While I'm not surprised about Nebraska introducing black athletes early on, the fact that they instituted a 30-year color barrier until after the conclusion of WWII does surprise me. Maybe "backwards progression" was a lot more common than we're led to believe (George Flippin was seemingly the Nebraska version of Fleet Walker prior to the unofficial MLB color barrier).
As far as I'm aware, states like Nebraska and Iowa never formally adopted segregationist laws like some of their neighbors did (MO, KS, and OK most certainly did) but it's possible that Nebraska and Iowa State were forced to "drop" black athletes in order to comply with their conference mates' wishes.
Regardless of what happened, the first 100 years of CFB were definitely not very kind to black players, regardless of where they played. What's crazy is that even after Jackie Robinson successfully broke the color barrier in professional baseball in 1947, it took decades not only for every baseball team to formally integrate, but for black athletes to get a fair shake in most organized sports. And I also have a hunch that for both professional baseball and college football, many white coaches and players, even before ca. 1970, would have had no problem whatsoever having black players on their rosters. Yes, it may have taken some a little while getting used to having teammates of color, but when they saw what players like Jackie could do, they knew they were much better off with him than without him. Winning knows no color.
Finally, Jackie Robinson is rightfully a hero to thousands of black athletes, but really he should be a hero to everyone who has ever played organized sports. He not only gave black athletes a chance to compete at the highest level, but he also (albeit less directly) opened the door for Hispanic and Asian athletes as well. And it's his courage, tenacity, and the fact that he always played the game the right way that makes him the model sportsman.
