Oct. 20, 2014

LEXINGTON, Ky. — CBS Sports Network presents FORWARD PROGRESS: THE INTEGRATION OF SEC FOOTBALL, a documentary about Nate Northington, the first African American football player in the SEC, and the impact his arrival had on the University of Kentucky, the SEC, and the sports and cultural landscape in the United States. The one-hour documentary airs during African American History Month on Monday, Feb. 16 (8:00 PM, ET).
 
The documentary explores the coordinated effort to integrate SEC football, which started at the highest levels of state government before reaching Kentucky’s athletic department. With the tense racial climate of the time serving as a backdrop, the documentary tells the story of Northington and examines the relationship between him and his classmate Greg Page.  Page was recruited to play alongside Northington and integrate the conference with him until he was critically injured during a preseason practice and died a month later.  

The documentary features an in-depth interview with Northington, as well as coverage of him speaking to the Kentucky football team and being honored by the University.  

Interviews in the documentary also include former Kentucky basketball coach Joe B. Hall, Northington’s African American teammates Wilbur Hackett and Houston Hogg, as well as other University and state officials.
 
“Although the journey of the storied SEC toward integration on the football field was marked initially by reluctance, resistance, and even tragedy, ultimately it is a story of the triumph of hope and the human spirit,” said CBS News Legal Analyst Jack Ford, who serves as executive producer of the documentary.
 
Blake Berson serves as producer. Emilie Deutsch is Vice President, Features and Original Programming, CBS Sports.  For more information, go to www.cbssportsnetwork.com.