Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-04-30
SIMPSON BIG
FOOTBALL FAN
His Greatest Thrill Was
Catching Pass, Not
Breaking Record
By W. ID. GRIFFITH
Director OF Ohio Relays

Director OF Ohio Relays
The entry or George Simpson in
to the sport which has brought him
nationwide fame was more or less
an accident and his debut on the
cinder path was inauspicious. Like
many other school boys. he enter
tanned hopes OF becoming a star IN
football. basketball and baseball. In
fact. these sports occupied almost
all OF his time.
The 1928 baseball season OF the
Columbus schools was nearing the
end when George read Of a junior
high school track meet TO be held
In conjunction with the city high
school meet at Ohio State Univer-
sity. He determined to run in the
contests and, since there was no
equipment az his school. he bought
spiked shoes and got out his bas-
ketball suit TO year.
With his ability to place in this
new sport-he ran second In the
century in 1913 seconds and fourth
in the go that went at a fraction
above % seconds-there came en-
couragement and a determination
70 report for track az East High the
next year.
Greatest Thrill From Grid Game
Simpsons love for football, whcih
was still evident last fall when he
reported 10 Coach Sam Wlllaman's
Ohio State varsity squad. Melted
him three letters as a halfback at
East High. The greatest thrill he
ever received from sports was not
when he shattered the record for
the century but when he was rush
ed into a high school football game
in the closing minutes and caught
a long forward pass for a touch
down that brought victory to East
High.
During 1924 and 1925, the per-
formances OF Simpson were but
those Of the average high school
Splinter and not until 1926 did the
shadow OF the Ohio Express begin
TO creep across the record book.
He started his long series Of
sprint achievements BY winning the
50-yard dash OF the Michigan in
terScholastic indoor meet in SIS
seconds, a national record. On the
outdoor track In the spring. he
continued TO pile I'D marks. He
turned the century OF the state in
terscholastic in 9.S seconds and the
furlong in pit seconds. Through
out the season. his marks remained
consistently at 10 flat or better.
And SO consistent has the Ohio boy
been since that time that on only
two OCCASIONS preliminary heat
at the Rice relays when the field
was facing a strong wind and
again at the Penn relays in 1923
with the track ankle deep IN mud
has he failed TO break" 10 zee
onds.
eliminating his scholastic career
Simpson staged one OF the most
brilliant performances Of all time
at Stagg Field. Chicago. in the
national interscholaStic. He ran II
the anchor position Of his sprint
relay team that finished ahead of
an unusually fast field. He won the
100-yard dash and the go. equaling
the national record OF es seconds
IN the century ard turning in a
sensational 215 seconds in. the
furlong. And the mark OF ASS sec
onds for the 440-vard relay. which
still stands in the record books.
was greatly due to the running OF
George Simpson.
Broke Frosh Sprint Records
"A light Schedule m +-af~fr- IL
signed ID improve his form and
conserve his speed for varsity
competition was given the Colum-
bus boy when he entered the state
university in the fall. Even this
did not keep him from establish
ing new yearling marks Of 9.B and
2l.4 seconds in the century and
furlong.
The close OF the school wear sar
Simpson break into major" COM
petition for the first time. To say
that he broke In Is putting IL mild
~. In the district A. A. u. cham
pionshipS at Cincinnati. the Ohio
State freshman R1n the lO0-yard
dash in 9.6 second. e1ualinr the
recognized worlds record that had
first been set back in 1905 by Kelly
OF oregon.