Ed Griffin, one of Linfield’s
greatest male athletes, should join his cousin, John Lee, in the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame.
John, Class of 1967, and Ed, Class of 1968, are among those
Linfield athletes hailing from Hartford, Connecticut. They are part of Linfield’s
famous ‘Hartford Pipeline.’
If you don’t know of the ‘Hartford Pipeline’, read about it here:
It’s a “pipeline” between about Hartford, Connecticut, on the U.S.
east coast with Linfield, more than 3,000 miles away, in McMinnville, Oregon,
on the country’s west coast.
Hartford high school grads attended Linfield. (The “pipeline” was
between Linfield and public high schools in Hartford. That’s high schools
plural, not high school singular.)
John played football, basketball and baseball for the Wildcats. He
has been a Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame member since 1999.
Ed played football and basketball for the Wildcats too. He was
nominated to the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003 and 2008. Why hasn’t
joined John in the Hall? The Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame Committee is mum.
JOHN LEE
“There has probably never been anyone in (Hartford) as proficient
in three sports,” football, basketball and baseball, as John Lee. But what set (him) apart was not merely his remarkable
athletic ability,” the book says. “He was a natural leader and one of the
finest and most genuine people you could ever hope to meet. He cared deeply
about other people, and his sincere humanitarian instincts were reflected in
the exemplary manner he chose to live his life,” said a book.
In high school he was a “superior all-around athlete” who was
“eminently coachable, a player with ideal temperament for competitive sports,
supportive of his teammates, respectful of his opponents, unflappable under
pressure, and always willing to accept instruction and strive for improvement.”
As a baseball player, John Lee was one reason his high school team
have its first winning season since World War II and its first city championship
in nearly 20 years, says the book.
A highlight of John Lee’s time as a Linfield athlete was in
1965-1966. He was the first NAIA athlete to compete in national playoffs of
football, basketball and baseball in the same academic year. As a prelude, in
the 1963-1964 school year, he became the first freshman in Northwest Conference
history to be named to three all-NWC teams.
A book credits John, after graduating from Linfield, for keeping
the ‘Hartford Pipeline’ -- started by Joe
Beidler, a Hartford high school coach who had coached at Linfield NWC
opponent Whitman College of Walla Walla, Wash. -- going.
ED GRIFFIN
As a Linfield student, John gets major credit for Ed transferring to Linfield.
Ed attended Virginia State in Parkersburg, Virginia, as a freshman
and was a starter on its basketball team.
But, he left Virginia State after his father died and returned to
Hartford. Ed told the Oregonian in
1966 he went back to Hartford to “work to help out my Mom and stayed out a year
and a semester.” Then, he followed John to Linfield, but had to attend Linfield
a year before gaining athletic eligibility.
Those who know Ed as a Linfield athlete, will be surprised to read
that he began singing in Hartford’s Mt. Olive Baptist Church youth choir as a
13-year-old. But, they would not be surprised that in addition to the choir he
also played for the Mt. Olive team in a church basketball league.
“There was nothing (Ed) Griffin loved more than winning. It became
part of his DNA. You only had to watch (him) play a single game at any stage of
his life … to see how embedded wining was in his basketball psyche. He always
made winning his first priority, and the intense desire to come out of a game
with a victory would stay with him throughout his life,” says a book.
In high school Ed Griffin was basketball all-state, all-New
England, all-conference and all-city. He was a Parade (Sunday newspaper supplement) All-American 3rd team
1961-1962 season pick and on the 30-member Scholastic
Coach's (magazine) seventh annual News magazine All-American High School
Basketball Squad. Oh, he was also a high school all-state football player.
The Scholastic Coach article
accompanying its 1962 All-American team selections described Ed and another
player as “backcourt whizzes.” It said 5-11 Ed “sparked his team to the New
England crown, moving one coach to this unsolicited testimonial: ‘I’d put him
on the all-state team if he had his right arm tied to his side.’ ”
During high school his team won two consecutive state basketball
championships. Later, as a coach, he would lead Hartford high school teams to
two state hoops titles.
