Rafer Johnson, this Saturday at Rose Bowl

[mrbowie]

Rafer Johnson may be the most impressive male human being I have ever seen. I used to workout on the same field with him when he was at UCLA and I was in high school. I have seen him off and on over the years. Once I saw him stretched out on a hard surface napping at LAX. The man is a freaking God. I love looking at him.

[dr ngo]

Ironically . . .

Although UCLA won the NCAA in 1956, they still couldn't beat USC in their dual meet, despite Rafer Johnson scoring in several events (IIRC LJ, hurdles, javelin, and maybe the discus). In fact at that date they never had beat USC , which had an undefeated dual meet streak going back to the early 1940s!

Great competitions, though, and the Bruins took it down to the final mile relay that year. Unfortunately, they never recovered from a 50+ opening leg - and all of us were left wondering whether they could have pushed Rafer into just one more event . . .

[richxx87]

One of the greatest Bruins of them all will be one of the key honorees in the halftime ceremony during Saturday’s UCLA-Washington game saluting UCLA’s 100 NCAA team championships. Rafer Johnson, the gold medalist in the 1960 Olympic decathlon, will represent the 1956 NCAA champion track & field team, one of eight men’s track championships UCLA has won.