pigwot
M's, Juniper's, Lowen’s, and Inge’s Grandpa
Jay!
It is a very good thing Dad is dead and did not see your question, wrongly stating he might have been a Spartan and not a Wolverine!
The rivalry between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Spartans of Michigan State is second only to that between U of M and Ohio State.
When Dad was five years old his father took the family to see Notre Dame play.
Knute Rockne, in his last year of coaching popped this little five year old on the head and said, "Son, are you going to come to Notre Dame some day?"
Dad says he always believed he would and the thought of that goal propelled him to work hard at sports throughout school.
After the war he went to apply to Notre Dame, and was admitted, but since so many were returning to school after the war they said he'd have to wait until the next February to start.
Bob Harrison, a Native American and Toledo, Ohio's Jim Thorpe played with Dad at Woodward High in Toledo.
He told my father he was going to the Univ of Michigan and to come along. The coaches at U of M knew of my father and let him come to the tryouts.
At the end of the first day his name did not appear on the roster.
As there were hundreds of fit, war-hardened men applying to play football, so many were passed over despite their abilities.
Dad did not give up. He went back the next day, picked up an armful of footballs, went to the opposite end of the field, dug his heel into the turf, set up a ball and kicked it through the goalposts. He stepped back five yards and did it again. this continued until he was booting them from a distance rarely seen in that day. He felt a hand on his shoulder and one of the coaches said, "What's your name?", added it to the roster, and told him to go into the field house and get a uniform.
Growing up we'd be playing touch football in the front yard with the kids in the neighborhood. When Dad got home the game would always stop as we'd insist he kick a field goal. A divot was made, a ball set up, and Dad would kick the ball clear down the block all the way over Beverly Drive.
All four years at Michigan Dad played offensive and defensive end, playing both ways as many did in those days, along with kicking.
Being just shy of 6'4" tall he could catch passes while playing offense over the heads of the average height male of those days.
On Defense his long legs and speed could overtake runners and downfield receivers easily.
Dad also played basketball all four years at Michigan, which turned out to be his true passion in life.
In 1998, on the 50th anniversary of Michigan playing in the Rose Bowl thirteen remaining members of the 1948 team were asked out onto the field before the game to be honored. They each wore a Michigan team jersey with their original number. Dad gave that #84 jersey to my son.
The Univ of Delaware played Grambling State in the Boardwalk Bowl in Atlantic City in 1973. Before the kickoff Dad and a coach from Grambling re-enacted a play in which they were key players in a game between Mich State and Univ of Mich. The Grambling Coach was on his way downfield for the winning Michigan State touchdown with seconds left in the game when Dad ran diagonally from the opposite side of the field and overtook and tackled him mere inches from the goal line, ensuring the win for the Univ of Michigan.
Alas, Grambling beat Delaware 17-8 in a tough-fought game that year.
More stories, but I have to head to the funeral home and complete arrangements.
Thank you all for the condolences and well-wishes. The Treehouse Community is a great one.
Love,
Pat
It is a very good thing Dad is dead and did not see your question, wrongly stating he might have been a Spartan and not a Wolverine!
The rivalry between the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Spartans of Michigan State is second only to that between U of M and Ohio State.
When Dad was five years old his father took the family to see Notre Dame play.
Knute Rockne, in his last year of coaching popped this little five year old on the head and said, "Son, are you going to come to Notre Dame some day?"
Dad says he always believed he would and the thought of that goal propelled him to work hard at sports throughout school.
After the war he went to apply to Notre Dame, and was admitted, but since so many were returning to school after the war they said he'd have to wait until the next February to start.
Bob Harrison, a Native American and Toledo, Ohio's Jim Thorpe played with Dad at Woodward High in Toledo.
He told my father he was going to the Univ of Michigan and to come along. The coaches at U of M knew of my father and let him come to the tryouts.
At the end of the first day his name did not appear on the roster.
As there were hundreds of fit, war-hardened men applying to play football, so many were passed over despite their abilities.
Dad did not give up. He went back the next day, picked up an armful of footballs, went to the opposite end of the field, dug his heel into the turf, set up a ball and kicked it through the goalposts. He stepped back five yards and did it again. this continued until he was booting them from a distance rarely seen in that day. He felt a hand on his shoulder and one of the coaches said, "What's your name?", added it to the roster, and told him to go into the field house and get a uniform.
Growing up we'd be playing touch football in the front yard with the kids in the neighborhood. When Dad got home the game would always stop as we'd insist he kick a field goal. A divot was made, a ball set up, and Dad would kick the ball clear down the block all the way over Beverly Drive.
All four years at Michigan Dad played offensive and defensive end, playing both ways as many did in those days, along with kicking.
Being just shy of 6'4" tall he could catch passes while playing offense over the heads of the average height male of those days.
On Defense his long legs and speed could overtake runners and downfield receivers easily.
Dad also played basketball all four years at Michigan, which turned out to be his true passion in life.
In 1998, on the 50th anniversary of Michigan playing in the Rose Bowl thirteen remaining members of the 1948 team were asked out onto the field before the game to be honored. They each wore a Michigan team jersey with their original number. Dad gave that #84 jersey to my son.
The Univ of Delaware played Grambling State in the Boardwalk Bowl in Atlantic City in 1973. Before the kickoff Dad and a coach from Grambling re-enacted a play in which they were key players in a game between Mich State and Univ of Mich. The Grambling Coach was on his way downfield for the winning Michigan State touchdown with seconds left in the game when Dad ran diagonally from the opposite side of the field and overtook and tackled him mere inches from the goal line, ensuring the win for the Univ of Michigan.
Alas, Grambling beat Delaware 17-8 in a tough-fought game that year.
More stories, but I have to head to the funeral home and complete arrangements.
Thank you all for the condolences and well-wishes. The Treehouse Community is a great one.
Love,
Pat
