AUSTIN, Texas — Julius Whittier, the first African-American football letterman at the University of Texas, whose family later sued the NCAA on behalf of college players who suffered brain injuries, has died.
The school announced his death Thursday, citing family. No cause of death or age was given.
Whittier was among the first black athletes to receive a scholarship to Texas. The Longhorns had the last all-white national championship team in 1969. Whittier was an offensive tackle for the Longhorns from 1970 to 1971 and moved to tight end as a senior in 1972.
He earned a law degree from Texas and became a prosecutor in Dallas. He was inducted into school’s Hall of Honor in 2013.
Whittier’s family sued the NCAA in 2014. The federal lawsuit seeks up to $50 million for players from 1960 to 2014 who did not play in the NFL. The case is still pending.