THE CLIFFORD LARKINS/BOBBY JOE HILL CONNECTION

In the 1950s and 1960s, Highland Park High School (HPHS) had one of the best basketball programs in the state of Michigan. Many great players from Highland Park went on to excel at the college and the professional levels. Point guard Tyrone Bobby Joe Hill, HPHS class of 1961, was one of the best. In his senior year he was selected as one of Michigan's "All State" players that year. I was also a point guard, on HPHS's 1966 and 1967 teams, and in the photo above notice that I am wearing jersey number 14; this was also Tyrone Bobby Joe Hill's, Bobby Joe Hill is number 14.

Highland Park High School, Michigan vs Hamtramck, 1960. number when he played for HPHS. In my senior year, 1967, one season after Texas Western's landmark victory, I was asked by coach Eldon Rouse to wear Bobby Joe's jersey as a reward for my performance and efforts as a team leader.

Paraphrased From Wikipedia:

Bobby Joe Hill, Bobby Joe Hill

Star of Highland Park High School's, 1961 basketball team

Star of Texas Western's 1966 NCAA national championship team. a 5'11" (actually he was probably 5' 9" or 5' 10") point guard from Highland Park, Michigan, was on the Texas Western college basketball team coached by Don Haskins that won the national title in 1966. The school's all-black starting five defeated a white Kentucky team, 72-65. Texas Western's win over the top-ranked Kentucky team, coached by Adolph Rupp, is considered one of the most historic games in the annals of college basketball.

Bobby Joe Hill was one of the most prominent players on the court. In the first half, he stole the ball twice from both Louie Dampier and Tommy Kron within the span of a minute and converted both steals into easy layups. He led all scorers with twenty points, and his plays were complemented by talented teammates Harry Flournoy, Nevil Shed, David Lattin, and Willie Worsley. The Miners' victory over the Kentucky Wildcats was a landmark event in the history of civil rights and sports desegregation, comparable to Jackie Robinson's baseball tenure with the Brooklyn Dodgers, decisively proving that color of skin has no bearing on talent and ability. Of note is that Don Haskins and the entire Texas Western squad rose above racial threats, insults, vandalism, and violence throughout the 1965-1966 season to achieve their against-all-odds triumph.

The story of Bobby Joe Hill and the 1966 Texas Western national championship has been immortalized in the film Glory Road, Poster for the 2006 movie
"Glory Road"
Bobby Joe Hill is player number 14 seated in the poster which was released in the U.S. in January, 2006, forty years after the "fabulous five" forever altered the landscape of college basketball. Derek Luke was cast to play Bobby Joe in the movie. This story was also told earlier in 1999 by Frank Fitzpatrick in his book "And The Walls Came Tumbling Down" published by Simon & Schuster.

INTRODUCTION TO FRESHMAN YEAR: 1967-1968

(Document in Progress)

            In the late 1960s and early 1970s, EMU had dual affiliation with the NAIA and NCAA. This allowed us to compete in national competitions in the NAIA, NCAA college division (later NCAA II), as well as the NCAA division I.  In spite of having a history of elite track teams, EMU's athletic administration refused to fund the track program adequately, which meant few scholarships were awarded to most of the outstanding track athletes they recruited and there were very little funds for them to travel.  This also meant that our indoor and outdoor facilities were not up to NCAA I standards when I arrived.   When I arrived, the outdoor track was in Briggs Stadium, the antiquated football stadium. The old Briggs track had a cinder surface, which was easily chewed up after a few races or a light rain. We train there during fall training my freshman year, but fortunately, I never had to compete on it because when I arrived the university was erecting Rynearson stadium, which would soon house a track with an all weather surface. However, we did have an adequate indoor facility, , but its artificial track surface had the consistency of hard road asphalt.   The sprinters found it fast, but the constant jarring impact destroyed our legs and backs, especially the jumpers.  I now suffer chronic joint pain in my back and legs as a result of training and competing on this unyielding surface. An additional problem with the facility was that the long jump/triple jump runway was situated against the back wall where spectators could not watch us jump. It was also in the path of lanes 5 and 6 during races and the length of the runway was much too short to attain "takeoff velocity". In essence, it was a miserable place to jump.

