Sneeze Achiu

Walter Tin Kit "Sneeze"^[1] Achiu (Chinese: 徐天杰^{[citation needed]}) (August 3, 1902 – March 21, 1989) was an American football player of Chinese descent. He was a graduate of The Kamehameha Schools and Saint Louis College (now Saint Louis School) in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Sneeze Achiu

Achiu, circa 1938
Profile
Position	Running back
Personal information
Born	(1902-08-03)August 3, 1902 Honolulu, Hawaii
Died	March 21, 1989(1989-03-21) (aged 86) Eugene, Oregon
Height	5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight	169 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High school	Saint Louis School
College	Dayton
Career history
Dayton Triangles (1927–1928)
Awards and highlights
University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame (1974)
Career statistics
Games played 11 Games started 5 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Achiu is most well known for being the first person of East Asian descent to play in the National Football League.^[2] He was one of the first people of a minority to play in any major American professional sports league, preceding Jackie Robinson's entry to Major League Baseball by twenty years.

He was elected into the University of Dayton Athletic Hall of Fame in 1974.^[3]

College career

Achiu was a standout three-sport athlete (football, baseball, and track) at the University of Dayton from 1922–1927.^[3]

Professional career

Achiu played for the now-defunct Dayton Triangles of the NFL in 1927 and 1928.^[2] He was primarily used as a running back and defensive back. He played in eleven games with the Triangles, starting five.^[4]

Achiu later became a well-known professional wrestler.^[5]