Written by Nic Fraraccio
What does one have to do to become a legend in the world of sports? Do they have to win championships? Do they have to break records? Do they have to be the greatest player of all time? All of these factors would certainly help someone become a legend.
However, I believe anyone can be a legend if they can inspire and impact those who follow their footsteps. Many athletes have been able to accomplish this dream, including the Buckeye Bullet.
You might be asking yourself, “Who is the Buckeye Bullet?” His name is Jesse Owens — an Olympic legend and a leader in the fight against racism around the world.
Owens’ rise to stardom began at Ohio State University. Under the leadership of head coach Larry Snyder, Owens developed into one of the best track athletes in the world.
May 25, 1935, the Buckeye Bullet put on a show at the Big Ten Conference meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Owens broke world records in the long jump, 220-yard hurdles and 220-yard dash. He also tied the world record for the 100- yard dash. If that was not impressive enough, Owens accomplished all of those in a span of 45 minutes.
Some called the performance the “Day of days,” and Owens was on track to lead the United States at the 1936 Olympic Games.
However, the Cleveland native did not know if he wanted to go. The 1936 Olympic games were set to be held in Nazi Germany. Many members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) voiced that African Americans should not partake in the games.
Months before the start of the Olympics, Owens stood with the NAACP and declared, “If there are minorities in Germany who are being discriminated against, the United States should withdraw from the 1936 Olympics.”
After criticism from the media and members of the United States Olympic Committee, Owens and his U.S. teammates decided to make the trip to Germany.
While the fight against racism raged on in the States, Owens stepped into uncharted waters. At the time, Nazi Germany was a racist regime that continued to pick up steam. Many who lived there were being taken from their homes to be sent to concentration camps.
The U.S. team was entering Adolf Hitler’s world, and Owens had to live in it. Many athletes who dominated on the international scale hailed from Germany.
Owens was scheduled to participate in three events: the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the long jump. Despite facing the toughest opponents in the world, the Buckeye Bullet reigned supreme, earning three victories, three gold medals and three incredible performances.
Traditionally, the winner of each event meets with the leader of the host nation. The meeting represents a sign of respect and congratulations to the man or woman who won the event.
Despite winning three events, Owens did not receive congratulations from Hitler at all. However, this disrespectful act did not phase the Olympic champion. There was still a point to prove, and Owens would be given another opportunity to shine his light in a dark world.
Four days after his third gold medal, Owens and Ralph Metcalfe would replace Jewish-American sprinters Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller in the 4×100-meter sprint relay. Owens was distraught by the decision to take out Glickman and Stoller.
However, he would decide to run after Glickman and Stoller convinced him to run for the fight against hate. The relay race was historic. The U.S. team set a world record, and Owens earned his fourth gold medal.
The Buckeye Bullet became the first American man to win four gold medals in a single Olympic games, serving as an inspiration to all with an incredible performance and message. It would only be fitting to let Owens finish our story today with a quote regarding his own relationship with God.
“If I receive nothing else in life today, I felt that what he has done and the people that I’ve met and the things that have transpired within my life, I have one of fulfillment,” Owens said in an interview with Big 13 in 1976.
