A Hard, but Good Lesson

This is where I learned how difficult being a sprinter could be — as I had yet to be beaten. But then like that — big Mike McMillian from Eureka High slammed my big-ego into the ground.

Worse yet — he did it by setting a new regional record. I learned this day that losing in a one-on-one contest can be a good thing — as it caused me to refocus my God-given talent as a sprinter.

It would take me another two-years to run as quickly as Mike did that day — he smoked me with a 10.3 second 100-yard dash. His continued rivalry made me a better person.

I finally broke under 10 seconds in 1978 — and I’ve never been better in my life.