Eugene White and Florida A&M

[Texas]

Just sharin'...

Before Bob Hayes, who was a running back at FAMU, there was Willie Galimore, a 9.6 guy and one of the most exciting backs the NFL has ever seen. He was an amazing runner. There was also Eugene White a 9.4 guy which makes him one of the fastest running backs ever. He along with Clarence Childs (db) also a 9.4 guy were the first sprinters of note for FAMU. While Bullet Bob was there, his running mate in that Rattler backfield was another 9.4 speedster....Bob Paremore. So FAMU had some fast backs once upon a time. All those mentioned would get drafted by the NFL. That FAMU 4x1 team of Hayes/Paremore, Al Denson (also an NFLer) and Alfred Austin who beat Hayes as Jacksonville high schoolers should have deen a real force, I'm guessing injuries kept that from happening.

This from 1960

100 y

1 Ray Norton USA 9.3
2 Robert Poynter USA 9.4
2 Stone Johnson USA 9.4
2 Charles Tidwell USA 9.4
2 Eugene White USA 9.4 ******
2 Larry Dunn USA 9.4
2 Ralph Alspaugh USA 9.4
2 Douglas Smith USA 9.4
2 Fred McCoy USA 9.4 A
10 Bobby Morrow USA 9.5


Galimore played a big part in the recruitment of Hayes to FAMU. Talk about irony. On the day Hayes was to go for the gold in that Oly 100m Willie and a teammate Bo Farrington needed to find a TV to watch the Bullet, while speeding to one.....both were killed in an auto accident.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fastest running backs as far as times goes...

lane

"A"

1.Jamaal Charles...10.23/Tex
2.Michael Bennett...10.18/Wis
3.Sultan McCullough...10.17/USC
4.Bob Hayes...10.06/FAMU
5.Jeff Demps..10.01/Fla
6.Trindon Holliday...10.02/LSU
7.Curtis Dickey...10.10/TexA&M
8.Andrew Hopkins....9.2/Stephen F.Austin

"B"

1.O.J.Simpson...9.4/USC
2.Travis Williams...9.3/ASU
3.Stone Johnson...9.3/Grambling
4.Herschel Walker...10.23/Ga
5.Buddy Young...9.5/Ill
6.Bob Paremore....9.4/FAMU
7.Eugene White...9.4/FAMU
8.Eric Dickerson...9.4/SMU

Then there was Bo Jackson, Nap Kaufman, Javid Best, Reggie Bush, Tony Dorsett, Cyril Pinder and Gale Sayers.

[rhymans]

It's probably not a good idea to adorne facts with unnecessary fiction. Galimore died on 26 July 1964 - while Hayes won his Olympic 100 on 15 October, so WG was not on his way to a TV set ofr the OG - he was on his way to Chicago Bears training camp. Alos Clarence Childs has been noted in articles as being a "9.4" man, but never in fact ran that fast. Eugene White (b.24Dec37) was the first Florida A&M man to run 9.4. Unlike Hayes he was (at 5'9/150) never going to be a NFL star

[gh]

If we're gonna remove fiction, let's also cast aside for all time the Texas insistence that Dickerson is a "9.4" guy.

T&FN HS Editor Jack Shepard says:

<<In 1979- his senior year- I have a 10.4 100m [we can call that a "9.55 hand" if you like]

In 1977- his junior year- I have a 9.6y and 21.5m to win State-2A
titles.>>

And he clearly never run any 100-yard races at SMU (did he even turn out for track?).

[Texas]

It's probably not a good idea to adorne facts with unnecessary fiction. Galimore died on 26 July 1964 - while Hayes won his Olympic 100 on 15 October, so WG was not on his way to a TV set ofr the OG - he was on his way to Chicago Bears training camp. Alos Clarence Childs has been noted in articles as being a "9.4" man, but never in fact ran that fast. Eugene White (b.24Dec37) was the first Florida A&M man to run 9.4. Unlike Hayes he was (at 5'9/150) never going to be a NFL star

Glad you cleared that up, now why was that ever written? I read it in some mag and had no reason to question it.

I've actually read where Childs was a 9.3 guy...so...???

White was drafted by the Raiders. Yep, he did nothing.

[Texas]

If we're gonna remove fiction, let's also cast aside for all time the Texas insistence that Dickerson is a "9.4" guy.

