Green Bay Packers, he experienced many instances of discrimination. Mann was forced to stay separate from his teammates due to Jim Crow laws in certain hotels when the teams would travel. Not only that, Mann’s colleagues even saw the effects of racial discrimination for their association with Mann. Teammate and friend, Ray DiPierro, even claims to have received backlash for his friendship with Mann.
Even with the many instances of discrimination, Mann still retained a positive and nostalgic view of his time with the Green Bay Packers. In 1988, Mann said, “I didn’t have any problems at all,” and, “Everyone treated me well.” 1 Many of the Packers enjoyed their time spent with Mann. Buddy Burris played two seasons with Mann and said, “He was a good ol’ boy. He was a good athlete and a good football player. He was one of the best ends in football in my opinion.”2
Despite the discrimination Mann faced, he was able to achieve greatness in his career with the Green bay Packers. In 1950, his first season on the team, Mann totaled 696 yards with 50 receptions, and even made eight touchdown catches. Mann was even immortalized in the Packer’s Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 1988.