John (Jack) Trice was born in Hiram, Ohio in 1902. As a child, he was active in sports and demonstrated outstanding athletic skills. In 1918, Trice’s mother sent him to Cleveland, Ohio to live with his uncle. He attended East Technical High School where he played football. In 1922, Trice followed five of his teammates and his former high school coach, Sam Willaman who took a coaching position at Iowa State College (University), to Ames, Iowa. Trice became the first African-American athlete at
