Walter Tin Kit "Sneeze"[1] Achiu (Chinese: 徐天杰[citation needed]) (August 3, 1902 – March 21, 1989) was an American football player of Chinese descent. He was a graduate of The Kamehameha Schools and Saint Louis College (now Saint Louis School) in Honolulu, Hawaii.
 Achiu, circa 1938 | |||||||
| Personal information | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born: | August 3, 1902 Honolulu, Hawaii | ||||||
| Died: | March 21, 1989 (aged 86) Eugene, Oregon | ||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||
| Weight: | 169 lb (77 kg) | ||||||
| Career information | |||||||
| High school: | Saint Louis School | ||||||
| College: | Dayton | ||||||
| Position: | Running back | ||||||
| Career history | |||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Achiu is most well known for being the first person of East Asian descent to play in the National Football League.[2] He was one of the first people of a minority to play in any major American professional sports league, preceding Jackie Robinson's entry to Major League Baseball by twenty years.
He was elected into the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974.[3]
College career
editAchiu was a standout three-sport athlete (football, baseball, and track) at the University of Dayton from 1922–1927.[3]
Professional career
editAchiu played for the now-defunct Dayton Triangles of the NFL in 1927 and 1928.[2] He was primarily used as a running back and defensive back. He played in eleven games with the Triangles, starting five.[4]
Achiu later became a well-known professional wrestler.[5]
References
edit- ^ Archdeacon, Tom (September 3, 2002). "Dayton full of NFL history". The Cincinnati Post (Dayton Daily News). E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on January 6, 2004.
- ^ a b Freeman, Mike (April 15, 1992). "For Chung, NFL Dream Has Special Glow". Washington Post. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ a b "UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME MEMBERS (By Induction Year)". Hall of Fame/Traditions. DaytonFlyers.com. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ "Sneeze Achiu Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
- ^ "Pearls of Wisdom". National Football League. Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
External links
edit- Archdeacon, Tom (September 3, 2002). "Dayton full of NFL history". The Cincinnati Post (Dayton Daily News). E. W. Scripps Company. Archived from the original on January 6, 2004.
- University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame Members
- DatabaseFootball.com: Walt Achiu
- NFL News: Pearls of Wisdom
- Honolulu Star-Bulletin:Sports Watch