Jess Thurman, Linfield football unique center, remembered by John Prutsman, his teammate

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Go to Linfield Homecoming football games and you're likely to see Linfielder John Prutsman, Class of 1957, wearing a cardinal red (Linfield school colors are cardinal & purple) athletic jacket heralding being a player on Linfield's Streak-starting 1956 Northwest Conference football championship team. 

From Portland and a grad of that city's Lincoln High School, 6-foot-2, 175-pounds, John lettered for Linfield football playing for Paul Durham.

John has an amazing memory. For example, after he saw a video at YouTube titled "350-Pound Arkansas Lineman Throws TD Pass" , it reminded him of the 1953 Linfield football season when the Wildcats threw a center eligible pass to Jess Thurman, who has only one hand.

From Oregon’s Coquille High School (home of the Red Devils), Jess was 6-foot-1, 200-pounds. He lettered in football for Linfield in the 1953, 1954 and 1955 seasons playing for Durham.

"Lack of a left arm is a tremendous handicap, but one-armed Jess Thurman played a lot of center for Coquille high...Now, after a year on Linfield's junior varsity, Thursday, handicap or no handicap, is manning the center spot on the Wildcat first-string ... He should be an inspiration to teammates...," said a sports column in the Sept 16, 1953, Oregonian.

A July 1, 1958, Oregonian sports column about Jess playing football for Linfield. Says he "lost his left hand above the wrist." Columnist offered "bushels of plaudits for his spirit and pluck."

(To clarify, Jess has a left arm, but not a left hand.)

John said Linfield football team players treated “Jess as an equal. He really wasn't handicapped, just inconvenienced. Jess played intramural basketball, volleyball, and softball. He also plays golf. On the football team he played center on offense and guard or linebacker on defense. We played both ways.”

According to John, the center-eligible play was drawn up by Jess, who talked Coach Durham into using it in a game. “I think the guard and the tackle on the right side lined up to the left of center,” said John. “The right end moved back so he was in the backfield which made Jess an eligible receiver. If you are going to throw a pass it is not normally going to a center and certainly not” to a one handed guy.

The ball was thrown to Jess, who caught it and ran down the field. “Jess was not much for speed but great on determination,” said John. ”He made it down to, I believe about the 10 yard line before he was tackled.”

This is based on John’s recollections. But Wildcatville contacted Jess in Coquille and double-checked.

Jess told Wildcatville he lost his left hand in a meat grinder working in a meat packing house. That was his junior year at Coquille High School (CHS) in the spring while out for track at CHS.

After the accident, Jess thought “I would never play football again.” But, CHS football Coach Spike Leslie – the CHS football field is named for him – told Jess, “Yes you can. It only takes one hand to center the ball.”

Jess credits his Linfield teammate Ad Rutschman for coming up with the center-eligible play. “He talked Coach Durham into using it as I can remember Ad threw the pass.”

Ad doesn’t recall if he created the play, but he does recollect drawing up football plays in some Linfield classes. “I remember throwing the pass to Jess. I always thought how disguised the play would be – throwing to a center that is eligible. There used to be tackle-eligible plays, but never a center eligible play and to a one-handed receiver!” During that era of Linfield football Ad – later to succeed Durham as Linfield head football coach – threw some passes from a direct snap from center with the ball traveling to him (a running back) in the backfield between the quarterback’s legs.”

The center-eligible play in Linfield’s 1953 season  was Ad’s senior year on the Wildcat football team and the first season Jess lettered playing varsity football for Linfield.

POSTSCRIPTS:

==John’s 1956 Northwest Conference football championship team jacket is special. “I usually only wear it for Homecoming,” John said. The rest of the time it is in a cedar chest defending against moths. I believe it may be the only original jacket left and at almost 60 years old I protect it.”

==“Regarding my football career at Linfield; I played primarily on the JV team. I lettered varsity in 1956… I believe the list of Linfield lettermen shows me lettering three years, but I think two of those years must have been JV letters,” says John.

=="When asked what his position was on the Linfield football team, John jokes "My normal position was end and guard; I sat on the end of the bench and guarded the water bucket." Actually, John was a tackle at a time when everyone played both ways.  Well, he was a tackle except playing for the Linfield JV team in a game at George Fox in Newberg. He got to carry the ball one time. “I ran for about 25 yards. Doesn't that give me a career record of 25 yards per carry?,” John asks.

==Jess, Russ Morris and Marty Bergan -- the only seniors on the 1955 team -- were its honorary co-captains, according to the 1956 Oak Leaves.

==After graduating from Linfield in 1956, Jess taught and coached at Oregon’s Brookings High School. After seven years there, he was vice principal and athletic director three years at Douglas High School in Winston, Ore. Then, he spent five years as the Glide, Ore., High School principal before returning to CHS and coaching five years before retiring. During his time as CHS coach he had Ad as a guest speaker at a football banquet. “And, of course, (Ad) had to tell everyone” at the banquet about the pass he threw to me!,” Jess said. He and his wife, Colleen, live in Coquille. In retirement, Jess does a lot of fishing.

==The late Russ Thurman, Jess’ younger brother, is a Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame member. Russ is the first Wildcat athlete in the hall based primarily on wrestling achievements.

Photos -- Jess and Colleen Thurman contributed by Jess. Inset Oak Leaves photo of Jess, Linfield football player. Photo by Wildcatville 10/18/2014 on campus of John (left) and Bob Ferguson, Linfield Class of 1965. Their respective jackets represent being members of Linfield 1956 NW Conference championship and 1965 NAIA Championship Bowl teams. Inset Oak Leaves photo of John, Linfield football player.

This story posted 1/6/2015.