Thursday, September 18, 2008

Pioneer Spotlight- Willie Davis: NFL Hall-Of-Famer & Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

Willie Davis has broken ground in sports and business. An excerpt from, "I See Black People: The Rise and Fall of African American Owned Television and Radio" By: Kristal Brent Zook, gives a brief synopsis of his accomplishments:

"Willie Davis, a former NFL Super Bowl champion for the Green Bay Packers, was unlike most athletes of his day. Not only did he play in the first two Super Bowls, in 1967 and 1968, and become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, but Davis also had the foresight to plan for a life after sports by attending the University of Chicago during off seasons. He was awarded his MBA in 1968, just before retiring from professional football.

In South Los Angeles, Davis went on to found the West Coast Beverage Company, a venture he quickly grew into a multimillion-dollar enterprise with a total of 126 employees. In 1976, Davis shifted gears again and founded All Pro Broadcasting, Inc., which remains a majority Black-owned media company in partnership with Northwestern Mutual Life. That same year, All Pro acquired its first radio station, K-ACE in Los Angeles, a rhythm and blues and oldies format that Davis salvaged from bankruptcy and made profitable. Today, the company owns four radio stations."

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