A Humble Champ

Former heavyweight boxing champion, Ken Norton, Sr. died this week. Norton was born, raised and played high school sports in Jacksonville, Illinois. He graduated from JHS after a stellar high school athletic career where he excelled in football, basketball and track. During his senior track season, Norton entered and finished first in eight (8) track & field State Finals events, which prompted the Illinois High School Association to enact a rule limiting athletes to three (3) events in the State Track Meet; 'The Norton Rule.'

My twenty-one year Jacksonville high school coaching career began 14 years after Norton graduated but our paths met on two occasions. The year was 1984, and the JHS Hall-of-Fame inaugural induction ceremony was conducted at a local capacity-filled banquet room in that west-central Illinois community. Norton was amongst the 12- charter-member inductees. We visited briefly that night. I conducted a telephone interview with Norton earlier that day on my WLDS Sports' Spotlight Show. One of Norton's sons, Keith had remained in Jacksonville and was a starting guard on a very good 1984, Crimsons' varsity basketball team. Ken's other son, Ken Jr. was enrolled in Jacksonville high school briefly in the early 1980's before leaving for the West coast where his father lived.

The late, Al Rosenberger was a longtime JHS Track & Field coach. He not only coached Ken Norton, Sr. but Al and his wife remained close (visiting) friends with the Norton's. Rosenberger was Norton's mentor during his youth and that relationship was treasured throughout their adult lives. Al was athletic director at JHS in my early years at that school and he shared this story about Ken, which offers a glimpse of Norton's personality and quick wit as a teenager. In the first half of a JHS 'home' basketball contest, Norton had played poorly and had made some bad decisions on the floor. As the half ended Norton raced to the locker room ahead of what he thought would be a frustrated and mad head coach, John Chapman. Assistant Coach Rosenberger entered the locker room with Coach Chapman and both noticed Norton doing a 'headstand' against the wall. A puzzled and angry Coach Chapman said, "Norton, what the hell are you doing?" Norton's response, "Coach, I know I've made some dumb plays the first half so I'm trying to get more blood in my head so I can think better."

The next time I visited with Norton would be our last visit. Norton returned often to Jacksonville to visit his mother, Ruth and father, John; he cherished his parents as did the entire Jacksonville community; they were kind people with sweet and sincere dispositions.

Ken had nearly died in a fatal car crash in 1986. It was in the early 1990's when my home telephone rang and the soft-distinguishable voice of Ken Norton, Sr. was on the other end. He wanted to know if I could open the JHS Hall-of-Fame room so that he might see the Norton display he had placed on loan; namely his World Championship Boxing Belt. I met Ken at the facility and as he walked slowly towards me, I could see that the auto accident had taken a devastating toll on his once steel-chiseled athletic frame. His gate was slow and a bit uncertain and his words were delivered slowly. We shook hands as he thanked me in that deep-raspy but soft spoken voice. Norton always impressed me as the antithesis to the great and boastful Muhammad Ali.

We spoke at length that afternoon in The Bowl (gymnasium) that must have held a myriad of memories for this great world-renowned athlete. Norton told me a personal story that day, which he seemed to cherish. He said that when he awakened from his post-auto accident coma, he looked around the darkened hospital room to see his long time rival and dear friend...Ali who had spent the night's bedside vigil hoping and praying for a foe turned friend. Norton smiled recalling the story saying, "You understand, Coach, Ali is a kind and good man but he didn't want the press to know that he was there all night." I suppose we all hold (a bit) to our ego-protecting image.

Before Ken Norton Sr. departed from the JHS Bowl and Hall-of-Fame facility that day, he extended his hand and once again thanked me for accommodating his request. We locked eyes during that handshake and Norton said, "Next time I'm in Jacksonville we'll meet and chat again, Coach"

Thanks for the memories, Champ. I hope we can have that chat on the 'other side.'