National Leagues. In 1908, he played utility for the Minneapolis Keystones, then moved to first base later in the season. In 1909, he joined the St. Paul Colored Gophers. In 1910, he split the season between the Chicago Giants and the Colored Gophers, appearing for and managing the Colored Gophers team occasionally until at least 1916. Marshall bought the Colored Gophers team in 1911. In a 1916 game, Marshall brought in "Cannonball Jackson" a pitcher acquired from J. L. Wilkinson's All Nations team. Marshall would later appear in games with John Donaldson and the All Nations team in 1923. Later life and death At the end of the 1911 season, Marshall received an appointment in the Minnesota state grain department, where he worked for the next 39 years. For years, Marshall coached youngsters in football and boxing in Minneapolis. At his retirement from his government job in 1950, he was honored with a testimonial dinner, whose attendees included Minnesota Governor Luther Youngdahl and legendary Gophers football coach Bernie Bierman. Marshall died of Alzheimer's disease in 1958. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971. See also List of African-American firsts References External links Baseball statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference Black Baseball Stats and Seamheads "A century ago, Bobby Marshall made history in NFL's first game, Bobby Marshall, a 40-year-old Black lawyer from Minneapolis, played in the NFL's first game," by Mark Craig, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Oct. 4, 2020 1880 births 1958 deaths American football ends Baseball first basemen All Nations players Duluth Kelleys players Minneapolis Marines players Minnesota Golden Gophers football players Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball players Minneapolis Keystones players Rock Island Independents players St. Paul Colored Gophers players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Players of American football from Milwaukee Players of American football from Minneapolis Baseball players from Milwaukee Baseball players from Minneapolis African-American players of American football African-American baseball managers Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Janitors Central High School (Minneapolis, Minnesota) alumni Neurological disease deaths in Minnesota 20th-century African-American people