“As a player and a coach,(Ed) Griffin was all about winning, and
his determination to succeed make him one of the greatest high school
basketball players the city of Hartford had ever known,” a book says.
Among Ed’s accomplishments as a Linfield athlete was twice making
the all-NWC team as a football halfback and then repeating on the NWC
basketball all-star team as a forward.
After Linfield, John and Ed – who had a tryout with the NFL Dallas
Cowboys -- played for the Hartford Knights of the professional Atlantic Coast
Football League. Ed also played for the Hartford Capitols of the professional
Eastern Basketball Association.
--Read "Still A Straight Shooter: Griffin's Philosophy
Working At Bulkeley" by Desmond Conner, Jan. 31, 1997, Hartford
Courant.
Story (link below) includes, "Eddie Griffin, who once scored
70 points in a game, was one of the very best basketball players to come out of
Hartford. Using a combination of speed and a silky smooth jump shot, Griffin
led Hartford Public High School to consecutive New England titles in 1961 and
'62. He received Parade All-America honorable mention the second year."
Hartford Courant says Ed was a Parade All-American high school
honorable mention pick. But, this posting (link below) says Griffin was a Parade second team All-American during
the 1961-1962 season:
--Read "Ex-Hartford Basketball Stars Still Lighting The Way
For Youths" from June 11, 1997, Hartford
Courant.
Story (link below) includes about Ed: “And Griff, well Griff, he
was the man. Eddie Griffin … ah, that guy Eddie … he was so good,'' said Walter
“Doc'' Hurley, a legendary player, coach and teacher in Hartford. “That guy was
one of the greatest ballplayers to ever come out of the state.'' About Ed
Griffin and two others: “Not only are they great athletes, but they're good
people,'' said John Wardlaw, director of the housing authority. “They're great
role models for young people.''
Ed is a member of the New Haven, Connecticut, Register newspaper All-Time, All-state (Connecticut) boys'
basketball teams and the Hartford Public High School Sports Hall of Fame. John
is a member of the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame and the Weaver High School
Sports Hall of Fame. Both are members of the New England Basketball Hall of
Fame.
Paul Durham coached Ed and John in
football at Linfield and was Linfield athletic director during the time both competed
in football and basketball for Linfield.
Durham died in 2007.
In February 2004, Durham wrote about Ed’s nomination for the
Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame:
"I will vote for Eddie Griffin. He was really outstanding in
both basketball and football. His high school basketball team recently won a
state title in Connecticut. I know about his trouble on the Alaska trip but
that doesn’t need to be publicized. My quote about Eddie: In my opinion Eddie
Griffin was as outstanding a 2 sport man as anyone who ever played at LINFIELD!
He was a good man, likeable, dependable in sports, and probably a good student,
at least I’m sure he graduated & is a credit to LINFIELD. I don’t know much
more except on the basketball court he could run down the floor covering the
guy he was guarding and often end up with the ball. Never saw anybody else with
that hand quickness.”
In April 2004, Durham also wrote, "I’m 100% behind the move
to get Eddie Griffin into the LINFIELD Athletics Hall of Fame. He was a great
athlete in two sports for us, one of the tops in my time at LINFIELD. He helped
make me a better coach. Memory tells me he had a tryout with the Dallas Cowboys
and that doesn’t happen to every guy across the block. And he coached a state
high school basketball team to a state championship in Connecticut recently.”
