While it's still a pretty big deal, I've been informed that Ed Wang is actually not the first Chinese American in professional football, as widely reported when he was drafted into the NFL by the Buffalo Bills last month.
Ron Lou, center for Arizona State University, is apparently the first, drafted by the Houston Oilers in the 14th round (339th overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, there isn't much further information about Ron Lou out there -- just the basic facts, no photo. But there you go.
This, of course, doesn't take anything away from Ed Wang's accomplishments -- the guy is an impressive athlete who's knocked down some major barriers as a Chinese American football player, and still one of the few Asian faces on the field. I'm looking forward to seeing his future in the NFL.
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