Q. TELL WILDCATVILLE ABOUT YOUR LIFE GROWING UP
I was born in Portland. My parents are Gene and Dorothy Rohlffs. My Dad served in the U.S. Army for four years in
the Pacific Theater during WWII. After the war, they settled into the St. Johns
area by Pier Park in Portland. Later they moved to a new community in Cedar
Mill alongside the Sunset Highway. My Dad was a printer and my Mom was a
homemaker. They were leaders in our church, school, and community. They raised
us —my younger brother Dan and me—in
a new housing community and involved us in every activity offered. I played all
the sports and that’s what we did in our youth. My Mom and Dad went to every
game, no matter where it was, to offer the teams and me their loyal support.
They were my best fans. I attended the only school around—Sunset Valley—and was
student body treasurer, athlete of the year, and honor roll. Life was good. We
watched a new school—Sunset High School—being built behind our grade school. My
senior class was the first to attend all four years.
Q. YOUR NAME IS TOM, SHORT FOR THOMAS?
My first name is Timothy. Thomas is my
middle name. In elementary school, I was bullied. I was the second smallest kid
all through grade school. In the early 1950’s there was a cartoon Indian
character called “Tim Tom”. I had a deformed back, glasses, and a speech
impediment (stuttered). Kids mocked me with “Tim-Tom, Tim-Tom.” To this day, I
hate my first name.
Q. YOU DID ALL THE SPORTS?
We played football, basketball, and
baseball from dawn to sunset. As a fourth grader, my P.E. teacher asked me if I
would be interested in practicing with the sixth grade basketball team during
Christmas break. That was the beginning. I was short and skinny but could shoot
two-handed set shots and I practiced free throws in our home driveway until
dark. If I missed a free throw, I’d run around the block. On a bus trip, my
high school coach talked about the value of athletics and how they would help
us in our adult life. It was reminiscent of Linfield Coach Ad Rutschman’s talks. Because of my stature, my school coach said I
needed to practice getting my shot off quickly as it would be easy to check. He
said if you are a good foul shooter you would be valuable at the end of games.
As a freshman at Sunset, I was
4-foot-11 and 98-pounds dripping wet. The wrestling coach tried to get me out
for the team. The freshmen basketball coach, Ed Ramsdell, would have none of
that nonsense. That next summer I grew seven inches. Because of this quick
growth, my back problems escalated until I had to quit football my sophomore
year. I found out that I had a back deformity. The doctor said I’d never play
sports and I would be confined to an office job in my adult life. I was urged
to come out for cross-country my senior year. I loved it and low and behold I
came in first in all seven Apollo races setting the 2-mile record at 9:42.
I was the leading basketball scorer for Sunset in my freshmen, JV, and varsity years. I was selected First Team All-Metro and second team All-State in one newspaper. I was the smallest player on the All-Metro team at 5-foot-9 and 139-pounds.
Q. WHY LINFIELD?
Ted Wilson, Linfield’s men’s basketball coach, talked to my parents my
junior year. I wanted to be a professional baseball player and had no idea
about college. I learned from my coaches that if you failed at that dream you
could coach—but you had to go to college to become a teacher/coach. It was then
that I realized colleges paid for college if you excelled in sports. That drove
me to be the best I could be. Coach Wilson came to our house. Marion Pericin,
at Portland State, recruited me. Willamette, Pacific, Pacific Lutheran, and
Portland University showed interest. I loved to run and play up-tempo
basketball. After visiting all prospects, I cut it down to Portland State and
Linfield. I didn’t like Coach Pericin’s on court language. I had developed a
quick shot and was “auto” at the line. I think I still hold the career free
throw percentage record for the Metro League. (.849). I averaged 17 points per
game and Coach Wilson wanted me to be a Wildcat. Needless to say, I was really
excited. By the way, I also was a successful pitcher on Sunset’s varsity and
American Legion teams at one time won 16 straight pitching decisions.
Q. COACHES WILSON AND HELSER?
My parents liked Coach Wilson’s values
and straightforward approach. What he said, he meant. They also liked that Linfield was Baptist affiliated. Roy Helser, the Linfield baseball coach, was optimistic and said I
could contribute if I hit the weight room. As I entered Linfield in 1965, I was
welcomed by three roommates in a four-man room and a plethora of 22 outstanding
basketball guards. In our first meeting, Coach Wilson said that many will not
make the grade/make the team. He was right and I waited my turn and worked hard
to make the grade.
Q. WAS LINFIELD WHAT YOU EXPECTED?
Linfield was everything as advertised.
I wanted to play basketball for this “bigger than life” coach and to get a
diploma to teach and coach at the high level. A day goes not go by
when I do not look back on memories of my days at Linfield. I got my degree in
education and my M.Ed. two years later. I became an adjunct professor later on.