T&FN HS Editor Jack Shepard says:

<<In 1979- his senior year- I have a 10.4 100m [we can call that a "9.55 hand" if you like]

In 1977- his junior year- I have a 9.6y and 21.5m to win State-2A
titles.>>

And he clearly never run any 100-yard races at SMU (did he even turn out for track?).

Well aware of the fact he never ran at SMU but he was suppose to have 9.4 jets. I was merely giving the college he played for like I did everyone else.

paste...

At 6 foot 3 and 218 pounds with blazing speed (He ran the 100-yard dash in 9.4 seconds and was the Texas 2A State Champion in the 100- and 220-yard dashes during his junior and senior years.), Dickerson was a workhorse runner with the Rams.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, they all knew he was fast. The year before, as a 17-year-old junior with little schooling in track, he had won the state championship in the 100-yard dash in 9.4.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Entering Sealy High School, Dickerson starred on the football and track teams, winning the state 100-yard dash championship with a lightening-quick time of 9.4 seconds. The sport he really stood out in, however, was football.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Six athletes 100-yard dash time
1. Wilt Chamberlain - 10.9 seconds at Kansas.
2. O.J. Simpson - 9.4 seconds at Southern Cal.
3. Glenn Davis - 9.7 seconds at Army.
4. Doc Blanchard - 10 seconds at Army.
5. Eric Dickerson - 9.4 seconds in high school.
6. Jesse Owens - 9.9 seconds at age 15.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm pretty sure the first time I read about that mysterious 9.4 speed for Dickerson was in.....Track & Field News. No not some list, it was something about fast footballers...hmm? Then there's...

paste...

Dickerson, Eric
Football
b. Sept. 2, 1960, Sealy, TX
NFL Statistics

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Dickerson ran the 100-yard dash in 9.4 seconds as a high school student. At Southern Methodist University, he rushed 790 times for 4,450 yards and 48 touchdowns in four seasons and was a consensus All-American running back in 1982.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

...Wearing trademark goggles because of his poor eyesight and possessing a graceful loping running style, Eric Dickerson ranked among football ’s most successful collegiate and professional running backs during the 1980s. At Sealy High School, Dickerson starred in football , basketball, and track, winning the state 100-yard dash his junior year in 9.4 seconds. Nevertheless, football


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Then there's this...

1970 Gene Pouncy, 4A 100-yd dash, 9.4 (State record, 1970-74) ...... 1917 Calvin Weir, Class 1A 100-yard dash, 10.2 ...... 1978 Eric Dickerson, 2A 100-yd dash, 9.8. 1978 Eric Dickerson, 2A 200-meter dash, 21.5 (2A record, ...


A 9.8?

[gh]

All you've succeeded in doing is pasting (without attribution) a bunch of website bullshit that probably all comes from the same original bad source. If Jack Shepard says he ran 9.6 to win the State title, I'm pretty much included to believe that's what he ran.

9.4s were still special in those days and Texas a state where activity very well monitored. People covering HS track in those days didn't somehow just overlook a 9.4.

If you're going to claim times for people, find a reputable list or set of meet results, don't just bring a lame "I read it somewhere" to the table. (even if you read it in T&FN!)

[Texas]

All you've succeeded in doing is pasting (without attribution) a bunch of website bullshit that probably all comes from the same original bad source. If Jack Shepard says he ran 9.6 to win the State title, I'm pretty much included to believe that's what he ran.

9.4s were still special in those days and Texas a state where activity very well monitored. People covering HS track in those days didn't somehow just overlook a 9.4.

If you're going to claim times for people, find a reputable list or set of meet results, don't just bring a lame "I read it somewhere" to the table. (even if you read it in T&FN!)

I agree 100%. Then again if T&FN isn't reputable what is?

[lonewolf]

I was living in Fort Worth when Dickerson was in HS. My son was running track and I saw Dickerson run many times. A man among boys.
I cannot vouch for his times but I believe they were as credible as those of any of his contemporaries . Texas was full of HT 9.4y sprinters in those days and he just ran off and left them.

[Texas]

I was living in Fort Worth when Dickerson was in HS. My son was running track and I saw Dickerson run many times. A man among boys.
I cannot vouch for his times but I believe they were as credible as those of any of his contemporaries . Texas was full of HT 9.4y sprinters in those days and he just ran off and left them.