            In my junior and senior years in high school, I had received numerous recruiting letters from colleges all over the country for basketball and track. Unfortunately, however, a hamstring pull during my senior track season prevented me from reaching my full potential.  In our second meet I jumped 22' 1", which ranked me as one of the top three high school jumpers in the state of Michigan, at that point in the season.  However, during our third meet, I severely injured my hamstring and never competed again that season. This ended my hopes of a track scholarship, which was my best sport, and even if I had reached my full potential in high school, I doubt that I would have been offered a track scholarship at EMU. EMU awarded very few track scholarships in those days, and those that were awarded were reserved for state and national champions, who could compete in multiple events.  

            EMU's head coach, Bob Parks, had promised that in spite of my bad luck with injuries, if I came to EMU he would find me a work-study job that would help pay for most of my tuition and room and board. Given his assurance, and even though I was nearly penniless at the start of my freshman year, I decided to get on a Greyhound bus and find my way to the EMU campus, expecting that somehow I would find a way to pay for college.

            Because my parent's low income supported six children, I was eligible for a government grant as well as a government student-loan. These funds enabled me to pay for tuition and books my freshman year. Furthermore, Coach Park kept his promise, and within a month after I arrived I was assigned a work-study job. He told me that I would not receive payment directly, but the money would go directly to pay for my room and board.

            My job description was to help maintain and setup the indoor and outdoor athletic facilities. I enjoyed the job because it fit my athletic background, my work hours were flexible--except for times when events were scheduled--and Mr. ???, my supervisor, was a kind, caring, and patent boss. The financial aid package I was awarded allayed my financial worries during my freshman year and allowed me to concentrate on my studies and my athlete training.

FRESHMAN YEAR: Indoor and Outdoor Seasons

(Document in Progress)

1968 Indoor Season: I established an indoor freshman record in the triple jump (43' 1").

Note: I did not triple jump in high school and had not triple jumped since age 15. (see the section, Pre-High School). Michigan didn't then and still doesn't have the triple jump at the HS level (very backward!).

1968 Outdoor Season: I did not compete outdoors during my freshman year. I sprained my ankle badly horsing around with friends and was out for the season. This was very disappointing and depressing given that I had missed most of my senior year in high school with a hamstring pull.

SOPHOMORE YEAR: Indoor and Outdoor Seasons, 1968-1969

(Document in Progress)

            1969 Indoor Season-Sophomore Year: During the summer of 1969, I worked hard to get in the best shape of my life. I wanted to show what I could do and to avoid injuries in the future. I knew I would be ready to jump far when I jumped over 45' practicing on a high school dirt track using only a 6 step approach (about 1/2 my actual approach distance).

            My training paid off. While competing in a special Christmas holiday indoor meet, I jumped a PR (personal record) of (45' 9"). Here is how coach Bob Parks describes this accomplishment in his book "On Your Mark! " Vol. 1, pg. 48. " Another frosh, Cliff Larkins, who was just learning to triple jump, did a remarkable 45-9 in his first try at the event."

            Note: As I remember it, I was a sophomore during this competition. However, coach Parks was correct, given that I had not competed outdoors during my freshman year, it was a good jump for an inexperienced triple jumper. I had set a freshman indoor record of 43', but I had only jumped in a few indoor meets, so coach Parks probably doesn't remember my freshman season.

            On January 11, 1969, in the Green and White preseason meet, I improved to 46' 9 1/2" to break the field house and meet records. "Cliff Larkins, in his second meet ever in the triple jump, went 46-9.5 to break the field house record" (Bob Parks, "On Your Mark! " Vol. 1, pg. 49)

            On January 18, 1969, in a tune-up meet before the NAIA national championships, I improved again to 48' 2 1/2", a new varsity and field house record. Here is how coach Bob Parks describes it. "Our long jump runway goes across the back of the arena and is pretty short, so it is not a place where people jump very far. Larkins continued to improve with 48-2.5, which set a varsity and field house record." ("On Your Mark! " Vol. 1, pg. 49)

            On February 19, 1969 in the NAIA District Meet, I helped EMU win the title by setting a meet record of, 46' 7".

