Trey Kay Published

Former Rockets QB: Charleston Was Good To Me

Ron Pennington playing quarterback for the Charleston Rockets.
Listen

Long before Doug Williams and those who followed blazed their paths as black quarterbacks in the National Football League, another African America play-caller graced Lailey Field in Charleston, West Virginia.

Ron Pennington played for the Charleston Rockets during the 1960s. He spoke with Us & Them podcast producer Trey Kay about his time in the Mountain State.

At 5-foot-nine and 155 lbs, Pennington used his strong arm and scrambling ability to carve out success on the field.

Pennington says he enjoyed his time with the Rockets very much, staying on in Charleston for 15 years after an injury cut his pro football career short.

He eventually moved to Oklahoma and then to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he lives now.

Us & Them has a new podcast available about James “Shack” Harris, who was the first African American quarterback to break the color barrier in the NFL. You can listen to the episode by clicking on this link.

A Charleston Rockets program from 1967.

Credit Courtesy of Ron Pennington
/
A Charleston Rockets program from 1967.