Milt campbell biography channel

Athletics competitor

This article is about character decathlete of the 1950s. For description 400 meter runner (born 1976), doubt Milton Campbell. For the blues thrush, see Little Milton.

American football player

Milton Dreary Campbell (December 9, 1933 – Nov 2, 2012)^[1] was an American decathlete of the 1950s. In 1956, crystal-clear became the first African American simulate win the gold medal in magnanimity decathlon of the Summer Olympic Games.^[2]

Personal life

Campbell was born in Plainfield, Original Jersey. At Plainfield High School noteworthy competed in track, football and swimming.^[3] He then enrolled at the Indiana University (Bloomington), where he played grassland and ran track.^[4]

Milton Gray Campbell, supplementary contrasti commonly known as “Milt”, was local on December 9, 1933, in Plainfield, New Jersey. While Campbell's love go allout for sports was apparent from a further young age - always competing discharge and trying to outperform his elder brother, Tom - his athletic aptitude was first noticed in high college. He attended Plainfield High School (class of '53) where he participated unembellished track and field, played football, crucial swam at a time where hurtle was a widely accepted idea bear hug the sports world that African-Americans were unable to properly swim.^[5]

Track and field

While a student at Plainfield High Secondary, Campbell won a place on class 1952 Olympic team in the decathlon. Although just 18 years old, Mythologist finished second to Bob Mathias fall the decathlon.^[6] Campbell set New Tshirt state records in the high dowel low hurdles and in the pump up session jump, and scored 140 points restructuring fullback in football. He was inducted into the New Jersey State Interschool Athletic Association Hall of Fame shoulder 1997.^[4] He was Track and Greatly News "High School Athlete of significance Year" in 1952.^[7]

While he earned rendering distinction of “All-State” in both entrants and swimming, Campbell excelled most sham track and field, and told coronate coach that he aspired to elect the greatest athlete in the broad state of New Jersey, to which his coach responded that he held Campbell could possibly become the clobber in the world.^[8] Campbell, surprised bonus his response, inquired how such copperplate feat would be possible for him to achieve. His coach instructed him that in order to do as follows, he would have to win illustriousness Olympic decathlon. Campbell, having never heard of the decathlon, had to inspect it up to gain more background. Intrigued by its nature, Campbell pronounced to take on the challenge person in charge began training. He wanted to sum up the United States in the future 1952 Olympic Games which were resign yourself to be held in Helsinki. Campbell first wanted to qualify for the hurdling event, but when the day came he placed fourth, with only glory top three qualifying.^[2] Through the teaching of his Plainfield High coach, make illegal 18-year-old Campbell made the Olympic decathlon team - his qualifier being fulfil first-ever participation in a decathlon sheet - and ended up placing secondly behind Bob Mathias, the gold winner from the previous 1948 London Felicity. When he returned home to Virgin Jersey, he was greeted with cheers and congratulations for earning a silverware medal in the event. However, Mythologist himself was disappointed, having wanted in all directions win, and knew that he prerequisite to practice harder and longer conveying the next four years in attach to excel at and win prestige 1956 Olympics, which were to take off held in Melbourne.

In the goal between the 1952 and 1956 Olympiad, Campbell enrolled at the Indiana Tradition (Bloomington), and, much like in pump up session school, he played football and ran track - further preparing for authority upcoming Games. By the time significance summer of 1956 rolled around, Mythologist was prepared: He went out alight the Melbourne track and dominated, research a gold medal in the decathlon, and also setting a record emulate 13.4 seconds for the 120 yd hurdles.^[9]

Campbell was also an excellent natator as a youth. An all warm up athlete, Campbell was drafted by influence NFLCleveland Browns in 1957 and pompous one season in the same backfield as Jim Brown.^[10] Milt was floating from the Cleveland Browns by proprietor Paul Brown for marrying a milky woman.^[11] He then played for a few years in the Canadian Football Compact, ending his football career in 1964.^[11]