The good or bad thing about small college is, if you do anything positive,
everyone knows about it, and vice-versa. The small classroom sizes and friendly
faculty were pluses. In my career I played for many excellent coaches: Ed
Ramsdell, John Wyttenberg, Hal Smith,
Ted Wilson, and Roy Helser. Not many can say they were members of four
Northwest Conference championships. The Linfield tradition carries on and it
reminds me of all the great memories of being a lifetime Wildcat. I do know
that when it came time to get a teaching/coaching job, it meant a lot that I
was from Linfield College. Most of what I remember about my higher education is
I was always tired. I was an “athlete-student” not a “student-athlete. I
participated in 12 sports in four years. I loved it there and the coaches were
major contributors to shaping my future. I will always be indebted to the
“Linfield way.”
Q. ONE OF THE TRIPS LINFIELD BASKETBALL MADE DURING YOUR
PLAYING DAYS WAS THE ‘EASTERN SWING?’
It was a trip in a van from McMinnville
to Walla Walla, Wash., about 290 miles. Then, there was a trip in the van from
Walla Walla to Caldwell, Idaho, about 230 miles (and from Pacific to Mountain
Time). Against Whitman, we played at the old gym in Walla Walla. Versus the
College of Idaho in Caldwell we played at the Canyon County indoor rodeo arena
which smelled of cattle. A floor was put over rodeo arena dirt. One time we
were travelling through the Columbia River Gorge and our driver, Jiggs Burnett,
lost control of the van on the ice. I woke up to us in the van spinning down
Interstate 84. Luckily we didn’t hit anything. On another eastern Oregon trip,
our driver, Terry Durham, didn’t like me changing the radio stations on the van
radio so he kicked me out of the van—while we were moving! I survived with only
a broken watchband. Terry and I had some wonderful feuds on and off the court.
Those “Eastern Swing” trips were usually in a van from McMinnville’s Shakey’s
Pizza Parlor. Del Coursey, a
Linfield grad and assistant baseball coach on the 1966 Linfield NAIA
national championship baseball team, and his wife, Dixie, owned/operated Shakey’s (it’s
where Izzy’s is now on 99W). Some called him “Pizza Del.” Other times, for
shorter trips, we sometimes used vans from Perry’s Basketball Camp in Vernonia.
Coach Wilson and the Perry brothers owned that summer basketball camp. I spent
part of three summers as a counselor at the camp.
Q. WEREN’T THERE CERTAIN PLACES THE TEAM ALWAYS ATE AND
STAYED ON THE ROAD DURING THE ‘EASTERN SWING’ TRIPS?
We always stopped at the Recreation
Café in The Dalles. One of Coach Wilson’s sisters owned/operated it. We also
stopped at the Nomad Café in Boardman, where Coach grew up and went to school. Each
player had a $7 stipend for food. We never spent a hotel night in Caldwell. We
always stayed in Baker (now Baker City), about 100 miles from Caldwell. Staying
at the historical Baker Hotel was epic. He had “bed checks” to make sure we
players were in them.
COACH WILSON LOVED THE ‘HEARTS’ CARD GAME?
Yes! Although the $7 stipend was for food, we players used some of it for “hearts” card game debts. Luckily, I was a pretty good “hearts” card player. The “Eastern Swing” gave us quality time to play “hearts.” In the van, Coach Wilson would sit between the driver and front passenger seat facing to the back where the players sat and play hearts for endless miles.
COACH WILSON WANTED HIS PLAYERS TO EAT WELL?
He was a stickler for eating the right things. He was famous for checking your pockets to make sure you didn’t have any junk food or Snickers candy bars in your pockets. We weren't even allowed to use an umbrella. When I played on the Linfield baseball team, for Coach Helser, he would buy you a Snickers.
HE WAS A PERSON WITH INTEGRITY?
I have always said that the 1966-1967
“miracle” (won conference, won district, went to national tourney in Kansas
City) men’s basketball team created after the two December 1966 games in Fairbanks,
Alaska, should be in the Linfield Hall of Fame. I was on the team before,
during and after its disastrous trip to Fairbanks. I have always wanted to
write an article about what really happened. I remember the meeting, upon our
return to campus from Fairbanks. Paul Durham (athletic director and football coach)
passed out paper and pencil and instructed all of us players on the team to
list the items shoplifted while in Fairbanks. Seven players had done so and
were instantly dropped from the squad. Later I found out that Harry Dillin, Linfield president, asked
Coach Wilson to reinstate the seven players. Coach said, “If I do that, I am
done being the coach at Linfield College.” That’s integrity. Coach Wilson
always said, “set the trend, don’t follow it.” One time Coach sent me downtown
McMinnville to get a haircut (cost $1). Upon my return, he disapproved of it and sent me back. You didn’t disagree with Coach for fear of his two knuckles
implanted in your chest.”
