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American football player (1930–2002)

Willie Lee Thrower Sr. (March 22, 1930 – February 20, 2002) was an American football quarterback. Born near Pittsburgh in New Kensington, Pennsylvania, Thrower was known as "Mitts" because of his large hands and arm strength, which stood in contrast to his 5' 11" frame. He was known to throw a football 70 yards. Thrower was a part of the 1952 Michigan State Spartans that won the national championship. He became the first National Football League (NFL) African American quarterback in the modern era, playing for the Chicago Bears in 1953.

Thrower played halfback in the single wing formation for New Kensington High School (present name: Valley High School) as a freshman just after the end of World War II, in 1945. Single wing halfbacks received a direct center snap, and then had run, handoff or pass options. The team lost two games in 1945. In subsequent seasons head coach Don Fletcher installed the T formation and moved Thrower to quarterback. From his sophomore to senior years, New Kensington won 24 straight games, including the 1946 and 1947 Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) Class AA championships. As a dual threat quarterback, Thrower was also an All WPIAL and all state first team honors and was named captain for an All American scholastic selection covering the nation east of the Mississippi River. His final high school record was 35–3–1. Despite his accomplishments, Thrower still experienced racism. In 1947, the Peanut Bowl, played at A. J. McClung Memorial Stadium, the home of the University of Georgia's football team, featuring a top high school team from the East against a top team from the South, rescinded the invitation it had extended to New Kensington High School to play in the annual January 1 prep classic game when organizers saw a photograph of its star player, Thrower. In addition, many colleges opted not to extend Thrower a scholarship when they discovered his ethnicity.

After graduating, Thrower chose to play collegiate football for the Michigan State Spartans alongside some of his high school teammates William Horrell, Joseph Klein, Renaldo Kozikowski, Vincent Pisano and the Tamburo brothers, Harry and Richard. He would remain in East Lansing from 1949–1952, competing for playing time at quarterback with All Americans Al Dorow and Tom Yewcic. Under head coach Clarence "Biggie" Munn, Thrower became the first black quarterback to play in the Big Ten Conference, in 1950, his first year of varsity eligibility (NCAA rules dictated no freshmen on varsity teams, thereby preventing Thrower, who was a freshman in 1949, to play) although during the first two years of his varsity career, he had only attempted 14 passes. During the 1952 championship season, Thrower was an integral part of the title run, completing 59 percent of his passes (29 of 43) for 400 yards and five touchdowns. In a crucial game with Notre Dame, Thrower stepped in for an injured quarterback Tom Yewcic and threw a touchdown in a 21–3 win. In his final game in a Spartan uniform, Thrower completed seven of his 11 attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown, and added a rushing touchdown in a dominating 62–13 win over Marquette that sealed the nation's Number 1 ranking and championship, for Michigan State.

Thrower was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army and served during the Korean War.

Thrower returned to New Kensington from Canada and married a childhood neighbor. They then moved to Yonkers, NY where he worked as a social worker, but returned to New Kensington, where they raised three sons. In 2021, the Willie Thrower Award Foundation debuted an award for the top quarterback in the WPIAL and City League by honoring a top quarterback from the 2020 season. The award is a replica of the statue of Thrower. October 12, 2023 has been designated Willie Thrower Community Day in New Kensignton, as part of a four day celebration of the 70th anniversary of Thrower's play for the Chicago Bears.