October 20, 2025
He was the first Black athlete to receive a football scholarship to the University of Houston.
Warren McVea, the first Black athlete to receive a football scholarship to the University of Houston, has died at the age of 79.
According to NFL.com, the former running back died Oct. 19 after a long illness. He was a member of the Kansas City Chiefs’ first Super Bowl win before the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) merged.
No details of his illness were revealed, but his daughter Tracy Ellis confirmed that he died surrounded by family members at his Los Angeles home.
Warren “Wondrous Warren” McVea peacefully passed away on Sunday.
McVea grew up in San Antonio and was a two-sport athlete at Brackenridge, where he played football and participated as a sprinter in track and field. As a junior, he helped the school win a state title in 1962.
After receiving a scholarship from Houston, he had a school-record 3,009 all-purpose yards in 1966. After graduating from Houston, he entered the NFL/AFL Draft and was selected with the 109th overall pick in the fourth round in 1968 by the Cincinnati Bengals.
According to Total Pro Sports, after spending two seasons with the Bengals, he was traded to the Chiefs, where he helped the team win the Super Bowl after beating the Minnesota Vikings, 23-7, in Super Bowl IV. That was the Chiefs’ lone title until they won in 2019, 50 years later.
During the regular season before winning the championship, McVea was part of a rushing core that ran for 2,220 yards and 19 touchdowns. He rushed for 500 yards behind fellow running backs, Mike Garrett (732 yards rushing) and Robert Holmes (612).
In the Super Bowl contest, he carried the ball 12 times for 26 yards against the Vikings. He retired after playing five seasons in the NFL, where he accumulated 2,552 all-purpose yards and scored 13 touchdowns.
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