I Never Had It Made Read Online Free Page B

part-time for college expenses and still be able to provide money to relieve her of her daily grind. When I talked with Karl about this and other problems, he helped ease some of my tensions. It wasn’t so much what he did to help as the fact that he was interested and concerned enough to offer the best advice he could.
    Inspired by Karl’s dedication, I volunteered to become a Sunday School teacher. At that time I had a heavy athletic schedule at UCLA. On Sunday mornings, when I woke up sore and aching because of a football game the day before, I yearned to just stay in bed. But no matter how terrible I felt, I had to get up. It was impossible to shirk duty when Karl Downs was involved. My friendship with Karl continued for more than ten years. There was a healthy sense of competition in our relationship. Karl was both stubborn and good-natured about wanting to beat me at sports. “Jack,” he would say, as we were about to play golf, “you know I’m a minister. So I can’t bet you, but I’ve got to bond you ten cents.” Even though Karl was a great friend, he never forgot he was a minister. Often he would find a way of applying a story in the Bible to something that happened in real life. He didn’t preach and he didn’t talk down like so many adults or view you from some holy distance. He was in there with you.
    Sports had been a big thing with me ever since I was a little boy. In grammar school some of my classmates would share their lunches with me if I played on their team. When I went to John Muir Technical High I earned letters in football, basketball, baseball, and track. I enjoy competition and I was aggressive in my determination to win. Often I found myself being singled out by the other players. They decided that I was the best man to beat. I enjoyed having that kind of reputation, but I was also very much aware of the importance of being a team man, not jeopardizing my team’s chances simply to get the spotlight. In my junior high school days and later, at Pasadena Junior College, my brother Frank was my greatest fan. He constantly encouraged and advised me. I wanted to win, not only for myself but also because I didn’t want to see Frank disappointed. At Pasadena my football career was interrupted by a broken ankle acquired during a practice session. It took weeks to heal, but I made up for lost time when I got back into action playing first-string quarterback.
    After my return we won the remaining five games, and the following year Pasadena won all eleven games. While at Pasadena Junior College, I had beaten the record of my older brother Mack in broad-jumping. I had the greatest respect for Mack because of his achievements in track. Even though doctors warned him that his participation in sports could be fatal because he had a heart ailment, he wouldn’t give up. He earned a big name on the West Coast as a sprinter, and in 1936 he thrilled our family and neighborhood by finishing second to Jesse Owens in the Berlin Olympics. The heart condition never defeated Mack.
    Frank, whose support was unceasing, was particularly proud in 1938 when I made local history in two different events, in two different cities on the same day. In the morning, in Pomona, I set a new running broad jump record of 25 feet 61⁄2 inches. In the afternoon, in Glendale, I played shortstop with the Pasadena team and we won the championship.
    My athletic career had received a great deal of publicity, and there were a number of colleges putting out feelers, offering athletic scholarships. The college that offered me the most attractive scholarship was very far away from Pasadena, but I wanted to stay close to home. One of my major reasons was to be able to continue to benefit from Frank’s encouragement. As a result I agreed to go to UCLA. Very shortly afterward Frank was killed in a motorcycle accident. I was very shaken up by his death. It was hard to believe he was gone, hard