Did you know?
When I was in ninth grade, back in 1963, I witnessed a bit of local history, and it wasn’t until recently that I discovered just how “historic” it was.
I was there 50 years ago today, when a group of Pittsburgh Steelers played a group of local athletes known as the “Fayette County Aces” in a basketball game at Uniontown High School’s gymnasium.
“Steelers Top County Aces By 66-53 Nod,” was the Uniontown Evening Standard’s sports page headline atop the game account and box score on Feb. 12, 1963.
I was there that night. Even though, in those days, it was mighty tough being a Steelers fan, since they were perennially hapless. (For seven of the previous 10 seasons they failed achieve winning records)
But the mere fact that two Steelers running backs — John Henry Johnson and Dick Hoak — were part of their off-season basketball team, it was well worth the price of a ticket that would help the Uniontown Boosters. After that game, I made it to the locker room where I got John Henry Johnson’s autograph. I had no idea that he would eventually gain entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Jeannette’s Hoak, Johnson’s backfield running mate, would later become the Steelers offensive backfield coach in 1972 and serve in that capacity through the team’s four Super Bowl championships. He’d later join Steelers head coach Bill Cowher as a running backs coach and help the team win Super Bowl XL.
Johnson and Hoak, by the way, ranked fourth and fifth among Pittsburgh Steelers in rushing, respectively, behind Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis and Willie Parker.
On that night in February night 50 years ago, though, they only scored nine and eight points, respectively, against the “Fayette County Aces.”
The high scorer that night for the Steelers was Joe Schmidt, who scored 15 points. Mysteriously, I couldn’t find his name on the 1962 Pittsburgh Steelers roster.
It took a little of Internet searching to unravel the mystery. The Steelers basketball team had played all over Southwestern Pennsylvania that year.
They’d beat a team from Scottdale by four points, and, according to an article in Monessen’s Valley Independent newspaper, they were scheduled to take on the Donora All-Stars on March 4.
As it turns out, the Joe Schmidt, who’d played in Uniontown, wasn’t a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was a Detroit Lion.
Joe Schmidt was a Pittsburgh native who played with the Steelers basketball team in the off-season.
He, like John Henry Johnson, would later gain entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
So, on a single night in Uniontown in 1963, two future Pro Football Hall of Famers, and a future five-time Super Bowl champion played basketball.
It had been a night (at least for me) to remember.
Next Monday, Presidents Day will be celebrated across the country. As you know, it honors both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
Yet some states (California, Connecticut, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New York and Indiana) will still celebrate Lincoln’s 204th birthday tomorrow.
Through most of the 20th Century, before there was a Presidents Day, Lincoln’s birthday was given special attention all over the United States.
On Feb. 12, 1963, for instance, the Evening Standard carried a story about the relatives Lincoln still had in the area.
“Lincoln Kin In District,” was a front-page item, in which seven Fayette County residents were listed as Honest Abe’s fourth cousins.
Mary E. Lincoln Jackson of Uniontown; Elmer H. Lincoln of Cardale; William E. Lincoln of New Salem; Della Lincoln Beale of Brownfield Lane; Beryle Lincoln Franks of Bunker Hill; Russell W. Lincoln of New Salem and Charles Lincoln Davis of Craig Street in Uniontown were cousins for whom Lincoln’s birthday was an “occasion (that) means a little bit more.”
“Lafayette ‘Hit’ of Show,” was a front-page Evening Standard headline on this date 50 years ago.
The 9-foot, wooden statue of the Marquis de Lafayette had been shipped from Fayette County to the Art Association Galleries of Atlanta, and it became one of the main attractions.
There was a large picture of the statue accompanying the article, which showed the Ambassador of France and his wife looking up at it.
“Lafayette’s statue has been drawing nationwide attention in the Atlanta exhibit. Another mention came this morning with a description of the statue on the ‘Today’ television show,” the article said.