Following the passing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, App State became an officially integrated university in 1965, according to Appalachian Today. In 1968, three years after the integration, the university and head football coach Carl Messere recruited their first Black football player, Clayton Deskins Sr., according to a May 30, 1968, edition of the Watauga Democrat.
Deskins came in as a 6’ 5’’, 175 pound tailback from Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Virginia, according to the 1968 Watauga Democrat article. He started his career on the junior varsity football team during the 1968 season wearing the number 32, which he wore for his entire career.
One of his first touchdowns was a four-yard run scored on the junior varsity team against Lees-McRae College on Oct. 4, 1968, according to an Oct. 4, 1968, edition of The Appalachian.
Deskins was not on the junior varsity team for long. He began playing on the varsity football team during the same 1968 season as a freshman where he caught 7 passes for 194 yards and 3 touchdowns throughout the season and averaged nearly 6 yards per carry on 43 rushing attempts, according to an Oct. 10, 1969, edition of The Appalachian.
A highlight from this season was a 63-yard receiving touchdown from quarterback Pat Murphy with 10 minutes left in the game to put the Mountaineers in front on Nov. 16, 1968 against Emory and Henry, according to a Nov. 22, 1968, edition of The Appalachian. The Mountaineers went on to lose 28-34, one of the team’s two losses that season.
The Black and Gold’s only other loss was a 28-35 loss to Carson-Newman.
The Mountaineers went 8-2 in the 1968 season and finished No. 11 in the NAIA Independent Division, the highest-ranked team Deskins was a part of, according to a Dec. 6, 1968, edition of The Appalachian.
Deskins switched from tailback to flanker back for the 1969 season, according to a Sept. 12, 1969, edition of The Appalachian. The positions differed as the flanker back would line up slightly behind the line of scrimmage and run short routes, such as slants and screens, much more like a receiver. He became the team’s leading receiver in the 1969 and 1970 seasons in his new position, according to the 2024 App State football media guide.
However, Deskins would still line up at tailback during his time at App State.
His sophomore season was a breakout year, and he was named “App of the Week” in the Oct. 10, 1969, edition of The Appalachian.
This was after a 2-touchdown performance to beat Elon College 27-20 on Oct. 4. Hal Queen was able to find Deskins for his first receiving touchdown which came early in the game to put the Mountaineers up 14-0. Queen found Deskins again for his second touchdown of the game, which was a receiving touchdown in the final seconds of the game to secure the win for the Black and Gold.
The 1969 season was also one of his best as a kick returner, as he totaled 575 yards throughout the season according to the 2013 App State Football yearbook.
In the first five games of his junior season, Deskins caught 10 passes for 110 yards from quarterback Ray Haskett.
Deskins had some electric returns during his career, which included a 72-yard touchdown return against Catawba College and an 86-yard touchdown return against Samford in his junior year, according to the Oct. 20, 1970 and Nov. 10, 1970, editions of The Appalachian.
Deskins beat his previous record of 575 return yards in the 1969 season with a total of 586 yards during the 1970 season.
In the final season under Messere, the Black and Gold finished with a record of 5-5, according to a Dec. 17, 1970, article in The Appalachian.
His senior year was arguably his best one yet as he led the team in rush yards and set a record for the longest run in program history with a 98-yard rush in a 49-0 win against Bluefield State on Oct. 23, 1971, according to the 2024 App State football media kit.
The 1971 season was the first under head coach Jim Brakefield which saw a 7-3-1 record, according to the 2024 App State football media kit.
Deskins Sr. finished his career second all-time in career kick return yards with 1,869 yards according to an App State Football Facebook post.
James Reaves was a member of the App State football team from 1989-92 and served as captain for two years. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees and established the JK Reaves Financial Planning Annual Scholarship for the Walker College of Business. Reaves was unable to meet Deskins but wishes that could change.
“I would welcome the opportunity to meet him, he was an inspiration to many, and it would be my privilege to get to know him and hear stories from his time at App State,” Reaves said.
Reaves believes Deskins is not remembered as he should be.
“As an institution of higher education, it’s important for Appalachian State to remember and tell the stories of our trailblazers,” Reaves said. “As Clayton Deskins’ 2004 induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame confirms, his athletics records, dedication and work ethic set an example for generations of Mountaineers to come.”
According to Deskins’ Facebook account, after graduation, he was an EMT at Arlington County Fire Department. He got married and had two kids and is now retired and resides in Maryland.
Deskins was immortalized in App State history in 2004 as he was inducted into the App State Athletics Hall of Fame for his play on the field and paving the way for Black athletes.