Childhood memories flooded my mind when Brent Musberger talked about Christian McCaffrey's heritage. I did not know that His maternal grandfather was Dave Sime, a hero of mine when I was a young boy.
Sadly the Des Moines Register did not have a feature story on Dave Sime before the Rose Bowl as he is a Drake Relays legend. The Register is now just a local McPaper.
On a cold rainy day at the Drake Relays in 1956, Dave Sime beat Abilene Christian's Bobby Morrow in the 100 yard dash on a cinder track that had standing water. Mud and water were exploding from their feet as they sped down the track. Sime won in the time of 9.4. I know this because as a young boy I was in the stands with my father. The picture of that finish was in the Drake Relays programs for many years.
Sime later held the world record in the 100 and 220 yard dashes and the 220 yard low hurdles. However, he hurt his leg before the Olympics and Morrow went on to
win the gold in the 100, 200 and 4X100 relay in the Olympics in Melbourne.
Sime was a baseball player at Duke. At 6-3, he was a swashbuckling centerfielder with a shock of bright red hair. He signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers
which thrilled me as I am a Dodger fan. Either an inability to hit the curveball
or the lure of Duke Medical School ended his baseball career. Players in those days did not earn astronomical salaries like they do today. Sime became a successful eye surgeon.
The Duke football coach asked him to come out for football due to his astronomical speed.Special plays were designed for him and he torched Notre Dame in his first year of football with long touchhdowns. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions but never signed in the NFL.
Duke University honored Dave Sime as their greatest athlete of the century.
Sadly the Des Moines Register did not have a feature story on Dave Sime before the Rose Bowl as he is a Drake Relays legend. The Register is now just a local McPaper.
On a cold rainy day at the Drake Relays in 1956, Dave Sime beat Abilene Christian's Bobby Morrow in the 100 yard dash on a cinder track that had standing water. Mud and water were exploding from their feet as they sped down the track. Sime won in the time of 9.4. I know this because as a young boy I was in the stands with my father. The picture of that finish was in the Drake Relays programs for many years.
Sime later held the world record in the 100 and 220 yard dashes and the 220 yard low hurdles. However, he hurt his leg before the Olympics and Morrow went on to
win the gold in the 100, 200 and 4X100 relay in the Olympics in Melbourne.
Sime was a baseball player at Duke. At 6-3, he was a swashbuckling centerfielder with a shock of bright red hair. He signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers
which thrilled me as I am a Dodger fan. Either an inability to hit the curveball
or the lure of Duke Medical School ended his baseball career. Players in those days did not earn astronomical salaries like they do today. Sime became a successful eye surgeon.
The Duke football coach asked him to come out for football due to his astronomical speed.Special plays were designed for him and he torched Notre Dame in his first year of football with long touchhdowns. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions but never signed in the NFL.
Duke University honored Dave Sime as their greatest athlete of the century.
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