Toler died Sunday at a hospital in Castro Valley, Calif., according to the University of San Francisco. He was a star lineman and linebacker on the Dons' 1951 football team that was denied a bowl bid despite a 9-0 record because it refused to leave its two black players -- Toler and
"We were disappointed at the time, sure," Toler told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2001. "But we were not going to accept any old thing; it was not what the team, our coach [the late Joe Kuharich] or the university stood for. We were very fortunate and blessed to have had a group like that."
Toler was drafted by the
"Burl Toler was a pioneer as the first African American game official in pro sports," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "He was a great athlete who then became a great official. The NFL will always be proud of his contributions to football and his unique place in NFL history."
Toler spent 25 years as a field judge and head linesman in the NFL. He was head linesman in Pittsburgh's 31-19
Burl Abron Toler was born May 9, 1928, in Memphis. Before coming to USF, he was an All-American football player at City College of San Francisco. He graduated from USF with a bachelor's degree in 1952 and a master's in 1966. Toler was a longtime educator in the San Francisco school district, a director of personnel for the San Francisco community college district and a USF trustee.
Toler's son, Burl Toler Jr., and grandson, Burl Toler III, played college football at
Toler is survived by his brother, Arnold, of Memphis; six children, Valerie, Burl Jr., Susan, Gregory, Martel and Jennifer; and eight grandchildren. His wife, Melvia, died in 1991.
A funeral Mass will be held Aug. 26 in San Francisco. A scholarship in Toler's memory has been established at USF.
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