The story of Duke Slater is unique, as very few men can say that they have blazed paths as much as he did.

Slater played his college ball at the University of Iowa, helping them win a share of the National Championship.  He signed with the Rock Island Independents following his college career, making him the first African-American Linemen in league history.  In 1926, Slater signed with the Chicago Cardinals, making him the first black signee of any team still in existence regarding current NFL teams.

Slater played five years and part of another year for the Cards and was one of their best performers throughout.  In every full year, he was with the team, he received a version of an All-Pro and had a seven-year stretch doing so, making him the first Lineman to accomplish that feat.  The legendary George Halas described Slater as a one-man line, and praise does not get much better than that.

Following his retirement, there was an unofficial ban on African Americans that stood for nearly 20 years.  He continued to break barriers in his personal life, becoming an attorney in 1933 and later a judge.  Slater would posthumously enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.