Tom Harmon

L eft: Named to all-American teams as a junior and senior, Harmon also received such notable collegiate honors as the Maxwell and Walter Camp trophies.

Right: Harmon became best friends with teammate Forest Evashevski, who went on to coach at Washington State University for two years and for nine seasons at the University of Iowa. His teams at Iowa won two Rose Bowls. ollege coaches across the country were 1940) as a starter for the Wolverines. Hisjersey number, thoroughly captivated by the Hoosier 98, became so well known that Harmon was forever iden­ football star, who also was the state track- tified with it. (Just a few years later, the B-25 bomber he and-field champion in the 100-yard dash flew over South America had “98” painted on its side.) and the 200-yard (low) hurdles. “I came Why all the acclaim? For starters, Harmon led the down with Tom to Indianapolis for the nation in scoring for back-to-back years (1939 and 1940), state track and field meet, and I know for becominga fact that thehe first college player to ever win consecutive Chad an ankle injury that day,” recalled Herbert. “Not national scoring titles. In the process, he shattered all of only did Tom still m anage to com pete in the low hurdles, the Big Ten (then known as the Western Conference) he won it and set a state record in the process.” Deluged records set by Grange, who had competed for the with recruiting offers, Harmon and his family quickly University of Illinois as the “Galloping Ghost.” (Some of narrowed the choices to Purdue (the obvious favorite Harmon’s nicknames were devised by admirers to draw of his Boilermaker brothers), or Michigan, Kerr’s alma parallels between the two gridiron heroes.) During his mater. Ultimately, as a result of Kerr’s persuasiveness, Michigan career, Harmon scored thirty-three touchdowns the Wolverines won the Harmon recruiting war. (Grange had managed thirty-one). In addition, Harmon When the “Gary Galloper” arrived on the Ann Arbor handled placekicking chores for Michigan and threw six­ campus in the fall of 1937, he stood about six feet tall teen touchdown passes. Among his most spectacular and weighed 193 pounds. Time magazine described games was a 41-0 victory over California in 1940 during Harmon as “a gregarious, lantern-jawed six-footer with which he scored touchdowns on runs of seventy-two, a Tarzan physique and a yen for swing music .... So eighty, eighty-six, and ninety-four yards. afraid is he of being considered high hat that he waves “He was one of the rare athletes who could send elec­ to everyone he meets on campus, never misses foot­ tricity surging through a crowd,” said Collins. “Nearly ball practice, belittles his own talents, and bends over every time he got the ball from his wingback position, the backward to praise his teammates.” people in the stands—friend and foe—would leap to their As a single-wing tailback playing for Coach Fritz Crisler feet.” Named a national All-American selection as a junior on teams captained by Harmon’s close friend, Forest and sehior, Harmon ran for a total of 2,139 yards for the “Evy” Evashevski, Harmon became a household name Wolverines and, by October 1939, had a baby and a race­ across the country during his three seasons (1938 through horse named after him by worshipful fans.