Kauko the flying Finn Arrives:

            In late January a Finnish athlete, Kauko Ketolainen, showed up on the track, and I was shocked and surprised when he wandered over to the jump pit and started doing triple jump drills. After introducing myself, I pieced together from his broken English that he was 27 years old, had served in the Finnish military, and had spent much of his military career competing for the Finnish national track team as one of their top triple jumpers. In those days, NAIA's eligibility rules were more lenient than NCAA rules, and furthermore unlike the NCAA, the NAIA had no age restriction. I didn't know these facts at the time, but I did wonder whether a foreign athlete could walk onto a collegiate team--mid-season--and immediately be eligible. Apparently he could, because on February 22, EMU hosted an open meet, and in his first competition he bounded 49' 9 3/4" easily breaking my field house and varsity records. I was dazzled, confused, and dazed because this was the first time I had seen anyone jump that far. In route, he also demolished my freshman record and made that record look, well, sophomoric. I quickly realized that at age 19 I was competing against a professional triple jumper, and if I didn't up my game--by at least two levels--I would soon become irrelevant to EMU track and field.

1969 NAIA Indoor National Championships

            Note: In spite of suddenly being cast into Kauko's shadow, my triple jump of 48' 2 1/2", which I had jumped in January, was a very good jump for a 19 year old US jumpers in1969, and must have ranked me in the top 5 jumpers in the nation, NAIA. However in spite of this accomplishment, I was left home when the qualifiers flew to Kansas City for the NAIA indoor national championships. This snub left me home, confused, and angry. I am not sure why I was left home, but it probably had something to do with lack of travel funds plus the fact that I had not qualified in multiple events. Regardless, inexperience in big meets such as this one would negatively affect my performances in bigs meets later.

March 14, 1969 NCAA Division I Indoor Championships

            Besides qualifying me for the NAIA Indoor Championships, 48' 2 1/2" also qualified me for the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships at Cobo Hall in Detroit. I was one of only five EMU athletes who qualified that year. To my surprise and glee, I was allowed to compete. I assume I was allowed to compete because the travel expenses for the 30 mile trip from Ypsilanti, MI to Detroit were minimal. On the other hand, Kauko's jump of 49' 9 3/4" must have been one of the best jumps in the country that season making him one of the top competitors in either division. However, for whatever reason, he did not compete in the either the NAIA indoor nationals or the NCAA indoor nationals. I can only surmise that he was not eligible to compete in the NCAA nationals because he was a foreign athlete as well as the NCAA age restrictions.

            Up to this point, I had not competed in a meet of this caliper. Because of injury, I had not even competed in the Michigan high school state meet as a long jumper. Michigan high school track and field didn't include the triple jump at that time, and as of this writing still doesn't. Therefore, competing in the NCAA I Nationals as a sophomore as a triple jumper was a very big deal for me. I went from just learning to triple jump to being thrusted into the national spotlight for college track and field. Furthermore, I was competing in front of the "home crowd", family and friends from my high school. My nerves and inexperience took control during the prelims and I fouled twice before I got off a desperation jump of 47' 2 1/4", but that jump failed to qualify me for the finals.

            After the NCAA meet, Kauko took charge again. As Coach Parks reports in his book "On Your Mark! " Vol. 1, pg. 53, "In those days, the indoor season did not end with the NCAA meet and we went to Kalamazoo for the Michigan Federation Indoor Championships. Kauko Ketolainen was the star of the meet as he became the first athlete from the state of Michigan to surpass 50 feet indoors. In doing so, he broke the field house, varsity, meet, EMU frosh, and Michigan collegiate record with a leap of 50-3"."

