When Duke Slater was 13 years old, his family moved to Clinton, Iowa, after his father became pastor of the A.M.E. church there.  In the early 1900s, every high school player needed to provide their own shoes and helmet.  His father could not afford both, so he asked his son to choose. Slater decided he needed shoes more, and he played every game at Clinton High School without a helmet.  Slater played three seasons of football for Clinton High School from 1913-1915. He was part of two Iowa state championships and the school compiled a 22-3-1 record.  Slater played college football at the University of Iowa from 1918 to 1921. Playing tackle on the line, he was a first-team All-American in 1921and a member of the Hawkeyes’ 1921 national championship team.  Slater joined the NFL in 1922, becoming the first Black lineman in league history. 

- from https://aaregistry.org/story/duke-slater-born/

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