Milt Campbell

This article is about the decathlete of the 1950s. For the blues vocalist, see Little Milton. For the 400 meter runner, see Milton Campbell.
Milt Campbell
Medal record
Men's athletics
Competitor for the  United States
Olympic Games
1956 Melbourne Decathlon
1952 Helsinki Decathlon
Milt Campbell
Position: Fullback
Personal information
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: 223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
NFL draft: 1957 / Round: 5 / Pick: 
Career history
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 23
Player stats at NFL.com

Milton Gray Campbell (December 9, 1933 – November 2, 2012[1]) was an American decathlete of the 1950s. In 1956, he became the first African American to win the gold medal in the decathlon of the Summer Olympic Games.[2]

Personal life

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

Track and Field

While a student at Plainfield High School, Campbell won a place on the 1952 Olympic team in the decathlon. Although just 18 years old, Campbell finished second to Bob Mathias in the decathlon. Campbell set New Jersey state records in the high and low hurdles and in the high jump, and scored 140 points as fullback in football. He was inducted into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1997.[4] He was Track and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1952.[5]

In 1956 at Melbourne, Campbell won the gold medal. He narrowly missed a world record.

Football

Campbell was also an excellent swimmer as a youth. An all around athlete, Campbell was drafted by the NFL Cleveland Browns in 1957 and played one season in the same backfield as Jim Brown.[6] Milt was released from the Cleveland Browns by owner Paul Brown for marrying a white woman.[7] He then played for several years in the Canadian Football League, ending his football career in 1964.[7]

Judo

As he finished with most sports, Milt sought to stay active. He started Judo and quickly progressed through the ranks under Yoshishada Yoneska. Yoshishada Yoneska stated that Milt had a strong chance to make the 1972 Olympic team.[8] An AAU Official took his card and stated he could not compete in the Olympics for Judo.[8] The reason was that Milt had competed as a professional football player. Milt was troubled as professional track runners were allowed to compete in the Olympics, but he could not because he played football.[8]

In 2008, a degree of Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa, was conferred upon him by Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey.

In June 2012, Campbell was voted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame.[6] He died, aged 78, in Gainesville, Georgia, after fighting prostate cancer for a decade. He is interred at Memorial Park Cemetery and Mausoleum - North in Gainesville.

References

  1. ↑ Milt Campbell, the greatest athlete in New Jersey history, dies at 78
  2. ↑ "Olympian Milt Campbell dies", ESPN.go.com, November 4, 2012. Accessed July 28, 2015.
  3. ↑ "CAMPBELL CAPTURES TWO NEWARK EVENTS", The New York Times, February 28, 1953. Accessed November 6, 2007. "Milt Campbell, Plainfield High School star, won the first two events in the twenty-ninth Newark Athletic Club track and field championships today."
  4. 1 2 Hall of Fame / Class of 1997, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 26, 2008.
  5. ↑ http://trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/component/content/article/35-stats/2114-t-fn-boys-hs-aoy
  6. 1 2 "First black Olympic decathlon winner, Milt Campbell, dies at 78". foxnews.com. November 4, 2012. Retrieved November 4, 2012.
  7. 1 2 http://www.nj.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/11/somehow_despite_all_he_accompl.html
  8. 1 2 3 http://blackathlete.net/2005/11/the-greatest-and-most-forgotten/

External links

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