1969 Outdoor Season:

            The 1969 outdoor season got off to a good start for me, and in spite of cold chilly temperatures--typical of early track season in Michigan--I jumped 47' 6 1/4" and won The University of Michigan Relays. The rest of the 1969 outdoor season is a blur, but I do know I didn't jump well. Some of that had to do with hamstring and shin splint injuries that plagued me throughout my high school and college careers. Also, being intimidated by Kauko Ketolainen didn't help either. During our outdoor debut, he jumped 49' 4 3/4" to win the Kentucky Relays. During our next meet he jumped 47' 10" for second behind Milan Tiff , a future triple jump Olympian. Two weeks later he won the famous Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, in pouring rain. I didn't have a clue how to perform under these conditions, but Kauko knew just what to do. "Kauko Ketolainen took advantage of the rain as he switched to half inch spikes and won the triple jump at 49-11. Luckily, no official made a "spike check. " (Bob Parks, "On Your Mark! " Vol. 1, pg. 55) (I will have to research this further, but I believe that this is the meet he jumped 50' 3/4" and set a new outdoor varsity record.) The illegal extra long spikes in the forefoot and very short spikes in the heels, gave Kauko good traction on the rain soaked runway, and he was able to execute his jumps without fear of slipping. The only thing I remember about this meet, besides Kauko's stellar performance, was sliding on my butt into the sand pit as my heel slid out from under me as I landed on the rain slick runway. I can still hear the woo woo of the crowd as they watched me slide into the pit. I was in awe of Kauko's experience, knowledge, and skill, but I watched and I learned, and I vowed that someday I would master this strenuous, technical, and beautiful event and jump just as far as Kauko.

            To everyone's surprise and shock, including coach Parks, the next Tuesday after his masterful performance at the Drake Relays Kauko left EMU and flew away to his home in Finland. The "Flying Finn" had arrived in January and by the end of April he was gone. In his brief three month tenure on EMU's track team, he shattered my freshman record my indoor varsity record, established a new outdoor varsity record of 50' 3/4", and "became the first athlete from the state of Michigan to surpass 50 feet indoors." He left my head spinning. My goal over the next two years was to try to stay healthy and to hone in on Kauko's 50' 3/4" outdoor varsity record.

JUNIOR YEAR: Indoor and Outdoor Seasons, 1970-1971

(Document in Progress)

1970 Indoor Season:
Qualified in the triple jump for the NCAA Division I Indoor National Championship at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan with a jump of 48' 4 1/2".

1970 Outdoor Season: I was injured during the 1970 outdoor season and didn't compete.

SENIOR YEAR: Indoor and Outdoor Seasons, 1970-1971

1971 Indoor Season: At this point in my collegiate career, because of injuries, I was only able to complete one collegiate outdoor season, my sophomore year. Therefore, I decided to save my health and not compete indoors in 1971. I did train vigorously during the winter, but I did not over train or compete. I was determined to have one injury free outdoor season before I left EMU.

1971 Outdoor Season: My indoor strategy of self preservation paid off. While placing 4th at the prestigious Drake Relays, I established an Eastern Michigan University outdoor school record in the triple jump with a jump of 50' 1 3/4".

(The first EMU graduate to break the 50' barrier).
Clifford's 50' 1 3/4" jump ranked him number 1 in the NAIA going into the national championship meet.

(Member of Eastern Michigan University's 1971 NAIA National Outdoor Track and Field Championship team).

(The first EMU All American in the triple jump). Clifford placed 5th in the NAIA National Outdoor Track and Field championship meet. He was never able to recover when another competitor moved his "approach marker", that marked where his approach should start. He struggled throughout the meet to determine where his approach should begin. In spite of this, his 5th place finish earned him All American honors in the triple jump during the 1971 NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Athletic History: Post Undergraduate

1972:

1.  Ann Arbor Track Club (Ann Arbor, Michigan) outdoor record holder in the triple jump, 51'3".

2.  Below you can watch me triple jump. In spite of the poor technique displayed during this jump, the distance was 50'3", a good jump in 1972 and my second best jump ever.

1973: Listed in Track and Field News, January 1973 issue, for one of the best triple jumps in the country during the 1972 outdoor season.