franklin ward december december track field athlete american football player inducted ward setting national prep record high jump university_of_michigan collegiate champion high jump long jump yard dash yard dash finished second voting award track field time american time big champion football ward second african american win varsity letter football team lettering controversy developed refused play ward took field university officials opted ward game reportedly threatened quit team response university decision excluded game ward went score michigan points year outside game having extra point field goal ward later lawyer detroit member serving chairman served court judge michigan early years ward born alabama father alabama native moved detroit worked factory mother georgia native ward attended detroit excelled track football high school junior named year setting national prep record high jump city champion low time high time ward won time class time university_of_michigan freshman track star ward attended university_of_michigan successful track athletes school history freshman ward specialty high jump ward won ncaa high jump championship june jump jumped high freshman year ward best jump inches mark won gold medal summer olympics canada won gold jump feet inches ward qualify team ward accomplishments limited high jump associated_press article noted specialty high jump mark feet inches run high low broad jumped feet training event pound shot feet prior experience believed developed world champion weight man trained springs ward ideal build track man feet inch tall pounds distributed weight good legs natural quiet popular coaches fellow members squad ward decided try football team sophomore michigan track fans worried ward injured associated_press reported university_of_michigan track fans lot worrying days negro boy detroit insists playing football believe greatest track man compete blue doesn hurt ward good football player loves game told advantages competing track staying away determined play good grade michigan track coach noted ward boss football recreation african american football player years addition concerns track fans ward decision try football team raised issues race broken race barrier michigan african american football player michigan played african american years fielding tenure coach african american students joined football team records indicate saw game action earned reserve letter reports attribute facto segregation football team racism son confederate soldier high school ward decided attend assurance given opportunity play football ward enrolled michigan played african american athletes high school eager ward team according author book history african american athletes michigan threatened fight physically fight alumni fellow coaches opposed playing ward wrote occasions took coat prepared fight opposed having negro play michigan ward got opportunity prove spring football practice according account ordered veterans pound ward mercy practice end week said doesn turn uniform know got great player reported results spring practice young university_of_michigan displayed brilliance spring football practice expected important fall varsity report july described ward giant negro outstanding athlete eligible play ward team started games end ivy captain football team greeted ward field house told problems anybody let know prepared care reporting decision play football risk injury associated_press noted ward win olympic champion football team went opponents won national championship track season track season ward dominant dubbed michigan man track team national sensation led michigan big championships indoor outdoor track going big track meet ward expected dominate ward good praised character tolerance spotlight publicity report noted altogether speaks raising voice protests decision ward star finishing year competition injuries likely great attraction possibly greater negro track stars preceded michigan won big meet points ward individually accounting points writer noted finished second place huge versatile negro meet ward won yard dash high jump placed second yard high broad jump performance big meet described greatest individual performance scored points michigan time magazine took note ward dominating performance time noted week reason consider awe athlete helped michigan win western conference title week points indiana heard outside midwest member michigan football team negro sophomore big meet week won dash sec won high jump placed second broad jump high forced ohio_state world record time sec finished close second points won enabled michigan beat indiana efficient individual performance big meet scored points michigan quiet average student literature ward negro elected michigan junior honor society april finished second yard dash narrowly losing michigan called noted michigan successful season winning annual butler taking title indiana won meet single handed scored thirteen team points winning yard dash negro star recognized world mark seconds big indoor track championship noted ward michigan athlete easily outstanding star meet ward won yard dash yard high high jump football season ward started games michigan right end key player michigan second consecutive undefeated football season national championship time magazine credited work ward michigan came close slipping big years slip largely crack named negro end ward hard fighting illinois marched touchdown period shot blocked place kick given illinois seventh point season credited play ends undefeated season ends ward near perfection michigan left end named team american ward earned honorable mention american honors right end runner big athlete year december ward finished second close reported beat ward slender margin votes polling conference coaches sports writers votes