WHAT HAPPENED FOR YOU AFTER GRADUATING FROM LINIFELD?
I earned my bachelor’s degree from
Linfield in 1969. I found many ways to save money during my four college years.
In the summers, I worked on the Portland waterfront and umpired in Portland Baseball Association. I even, drove a round-trip berry bus for Linfield fan/grad Billy Maxwell (son of J. O. Maxwell or whom Maxwell football
field at Linfield is named) one summer from St. Johns in Portland to Canby. As
a freshman on the baseball team, I roomed with Wayne Petersen. He worked at the McMinnville General Hospital for his
meals. He had me apply, with Linfield grad Milt Robbins (hospital
administrator), to take the custodial job at the hospital working for my lunch
and dinner. I held that job, plus I was the head resident of Larsell Hall for
two years. That paid for my room and board. I also officiated at many intramural
volleyball and flag football games as I could. I even was an official
for Linfield JV games. I drove my car to cross-country and track meets to make
gas money. For the McMinnville School District, Larry Sapp and I collected noontime lunch money at the McMinnville
Junior High. My last semester Linfield College paid me $186 as a credit. It IS possible
to finance your own education if one takes advantage of opportunities.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR FIRST TEACHING/COACHING JOB?
As a senior I interviewed on campus
with school district representatives sent to seek prospective teachers. At one
time I thought I was going to take a teacher and basketball job in Anchorage,
Alaska. Ad Rutschman, Linfield football coach, suggested I go and see his old
boss at Hillsboro High School (Hilhi). I became a Hilhi teacher and assistant
basketball and baseball coach the next school year. So, I knew I was going to
Hilhi. The next weekend I graduated. The weekend after that Bonnie Minton, the love of my life, and I got married. We met and worked at at McMinnville
General Hospital. We moved to Hillsboro. The next month I got a call to take my
military draft physical to go to Vietnam. I passed the first four tests, even
the one for vision. I have 20-400 vision. I’m legally blind in six states. But,
I failed the physical because my x-rays showed my deformed back and missing vertebrae. At Hilhi I
coached 45 teams in 22 seasons. I coached 35 school and summer baseball teams.
I was head basketball coach of the “Hilhi Hustlin’ Spartans” for 10 years. The teams played in seven state playoffs. I
took my American Legion summer baseball teams to Australia, Hawaii and my
basketball team to Alaska, where the same thing happened to us that happened to
our Linfield team in 1966. History did, unfortunately, somewhat repeat itself.
Bonnie and I owned and operated our own
commercial driving school for 38 years (Tom’s Driving Academy). We taught over
250 computer classes as Hillsboro School District trainers. Our son, Eric, was a First Team All-Metro
baseball and basketball standout for Hilhi. He’s a 1997 Linfield grad and
lettered all four years playing Linfield basketball and was MVP on the Wildcat
basketball team his senior year.
After Bonnie and I sold our driving
school, I developed a small business called Custom DVD Memories. That involved
being a videographer for travel tours, class
reunions, small weddings and parties. I have created over 100 DVD movies. I
just retired this year after 13 years of running this business. I have written
10 historical books and currently am the OSAA/Oregon School Activities
Association basketball historian. It keeps me busy. (The OSAA is a non-profit,
board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and
competitive activities via athletic conferences.)
Bonnie and I have travelled all over
the world. I have been sick in 58 countries and have accomplished my “bucket
list”.
Bonnie and I bought “Ten-Star Hoop
Camp" from Marion Pericin in 1984. Ken Harris, Sunset High coach, and I ran
the camp at Pacific University in Forest Grove for seven summers. And, we ran our
own computer camps at Pacific and Linfield for several summers, too.
IN WHAT SPORTS DID YOU COMPETE FOR LINFIELD?
Before I enrolled at Linfield, I had
seen in a Wildcat sports media guide, a list of Linfield athletes that had
earned 10 or more varsity letters in athletics. That turned out to be one of my
goals upon entering Linfield. I did achieve that goal by earning 11 varsity "L’s"
in four sports. Cross-country: My freshman year, Jack Case, a Linfield student, and I petitioned Hal Smith, head track & field coach, to include cross-country as a recognized Linfield letter sport. We developed our own running courses and competed in the Northwest Conference. I lettered all four years and at one time ran a 19:52 four-mile time that was a Linfield record at the time. I was the team captain for two of those years. I volunteered my 1964 Volkswagen “bug” to shuttle teammates to away meets. (4 letters)
Basketball: I was a perfect fit for the fast breaking,
high-scoring Wildcats for Coach Wilson. I played on three Northwest Conference
Championship teams. As a freshman I was the leading scorer on the junior varsity
team and also played in 10 varsity games. I was a valuable member of the 1966-1967
team that lost seven out of 10 top players, due to disciplinary reasons related
to the team’s trip to play December 1966 games in Fairbanks, Alaska. It became
known as the “Miracle Team.” Bob Lamb,
John Puryear, and I were the only
remaining players from team that made the 1966 trip to Fairbanks. Without those
seven players it’s not surprisingly newspapers sports picked Linfield to finish
last in the conference standings. But, JV players; Terry Durham, who hadn’t played basketball since his freshman year;
Bob, John and I became a competitive unit in a short period of time. On the “Miracle
Team’s” first road trip my 14 field goals, against Whitman in Walla Walla,
helped build the confidence that was with us the entire season. We beat all conference
challengers, won the NAIA District II trophy and played in the NAIA National Basketball
Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri.
