Ray Kemp
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| Date of birth | April 7, 1907 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Cecil, Pennsylvania |
| Date of death | March 26, 2002 (aged 94) |
| Place of death | Ashtabula, Ohio |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Tackle |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| College | Duquesne |
| High school | Cecil High School |
| Career history | |
| As coach | |
| 1932 | Duquesne (assistant) |
| 1934 | Bluefield |
| 1935–1942, 1944 | Lincoln |
| As player | |
| 1932 | J.P. Rooneys |
| 1932 | Erie Pros |
| 1933 | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Career stats | |
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Raymond Howard Kemp (April 7, 1907 – March 26, 2002) was an American football player and a charter member of the Pittsburgh Pirates football team (now called the Pittsburgh Steelers). He was also the first African-American player in the team's history. In fact in 1933, he was the only African-American on the team and only one of two black players in the entire National Football League.
Kemp graduated from Cecil High School in 1926. After graduation, he worked in the coal mines around Cecil, Pennsylvania for one year before enrolling at Duquesne University.
At Duquesne, Kemp was coached by Elmer Layden, a former member of Notre Dame's Four Horsemen (and later the commissioner of the NFL). Kemp became a starter for the Dukes during his sophomore year and by the end of his senior season, he received an honorable mention on some All-American lists. After graduation, Future Pirates owner, Art Rooney told Kemp that he would like for him to play for his "J.P. Rooney semi-pro team". In 1932 he did play for both the J.P. Rooneys and the semi-pro Erie Pros in his spare time. He remained at Duquesne that season, and served as the line coach under Layden.
The following year, the J.P. Rooneys were reorganized and became the NFL's Pittsburgh Pirates. Kemp joined the team and became one of only two black players in the league, the other being Joe Lillard of the Chicago Cardinals. Kemp played in the Pirates' first three games against, the New York Giants, Chicago Cardinals and Boston Redskins. After the Redskins game, Kemp was cut by the team. He appealed the cut to Art Rooney, but Rooney refused to go over the head of the coach, Jap Douds, who as a player-coach, also played Kemp's position. However a Pittsburgh Courier story on November 14, 1933 claimed that Kemp was placed on the reserve list and quit, although fans had rated him highly. Art Rooney stated that he was limited to having only 22 players on the roster and preferred to keep the more experienced players.
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