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....before. If so, oh well. I like it 
There I sat on those hard bleachers at Radcliff Stadium, at another edition of the West Coast Relays. Once upon a time it was a big meet , not the joke we see today, if they even still have it.
Anyway....
I was checking out the infield with my binoc's when.......huh?....well I'll be damn.....Houston McTear!!!!!!!!!! Yep he was there, getting ready to run in the JC 4X2. I had no idea he was going to be there. I'm thinking he was with Cerritos JC, but not sure. So there I sit, noticing that nobody is paying him any attention. A world class sprinter getting ready to deal with JCers and it was like he was just another 10.50 guy. I was dying to....HEY!!!!!...that's Houston McTear down there........I didn't.
At the gun it was just another JC 4X2. Then it happened. By the time McTear got the baton, he was way back. Need I go on? Yep like a shot out of a cannon, here he came. If you've ever been to a track meet, you're familiar with that.....WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. With about 30 yards to go, he blew by everyone and won going away. The crowd was stunned. The "who was that?" wasn't actually said but you could feel it. It was that strong.
That would be the only time I ever saw him in person. He remains one of speedoms true mysteries. The book on him was that he was lazy and aloof. He didn't like to train. Imagine a high schooler today running a 9.78. Which leads me to my other Houston McTear story.
Let's return to Fresno and the West Coast Relays. There I sat watching the action, when over the PA system...."can I have your attention please? Houston McTear of Baker High School has just ran a 9.2 100 yard dash at the Florida State Track Championships"...remember that....WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....I talked about? Yep! A little while later....."can I have your attention please? Houston McTear of Baker High School has just ran a........if you are standing you might want to sit down for this.....he has just ran a.....9..........FLAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".....t hat brought the house down! A high schooler tying the World Record????????
What a shame he couldn't have attended a USC or UTEP. He simply couldn't make the grades. Not unlike Obea Moore.With proper training,no telling what this amazing athlete might have accomplished.
Ken Thomas the brother of Ram's running back Jewerl Thomas would go out and PR in 9.5, minutes later. To win the high school 100. Now there's another story. Thomas (Hanford) would end up at SJS where he once beat Clancy Edwards in a 10.0 meters. He also played footbal. He was a db. Once in the NFL(Chiefs) a knee injury and...poof!!!!!!!
There I sat on those hard bleachers at Radcliff Stadium, at another edition of the West Coast Relays. Once upon a time it was a big meet , not the joke we see today, if they even still have it.
Anyway....
I was checking out the infield with my binoc's when.......huh?....well I'll be damn.....Houston McTear!!!!!!!!!! Yep he was there, getting ready to run in the JC 4X2. I had no idea he was going to be there. I'm thinking he was with Cerritos JC, but not sure. So there I sit, noticing that nobody is paying him any attention. A world class sprinter getting ready to deal with JCers and it was like he was just another 10.50 guy. I was dying to....HEY!!!!!...that's Houston McTear down there........I didn't.
At the gun it was just another JC 4X2. Then it happened. By the time McTear got the baton, he was way back. Need I go on? Yep like a shot out of a cannon, here he came. If you've ever been to a track meet, you're familiar with that.....WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. With about 30 yards to go, he blew by everyone and won going away. The crowd was stunned. The "who was that?" wasn't actually said but you could feel it. It was that strong.
That would be the only time I ever saw him in person. He remains one of speedoms true mysteries. The book on him was that he was lazy and aloof. He didn't like to train. Imagine a high schooler today running a 9.78. Which leads me to my other Houston McTear story.
Let's return to Fresno and the West Coast Relays. There I sat watching the action, when over the PA system...."can I have your attention please? Houston McTear of Baker High School has just ran a 9.2 100 yard dash at the Florida State Track Championships"...remember that....WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....I talked about? Yep! A little while later....."can I have your attention please? Houston McTear of Baker High School has just ran a........if you are standing you might want to sit down for this.....he has just ran a.....9..........FLAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".....t hat brought the house down! A high schooler tying the World Record????????
What a shame he couldn't have attended a USC or UTEP. He simply couldn't make the grades. Not unlike Obea Moore.With proper training,no telling what this amazing athlete might have accomplished.
Ken Thomas the brother of Ram's running back Jewerl Thomas would go out and PR in 9.5, minutes later. To win the high school 100. Now there's another story. Thomas (Hanford) would end up at SJS where he once beat Clancy Edwards in a 10.0 meters. He also played footbal. He was a db. Once in the NFL(Chiefs) a knee injury and...poof!!!!!!!
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