For a developing future Sportsphile…..Bone Daddy was fortunate to live across the street from Memorial Stadium in Midland, Texas….cuz all he had to do was “jump the fence”….and he was in to any and all events of all kinds of sports that took place….so, BD had a training ground that allowed him to see how so many people that spend time and effort encouraging talented athletes in all sports to excel…..while illuminating a pathway to becoming a Texas sports legend….no matter what the sport….and today’s story is about a true Texas legend…..track sprinter Bobby Morrow….who was known around Midland Memorial Stadium as The South Texas Tornado. As I prepared for this story….I found that Bobby Morrow had died just a few months ago on May 30, 2020….R.I.P Bobby….plus, I also learned that he is living in Austin….so, there is a great deal of “cosmic overlay” going on in regards to this post….especially considering that Bone Daddy “jumped the fence” in 1955 and 1956 to see him run at the Midland Relays….cuz that was when “The South Texas Tornado” took the track for Abilene Christian College….and BD was sitting on the front row, right at the finish line to see the ACC 4 x 100 relay team anchored by Bobby Morrow…..as they set a National Record.
Track & Field – 1954 To 1956 – Special Film – “The Fastest Man In The World” – The Story Of Sprinter Bobby Morrow
Olympics – 1956 – Melbourne Olympic Games – Track & Field Men’s 200m Finals – Featuring USA Bobby Morrow
Track & Field – 2016 – Texas Sports Hall of Fame Induction Clip – Induction Ceremony For Bobby Morrow
Bobby Morrow (October 15, 1935 – May 30, 2020) was an American sprinter who won three gold medals at the 1956 Olympics….who was born in Harlingen, Texas….and raised on a cotton and carrot farm on the outskirts of San Benito, Texas….which is at the point of the South Texas, just before you go into Mexico. Before becoming a sprinter, Morrow played football for San Benito High School….who attended Abilene Christian College as a sprinter on the track team….where he became a member of the men’s club Frater Sodalis in 1955…..after which he won the 1955 AAU 100-yard title for ACC. His most successful season was in 1956, when he was chosen by Sports Illustrated as “Sportsman of the Year”. Morrow won the sprint double in the national college championships and defended his AAU title, as Abilene Christian College men’s track team became a little powerhouse for track and field athletes…. and then Morrow went to the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia….where he won three gold medals…..while being the leader of the American sprint team. First, he was victorious in the 100-meter dash…..then he led an American sweep of the medals in the 200-meter dash….while equaling the world record at that distance with a time of 20.6 seconds….then he won his third gold by anchoring the 4 × 100-meter relay team to a world record time. He was the first sprinter since Jesse Owens in 1936 to win gold medals in those three events.
Track & Field – 1955 / 1956 – Abilene Christian College Highlights – Featuring Sprinter Bobby Morrow
Track & Field – 1955 – U S Olympic Trials Highlights – Featuring ACC sprinter Bobby Morrow In 100 + 200
Track & Field – 1956 – NCAA Championships – Men’s 100 + 200 – Featuring Abilene Christion College Sprinter Bobby Morrow
Morrow achieved great fame after winning his three gold medals….while being featured on the covers of Life and SPORT magazines….as well as Sports Illustrated. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show and Arthur Godfrey and His Friends….and addressed a joint session of the Texas legislature. Morrow’s success on a national level continued after the Olympics….but he retired in 1958 to become a farmer and a woodworker. He made a short comeback before the 1960 Olympic Games, but failed to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team.
Track & Field – 2020 – CBS Valley Central Channel 4 News – Featuring the Life And Passing Of Track Legend Bobby Morrow