I read about his 9.4 speed and watching him blow by defenders I saw no reason to doubt it, I was convinced! I must have read '9.4' a half dozen times from various sources. gh is right however things like that do need to be looked into.

[gh]

If you search the internet you can also find countless "reference sources" which will cite as gospel Wilt's 7-footer, sub-50 relay legs, 60-foot shot put, etc., etc., none of which came remotely close to happening.

[jhc68]

And Wilt's 20,000 women... don't forget the 20,000 women!

[Texas]

If you search the internet you can also find countless "reference sources" which will cite as gospel Wilt's 7-footer, sub-50 relay legs, 60-foot shot put, etc., etc., none of which came remotely close to happening.

When you see a guy like Dickerson run like he did, you don't think....a 9.4 no way!!!!!! You think...hmm..sure! Then you read T&FN, and another dozen sources all saying ..9.4. You don't ..."I better check this out"...because he definitely had O.J.Simpson (a definite 9.4) speed. Is Dickerson not one of the fastest running backs? Sure he is.

I tried to find out exactly what he did run, I read 9.8, I read a 10.3m which would be a 9.4....no? The bottom line is that Dickerson had incredible speed and a 9.4 is very believable.

If I recall Wilt mentions a sub 50.00 open 400 in his book. I know he did high jump while at Kansas, what 6-6 or so?

[bijanc]

Rattler Speed

They had some phenomenal athletes before Fla, FSU and Miami intergrated their sports programs. I bought a '61 FAMU yearbook once from a secondhand bookstore. The '60 football team outscored its first seven opponents by an average score of 61-1.

The talent was still blossoming in the state 25 yrs. later, but most of it found its way to The U, State, and Gainesville. Imagine a program as strong as al three combined (and factor in the kids that got away, e.g. Michigan State's Lorenzo White, Michigan's Anthony Carter, Notre Dame's Derrick Brown, Howard's Harvey Reed- Floridians all).

[paulthefan]

Dickerson to my eye was certainly one of the fastest "on the field" running backs in NFL history. No idea what his 100y time in HS really was but he must have been a beast based on what he accomplished at SMU. The key to being fast in football is being both fast and physically big. Bigger makes the runner retain his track speed without loses due to carrying the uniform and gear on grass. Dickerson was the ideal.

I cannot vouch for his times but I believe they were as credible as those of any of his contemporaries . Texas was full of HT 9.4y sprinters in those days and he just ran off and left them.

Is it possible that the number of HT 9.4 sprinters grew as much with the liberality of the timers of the 70s and 80s as it did with the swelling numbers of good sprinters. Either way, Dickerson was the real deal.


For "trusted" and definitive stats on Wilt athletic prowess and accomplishments search comments by "paulthefan" and "wilt" on this message board. Plenty of stuff has been posted.

[Texas]

Re: Rattler Speed

They had some phenomenal athletes before Fla, FSU and Miami intergrated their sports programs. I bought a '61 FAMU yearbook once from a secondhand bookstore. The '60 football team outscored its first seven opponents by an average score of 61-1.

The talent was still blossoming in the state 25 yrs. later, but most of it found its way to The U, State, and Gainesville. Imagine a program as strong as al three combined (and factor in the kids that got away, e.g. Michigan State's Lorenzo White, Michigan's Anthony Carter, Notre Dame's Derrick Brown, Howard's Harvey Reed- Floridians all).

Miami has always been a bit of a mystery. All that football speed yet no 100/200m sprinters. Why?

Florida A&M speed would look like this...

lane

1.Bob Paremore....9.4
2.Ken Thompson...9.4
3.Rey Robinson...9.9
4.Bob Hayes..9.1/10.06
5.Chris Hargrett..10.2?
6.Eugene White...9.4
7.Charles Hopkins..9.3 (while in JC)
8.Clarence Childs...9.5?
9.Alfred Austin...9.5? (beat Hayes in high school)

Just going by what I read in T&FN....so? Not sure those times were all ran while at FAMU either.

The fastest Floriadian back in Hayes high school days was a guy named Jimmy "Peach Head" Gordon. He'd end up the only sprinter to ever beat Hayes that he never returned the flavor on. Gordon won state beating Hayes. Before they could hook up again Gordon was gunned down in some gang related incident. What might have been...huh?