74 years after on-field assault, Johnny Bright's legacy remains, in both Canada and U.S.

It was an unprecedented sight for a country that, at the time, was societally divided.

Johnny Bright, a man whose legacy shifted the trajectory of football, was the first Black player to suit up and play at the home stadium of what was then Oklahoma A&M College in Stillwater, Okla.

It was Oct. 20, 1951, and Black players weren't as well-regarded as white players. They didn't always play on the same field. And, even if they were better athletes — which was often the case — their accolades and achievements were still overlooked.

But Bright was too good to be ignored — and had it not been for a violent, racially motivated on-field assault — he could have made an even greater mark on the game than he did during his historic career.

"Going into that season, the 1951 season, he was the highest-ranked contender for the Heisman Trophy," said Calgary Stampeders and CFL historian Daryl Slade.

The Drake University legend was the front-runner to win the trophy that year and would have become the first Black college football player to achieve the award. He broke several records en route to becoming his school's best-ever player.

That stature and greatness, however, had its drawbacks. 

"He seemed to be targeted because he was so good," said Slade.

During the game when he broke the racial barrier, Bright was the victim of a series of assaults that would go on to change the gridiron game both in the United States and in Canada. 

It was widely reported that Bright was a marked man before he took the field on that October day. 

The Daily O'Collegian — Oklahoma A&M's student newspaper — as well as local newspaper, The News Press, quoted students who reportedly said Bright wouldn't be around at the end of the game.

During the opening