In Kansas City, Linfield, ranked 16th in the
nation, faced #1 ranked and home team, St. Benedicts College of Kansas City. I scored 16 points in the upset bid.. Dan Beeson and Bob Lamb both fouled out. St. Benedicts made their end of game free throws and Linfield lost 80-75. St. Benedicts went on to
win the national championship.
For the team I was the second leading league scorer
(13.5) and top free throw shooter. For my Linfield playing career, I scored more
than 800 points.
I was voted Best Defensive Player by my teammates.
I earned Northwest Conference All-star mention. I was also chosen as Player of
the Week. My name is mentioned 10 times in the Wildcat men’s basketball record
book.
Oh, by the way, in Linfield basketball practice, that 1966-1967 season, I made 212 free throws in a row and broke a Guinness Book
of World Records record by making 61 free throws in a row blindfolded! (3
letters)
Baseball: I played two years on the Linfield varsity baseball team for Roy Helser, a great leader and baseball legend. I was a relief pitcher on the 1966 National Championship team. I was used as a pinch runner and pitched the most relief innings from the bullpen. They didn't keep "saves" in those days but I had three, most notable a "save against the University of Oregon in Eugene. For the NAIA national World Series in St. Joseph, Missouri, 17 of us on the team travelled on three different commercial flights to get there. We were the eight seed out of eight teams. We won all four games and brought home Linfield's first national championship. In 1966-1967, our basketball season went deep into March so I joined the Linfield baseball team when its season was well under way.
In the summers, I pitched for the City Beavers semi-pro
baseball team in Portland for eight seasons and played competitive City League
basketball into my 50’s. (2 letters)
Track: After two years of varsity baseball, I decided to join the track team because
Coach Smith mentioned it would be easier to get a coaching job if I was able to
coach track and field events on my resume. Because baseball was into league play
by the end of basketball, it was difficult to get into the baseball rotation. In
track I competed in three events. I consistently earned points in the triple
jump and long jump. I went over 41-feet consistently in the triple and had a
personal best of 20-feet 11-inches in the long jump and 42-feet 11-inches in
the triple. I also ran a leg on the short relay team. I was one of the first at
Linfield to enter a decathlon as an unofficial event. (2 letters)
DID YOUR BROTHER, DAN, ATTEND LINFIELD, TOO?
Yes. Dan attended Linfield, hoping to play
baseball. But, he transferred to Portland State and lettered one year playing
baseball for Coach Roy Love.
MEMORIES?
Obviously, the National Championship baseball
team and the National basketball tournament games stick out. Playing to packed crowds
at Riley Gymnasium where we received standing ovations when the starting five were
announced. The “South 40” basketball cheering section antics were unique.
Eating late night dinner at the Rocket Café down the street from campus because
we were too tired to eat after intense basketball practices. Scoring 100-point games
against fatigued opponents and the thrill of racing down court and converting
on a fast break. The thrill of beating opponents we weren't supposed to beat in
the "miracle" season of 1966-67. The poem (*see Footnote) “The Game Is
Never Over” about Ted Wilson that I wrote lives now in the Oregon Sports Hall
of Fame. John Lee was the best
athlete I have seen at Linfield and Don
Hakala Sr. was the best basketball player I have witnessed and I practiced
daily against them my freshman year. The lifelong connection of being a Wildcat...’
*FOOTNOTE to “The Game Is Never Over” poem
about Ted Wilson by Tom Rohlffs:
Tom said the poem's significance relates to many things about Coach Ted Wilson including the fact the coach had four heart attacks. The first heart attack happened late in the 1965-1966 season. As a result Coach Wilson was not allowed to travel and missed the men's basketball team's game at the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City. Roy Helser, whom Wilson succeeded as head basketball coach, took the team to KC. Coach Wilson had another heart attack on a golf course. But, he refused to get medical help until he completed his round of golf. His last and fatal heart attack was on the Linfield handball court. He fell to the floor. His dying words to Wes Suan, against whom he was competing, was indicating he was leading "6 to 2. That's the kind of competitor Ted Wilson was. See poem below. Click on it to see it larger, easier to read.
