Sid Blanks

Sid Blanks
No. 42, 22
PositionRunning back
Personal information
Born(1941-04-29)April 29, 1941
Del Rio, Texas, U.S.
DiedDecember 12, 2021(2021-12-12) (aged 80)
Webster, Texas, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolSan Felipe (Del Rio)
CollegeTexas A&I
NFL draft1964: 3rd round, 42nd overall pick
AFL draft1964: 5th round, 38th overall pick
Career history
Awards and highlights
Career NFL/AFL statistics
Rushing yards1,440
Rushing average3.9
Receptions106
Receiving yards1,073
Total touchdowns11
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Sidney Blanks (April 29, 1941 – December 12, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Texas A&I and was the first-ever black football player in the Lone Star Conference and the first African American player recruited and signed in the state of Texas. While Abner Haynes and Leon King played at North Texas two years earlier, neither were recruited. They were both walk-ons.