cast receiving votes ward described michigan man track team pointed ward dual contributions football track ward addition feats track bright stars michigan championship football team fall fast classed finest football track run century high jumped feet inches feet broad jump won share glory high track season ward won big long jump championship distance football season football season proved low points school history team record ugly racial incident kept ward game excluded game started game games right end games incredibly michigan scored points entire season ward scored points fact michigan scored points ward points points scored seven games ward played michigan shut games beating season game following week michigan lost illinois ward scored michigan touchdown line entire season season touchdown came punt return ward touchdown came trick play passed ball end ward according chicago_tribune lateral enabled fleet negro illinois secondary shut games illinois match michigan closed season loss northwestern michigan points northwestern came field goals ward michigan points outside game scored ward having extra point field goal game despite accomplishments event ward remembered game play michigan scheduled game season learning michigan african american player football coach athletic director bill alexander refused allow team field ward played early fall alexander wrote asking going ward asserting team field ward played game approached word spread insisting ward play administration demand ward right play major controversy campus mass meetings demonstrations held students faculty demanded ward play game canceled petitions circulated formal protests lodged university groups student newspaper opined athletic department forgot ward football team scheduled game conscious ward team scheduled game stupid time magazine ran story michigan campus michigan students faculty members signed petition asking team star end allowed play according time campus threatened prevent game played standing middle field rumors sit protest yard line game spread campus week game alumnus recalled night game lit campus echoed screams student anger kill georgia tech heard attempt attempt disrupt game hired agent infiltrate student organizations supported ward right play athletic authorities argued ward play injured fear ward played injured blows play ended playwright writer michigan student newspaper learned hand strong resistance team playing field african american athlete biography miller noted miller friends arkansas knew players described miller involvement way miller friend arkansas took miller meet members team protest appeal athletes sense fair play miller right middle recalls visiting team yankee miller language told actually kill ward set foot michigan team wild miller furious went immediately office wrote article published said miller believe team tried destroy sure end ward allowed play teammates faced conflicting reports ward whereabouts according time ward sat radio booth watched teammates defeat according ward allowed watch game press box bench stadium instead spent afternoon fraternity house account states quietly sent scout michigan game wisconsin day game played editorial ran michigan daily stating touched ward affair lose respect esteem role controversy school refusal play ward game later public legacy president ward recalled met man jerry freshman orientation friends football team traveled road games ford learned school accounts indicate quit team threatened quit order statement stand friend ford wrote incident autobiography recalling felt decision game morally wrong went urged play look said team having bad year lost games probably won win got play saturday owe team decided right saturday afternoon hit like beat years later ford wrote ward incident influenced thinking race ford noted sacrifice led question educational administrators raw prejudice ford story voice support action policy saying want risk turning clock era isolated color skin economic standing national ancestry ward court judge said ford mentioned incident ford brother later told jerry concerned ward recalled brother told jerry upset wrote father asking quit team angry ford funeral president spoke ward incident bush said long known washington showed character leadership star football player university_of_michigan came face face racial prejudice came football game michigan best players african american student named said field black man allowed play furious making demand university_of_michigan agreed play personally asked stand took day forgotten friend impact ward ward proved successful athletes history university_of_michigan earned varsity letters football track track won big titles yard dash high jump meter dash long jump occasions ward beat yard dash skills ward considered likely contender team olympics incident left ward angry disillusioned recalled competitive spirit ward considered football writing letter coach intentions leaving team recalled later refusal let play destroyed fact couldn play game sudden practice thing good tremendous burnt energy sudden sports highlight beating yard dash high ward times neck neck ncaa track field championship took olympic trials having lost competitive drive ward words train peak failed team urging ward recalled game killed frankly felt let black athletes compete having gone tech experience easy thing won run hitler insists interviewed incident ward said like bad experience forget don talk hurts later years went earn law degree distinguished career lawyer judge ward described attorney spoke favor michigan governor possible presidential candidate appointed michigan public service commission state agency responsible regulating michigan public utilities chairman serving capacity ward later elected judge michigan ward inducted fourth group inducted
Willis Ward