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Carlsbad honors football and civil rights icon John Wooten with bronze bust

mike smith, carlsbad current-argus
·3 min read

John Wooten opened doors for African American football players in the 1950s and 1960s. He credits growing up in Carlsbad for setting the stage for his adult life.

The City of Carlsbad honored the former collegiate All-American and NFL player on Sept. 29 with a bronze bust at the Halagueno Arts Park.

“I’m not lucky, I am blessed. We know how important education was and that’s what Carlsbad High School gave me,” he said during the unveiling.

More: Wooten sculpture by Wren Prather-Stroud to be dedicated in Carlsbad

Born in east Texas, the Wooten family moved to Carlsbad during a time when race relations were starting to change.

Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said Wooten’s life story was tied closely with what was happening in Carlsbad during his childhood in the early 1950s.

He explained how Carlsbad allowed minority players like Wooten to play for the Carlsbad High School Cavemen well ahead of other communities, which still had segregated schools.

(From left): Sculpturer Wren Prather-Stroud, Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway and former Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest unveil a statue in honor of Carlsbad native John Wooten. He attended Carlsbad High School and became a pioneer in the civil rights movement of the 1960's.
(From left): Sculpturer Wren Prather-Stroud, Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway and former Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest unveil a statue in honor of Carlsbad native John Wooten. He attended Carlsbad High School and became a pioneer in the civil rights movement of the 1960's.

Janway and Wooten said Carlsbad High School football coach Ralph Bowyer insisted all of the players on his team receive equal treatment from everyone.

Bowyer coached at Carlsbad High School from 1943 to 1967, according to Janway.

“There is nothing like family,” Wooten said. “We will always stand for human dignity and respect of all people.”

Former Carlsbad Mayor Bob Forrest said Wooten had a number of friends and “won” people over while attending Carlsbad High School.

More: John Wooten honored with sculpture

“A lot of it goes back to the coaches. A lot of it goes back to the community,” he said.

Wooten was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012, according to the organization’s website.

He earned first team All-America honors in 1958 and was the first University of Colorado offensive lineman to receive the honors, read the College Football Hall of Fame website.

Wooten was chosen in the fifth round of the 1959 NFL Draft and played 10 seasons with the Cleveland Browns and Washington Redskins.

Juanita Wooten (left) and her husband John Wooten (right) during a ceremony unveiling a bronze bust in his honor on Sept. 29, 2023. The former Caveman played in the NFL and was up front on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's.
Juanita Wooten (left) and her husband John Wooten (right) during a ceremony unveiling a bronze bust in his honor on Sept. 29, 2023. The former Caveman played in the NFL and was up front on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's.

After retirement, Wooten became a scout for the Dallas Cowboys, Janway said.

In 2003 Wooten became chairperson of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an advocacy group that works in conjunction with the NFL as it relates to minority hiring, according to Janway.

Carlsbad area dignitaries, private citizens and the Carlsbad High School Cavemen football team were part of the unveiling.

“You guys out there, you’re lucky to play for the Cavemen,” Forrest said. “What a great town we have, I love that football stadium. I’m glad just to be a part of it.”

Members of the Carlsbad community and the 2023 Carlsbad Cavemen football team applaud during a bronze bust unveiling for Carlsbad native John Wooten on Sept. 29, 2023 in Carlsbad.
Members of the Carlsbad community and the 2023 Carlsbad Cavemen football team applaud during a bronze bust unveiling for Carlsbad native John Wooten on Sept. 29, 2023 in Carlsbad.

Carlsbad Municipal Schools Athletics Director Greg Haston said the football team, coaches and athletic staff learned valuable life lessons after the unveiling.

“(To) learn about him and learn directly from him as he spoke about his life experiences. His words were moving and powerful,” he said.

Haston added Sept. 29 was a special day and ceremony for a Carlsbad High School graduate.

“I think his story should be taught to all the kids in our schools, not just because of what he accomplished and stood for, but because he is one of our own and he can inspire the next John Wooten from Carlsbad,” he said.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Carlsbad native football hero civil rights legend honored with bronze bust