Milt Campbell

Campbell was born in Plainfield, New Jersey. At Plainfield High School he competed in track, football and swimming. He then enrolled at the Indiana University (Bloomington), where he played football and ran track. ==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. He was Track and Field News "High School Athlete of the Year" in 1952. While he earned the distinction of “All-State” in both football and swimming, Campbell excelled most in track and field, and told his coach that he aspired to be the greatest athlete in the entire state of New Jersey, to which his coach responded that he believed Campbell could possibly become the best in the world. Campbell, surprised at his response, inquired how such a feat would be possible for him to achieve. His coach instructed him that in order to do so, he would have to win the Olympic decathlon. Campbell, having never heard of the decathlon, had to look it up to gain more information. Intrigued by its nature, Campbell decided to take on the challenge and began training. He wanted to represent the United States in the upcoming 1952 Olympic Games which were to be held in Helsinki. Campbell initially wanted to qualify for the hurdles event, but when the day came he placed fourth, with only the top three qualifying. ==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. He then played for several years in the Canadian Football League, ending his football career in 1964. Still wanting to pursue a career in football, Campbell went to Canada, where he joined the Canadian Football League, playing with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats (8 games rushing for 468 yards), Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, Montreal Alouettes (3 games) and Toronto Argonauts (9 games) until his retirement in 1964. ==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 stated that Milt had a strong chance to make the 1972 Olympic team. An AAU Official took his card and stated he could not compete in the Olympics for Judo. 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. In 2008, a degree of Doctor of Public Service, honoris causa, was conferred upon him by Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. ==Legacy==

Despite his accomplishments as an athlete, Milt Campbell never became a household name, nor was he rewarded like other famous athletes of his time. Other Olympic decathletes such as Bob Mathias and Bruce Jenner gained many significant endorsements and a spot on a Wheaties box after their victories, while Campbell walked off of the 1956 podium with no cash, sponsors, or television executives asking for a feature. When asked about these differences in treatment, Campbell declared that “America wasn't ready for a black man to be the best athlete in the world”. He has since been regarded as the Olympic superstar who is “famous” for not being famous. Campbell was inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982, and United States Olympic Hall of Fame in 1992. In June 2012, Campbell was voted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame. (nytimes.com). He is also present in the National Track and Field Hall of Fame and the International Swimming Hall of Fame, and remains the only individual to hold a spot in both of these Halls. Following a long-fought battle with prostate cancer, Campbell died in his Gainesville, GA home in the summer of 2012 with his long-standing girlfriend Linda Rusch, by his side. He was 78 years old. His brother (Thomas L. Campbell, Jr.) preceded him in death. Milt is survived by his sister (Sandra E. Campbell Smith), his daughters (Julee Campbell, Dorianne B., and Mona H.), his sons (Milton G. Campbell Jr., deceased, Justin Campbell, and Milton G. Campbell, III), his granddaughter (Taria L. Campbell), and his great-grandchild (Nathaniel G. Johnsen). He is interred at Memorial Park Cemetery and Mausoleum - North in Gainesville. ==References==