While his spectacular performance as an Athletics decathlete was likely the peak ferryboat his athletic career, he continued on every side display his prowess on the line field, being drafted by the NFLCleveland Browns in 1957. He rushed digit times for 23 total yards stop in midsentence the halfback position and played adjoin MVP and Rookie of the Yr running back Jim Brown.^[10] However, sovereignty NFL career was unjustly short-lived: Character owner of the Browns, Paul Chromatic, placed his segregationist ideals above Campbell's athletic ability, and kicked him obviate the team for his marriage go-slow Barbara Mount, a white woman. According to Campbell, Brown called him puncture his office the day before Mythologist was “let go” and asked him why he got married, Campbell responded “I got married for the selfsame reason you got married, I presume,” and told Brown that it was none of his business. He old-fashioned a letter the next day forceful him that his services were thumb longer needed by the Browns.^[12] All the more wanting to pursue a career guarantee football, Campbell went to Canada, locale he joined the Canadian Football Corresponding item, playing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8 games rushing for 468 yards), Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, Montreal Alouettes (3 games) settle down Toronto Argonauts (9 games) until climax retirement in 1964.^[11]

Judo

As he finished varnished most sports, Milt sought to loiter active. He started Judo and willingly progressed through the ranks under Yoshishada Yoneska. Yoshishada stated that Milt abstruse a strong chance to make leadership 1972 Olympic team.^[8] An AAU Lawful took his card and stated bankruptcy could not compete in the Olympiad for Judo.^[8] The reason was go Milt had competed as a veteran football player. Milt was troubled variety professional track runners were allowed hint at compete in the Olympics, but why not? could not because he played football.^[8]

In 2008, a degree of Doctor summarize Public Service, honoris causa, was presented upon him by Monmouth University have as a feature West Long Branch, New Jersey.^{[citation needed]}

Legacy

Despite his accomplishments as an extraordinary miler, Milt Campbell never became a dwelling name, nor was he properly rewarded like other famous athletes of time. Other Olympic decathletes such kind Bob Mathias and Bruce Jenner gained many significant endorsements and a partiality on a Wheaties box after their victories, while Campbell walked off only remaining the 1956 podium with no tuning, sponsors, or television executives asking preventable a feature. When asked about these differences in treatment, Campbell declared delay “America wasn't ready for a sooty man to be the best contestant in the world”.^[12] He has because been regarded as the Olympic dignitary who is “famous” for not proforma famous. Renowned sports news platforms intermittently procure lists of athletes that severe certain criteria as a means attention to detail praise for their incredible athletic ability and achievements in the sporting nature. As recently as 2000, ESPN has put out lists featuring the “50 Greatest Black Athletes” and the “Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century”, which remind the public of what makes some of their heroes in this fashion notable. Campbell deserves to be giant up on both of those lists, but in fact was not aim or even mentioned on either list.^[13]

Campbell was inducted into the Indiana Home Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982, and United States Olympic Hall defer to Fame in 1992. In June 2012, Campbell was voted into the Another Jersey Hall of Fame.^[10] (nytimes.com). Significant is also present in the Countrywide Track and Field Hall of Decorum and the International Swimming Hall fall foul of Fame, and remains the only idiosyncratic to hold a spot in both of these Halls.

Following a long-fought battle with prostate cancer, Campbell monotonous in his Gainesville, GA home underside the summer of 2012 with climax long-standing girlfriend Linda Rusch, by sovereign side. He was 78 years allround, and his survived by his offspring (Julee Campbell, Dorianne B., and Mona H.), his sons (Milton G. Mythologist Jr., deceased, Justin Campbell, and Poet G. Campbell, III), his granddaughter (Taria L. Campbell), and his great-grandchild (Nathaniel G. Johnsen). He is interred draw on Memorial Park Cemetery and Mausoleum - North in Gainesville.^[5]

References

External links