By Ted Sares: Jim Brown was a great all-around athlete who played lacrosse, football, basketball, and even ran track at Syracuse University. He may have been the greatest lacrosse and football player ever). Of course, he went on to professional football immortality. It’s pretty difficult to argue that he was not the greatest athlete in American history. Jackie Robinson, Gene Conley, Deion Sanders, Dave DeBusschere and Bo Jackson (Bo could DO!), were pretty darn good all-around athletes as well. So were Jackie Jensen, Bob Mathias and, of course, Jim Thorpe. There were many other high-profile athletes who were multi-sports stars.
But one who flew under the radar for whatever reason was a 6’4″ 230 pounds, well-muscled, strong, and fast athlete who graduated from San Diego High School in 1952. He quickly became the youngest player in the history of the National Football League. He was one of the few who made it to–let alone star in- the NFL without playing college football (which may account for his low profile). Amazingly, prior to playing football, he had signed up with the old St. Louis Browns as a power hitting outfielder and spent the summer playing Class B ball for the Stockton Ports of the California League before forsaking baseball for football..
High School
He was one of the greatest high school athletes in American sports history and was recruited by the Harlem Globetrotters for his basketball skills. When they came to town, they all but begged his parents to let them take him with them. He was the only baseball player folks can recall hitting balls out of Balboa Stadium on a consistent basis, shots that reportedly even made Hall of Famer Ted Williams take notice. He was scouted by the NFL during high school. What’s more remarkable, he accomplished this during a time when Jackie Robinson was breaking the color barrier in professional baseball. He recalled during an interview with the late Reggie Grant:
“But baseball and track were during the same season, so I’d go to the track meet, maybe put the shot a couple of times, and then change in the car and go to play baseball.… And every now then and I’d fill-in and run the relays” (Reggie Grant, “Mr. Versatility: the youngest player in NFL history,” undated, http://www.afrogolf.com/ FeatureCharliePowell.html
All in all, he won twelve varsity letters. Among other things, he ran the 100-yard dash in a blazing 9.6 seconds. He high jumped 6 feet and put the shot 57 feet 9–1/4 inches (a San Diego High School record that may still stand).
He was Southern California’s “Prep Player of the Year” in 1950-51 and named on All-America High School team.
Football
His professional football career began in 1952 when San Francisco 49er Coach Buck Shaw showed up at his home in San Diego, contract in hand. His parents had to sign the contract, and he made a whopping $10,000.00 that first year. He was a world-class athlete long before players were fairly compensated for their skills. He credited his success as a football player (and later as a boxer) to his superior conditioning. As a nineteen-year-old, his chance to play came during training camp when the starter was injured, and he made the most of it.
In his first game, he played against the then world champions, the Detroit Lions. It was a team loaded with several all-pros and future Hall of Fame players. He sacked quarterback Bobby Layne an astounding ten times – yes 10 times- for sixty-seven yards in losses. His performance was so inspirational that his teammates awarded him the game ball. It was the first time a 49er rookie was so honored. All this before the NFL kept official stats on things like sacks. He quickly became an NFL star, and a younger brother eventually would play in the AFL for the New York Jets. He and the great Joe “The Jet” Perry were the only black players on the 49ers at that time and sometimes had to stay in different hotels than their white teammates.
He played five seasons for the 49ers (1952–53 and 1955–57) and two for the Oakland Raiders (1960–61). In between, he boxed.
Boxing
He started boxing at the age of eleven or twelve. As a youngster, he would get up early before school and jog down to Archie Moore’s home. He would then train with the Mongoose, go back home, shower, eat, and go to school. He earned extra money for his family during WWII by boxing at military bases near San Diego.
He started off his boxing career with a draw against one Fred Taylor, but then reeled off ten straight knockout wins. But, as often is the case in the less-than-scrupulous world of boxing, his managers and promoters moved him too fast, and he was taken out by Charlie Norkus in 1954 in a pier six brawl in which both fighters were down. Powell, 11-0-1 at the time, was young and naive to the all-too-familiar, sleazy elements surrounding him. Norkus was 24-12 and had already beaten tough Danny Nardico twice—the first time in a thrilling cult classic involving 8 knockdowns. He was one of those exciting types. If he didn’t t get you, you would get him.
The highlight of his boxing career happened in March 1959 when he knocked out the number-two ranked boxer in the world, 6’4″ Cuban Nino Valdes who was 46-16-3 coming in. Nino, who was on a 6-fight win streak, was decked three times. Another great win was a redemptive one over the rugged Norkus in a 1958 rematch.
He fought Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) in 1963 in Pittsburgh before 17,000 fans, and like so many of Ali’s other opponents, felt the sting of his insults. Ali predicted he would KO him in round three and did just that, but he earned $12,000 more than he’d ever been paid for an entire season as a pro football player. In 1964, he was paid $10,000 to fight Floyd Patterson, to whom he lost in six.
Eventually, he would finish with a record of 25-11-3 (19 KOs). Among his opponents were Norkus, Harold Carter, Patterson, Roger Rischer, Mike DeJohn, Johnny Summerlin, Roy Harris, and, of course, Ali. It was an imposing list, to say the least. He never fought an amateur fight.
Arguably, he did not reach his full potential because of that which distinguished him; namely, being a two-sport man. Going back and forth between football and boxing, he would put on weight for one and lose it for the other. Had he been able to focus on boxing, there is no telling how far he could have gone.
Yes, Jim Brown was a great all-around athlete. However, CHARLEY POWELL never served his apprenticeships. He never boxed amateur, nor did he attend college. He simply jumped from high school to professional stardom. In any discussion of who was the greatest athlete, I submit Charley Powell’s name should be included.
Known as “Mr. Versatility,” he was never really picked up by the public or the press, but I knew about him. If you are ever in San Diego, visit the Breitbart Hall of Champions and look for the Powell brothers, Art and Charlie. Art was a four-time all-star for the New York Jets in the AFL.
When I was a kid, you couldn’t get me out of a gym. Now, you can’t get kids in a gym. I wish I could think of a way to get kids in gyms instead of drifting toward guns and drugs. Burn up that energy in a gym. Boxing’s great that way.
—Charlie Powell
Other sources:
“Charles “Charlie” Powell.” Sports Construction.com. http://www.esportsinstruction.com/charliepowell.html
“Mr. Versatility” the youngest player in NFL history.” Afrogolf.com. http://www.afrogolf.com/FeatureCharliePowell.html
Sares, Theodore R., Boxing is my Sanctuary. Iuniverse. Lincoln, Nebraska. 2007. 379 pages.
Visit the author’s web site at www.tedsares.com