Bill Curtis:  

I see I'm allowed 20,050 characters for my story. I'm certain I could do it in 250, but maybe my life HAS been more than a few keyboard characters. ..................................... My senior year at Port, I quit track. Coach Cy Dann didn't like that. I didn't like having to quit either. It was a choice of working at Herger's Golf course to earn some money for college or facing the prospect of not going to college. I didn't want to stay in Port and work at one of the factories, so I chose college, and the job necessary to pay my way. When I told Coach, he ushered the student he was talking to out of his office. He really didn't want me to quit and even said that I'd regret my decision some day. He was right. It took a couple of years, but I have since wondered what I could have been timed in for the 440 and how far of a leap in the long jump I could have made. I was only 17 when I graduated. That summer I ran the 440 in 49 seconds. When I was 19 I went over 24 feet in the long jump. It was the first time I had jumped since quitting. (Randy Prindle didn't know it, but the reason I challenged him to a steak dinner if he threw the shot over 40 feet is because I was already doing 39 feet. Little ol' me at 5'7" and 137 pounds, senior year track drop-out. He was our shot-putter, not me! Randy did break 40ft that year. I forgot abou...Expand for more