--“Dodging with Durham” sports column by Paul Durham, McMinnville News-Register, Oct. 17, 1965:
“When John Lee came out west to Linfield from Hartford, Conn., in September of
1962 he told Wildcat coaches about his cousin back home in Hartford who was a
great basketball player and who that winter was named to the All-American High
School Basketball team. That young man’s name was Eddie Griffin. When Griffin
graduated from high school in the spring of 1963 he was somewhat interested in
coming to McMinnville to college with his cousin but decided instead to enroll
at Virginia State. As a freshman there that winter he was a starter on the
varsity basketball team but dropped out of school early in the second semester
due to the death of his father. Lee was more persuasive when he flew out west
again last fall, 1964, and brought cousin Eddie with him. During the 1964-65
school year Griffin attended classes at Linfield, straightened out his
eligibility which was fouled up because of the transfer rule, and became
eligible for all athletics here this fall. Although he hasn’t played football
since the fall of 1962 when he was a senior in high school, Linfield coaches
know he had ability in the gridiron game since Griffin was picked as the
outstanding back of (an all-star football) game in Connecticut the year he
graduated. So, it made Wildcat mentors happy to know that Griffin has
decided to participate in both football and basketball here. And now, after six
weeks of the season have flown by, the ‘Cat coaches are more sure than ever
that they have a great one in Griffin. So far he has played primarily at a
defensive halfback position, but more and more he will be used as a running
back. Early in the Lewis and Clark game he showed tremendous talent carrying
the football and at 205 pounds he has been very impressive as a blocker.
Griffin, like Lee, can become one of the all-time greats in the history of
Linfield athletics. He’s rapidly getting the “feel” of football again. He can
“do it all,” both on offense and defense. And he’s even better at basketball …
At least Coach Ted Wilson hopes so.
--“County Clatter” sports column by George Murdock in an October
1965 issue of the McMinnville
News-Register -- It mentions Linfield 62-16 football win in McMinnville
over Whitman in 1965 season. (Some records incorrectly show game score as
61-12. But, 62-16 is correct score. ) One of the finest performances in the
game was by Ed Griffin “halfback who doubled as a starting halfback on defense.
Griffin got the Wildcats rolling Saturday night when he appeared out of nowhere
to intercept a Whit pass and race 54 yards along the sidelines to score.
Another time, Griffin race 33 yards to spark a Wildcat drive. For the night,
the Wildcat performer carried five times for 71 yards to lead the squad. His
effort bounced him into first place among the Wildcat ground gainers with 167
yards in 19 attempts. Griffin’s efforts earned him Wildcats back of the week
honors. Griffin … had to sit out last year because he was a transfer from
Virginia State. He attended that school during his freshman year. At Virginia
State, Griffin started on the hoop lineup and earned all-conference honorable
mention recognition…” At Hartford High school he was a two-year football
starter on offense and defense at halfback earning all-conference and all-state
honors. For high school basketball he was a three year started and
all-conference and all-state as a senior. As a senior he was the most valuable
player award winning the Connecticut state high school basketball tournament
and also in the New England tournament. Griffin was “persuaded to transfer to
Linfield” by his cousin, Linfield student-athlete John Lee, and since graduated
Rick Turner, who played basketball and competed in track for Linfield. All
three are from Hartford.
-- “Sportslightner” column by Salem Oregon Statesman, sports editor Al Lightner, Jan. 18, 1966 – “Ted
Wilson’s Linfield’s weren’t really much in December basketball, but what an
outfit they’ve grown to since Wilson added the Hartford, Conn., representation
to the lineup. That would be personified by Joe Lee, the swift, high-jumping
six-footer who just becomes eligible after battling grade problems in the fall
term, and Ed Griffin, the chunky, 5-10 sophomore who was the football team’s
fullback until he suffered a broken leg … As a freshman, Lee had the distinction
of earning All-Conference accolades in basketball, baseball and football at
Linfield. Perhaps Wilson himself didn’t know that footballer Griffin was also a
spectacular basketeer. We accidentally heard of it while in (Augusta, Georgia,
for the 1965 NAIA national championship football game: Linfield vs. St. John’s)
and ran into Pete Dengenis there. From Hartford also, and a Little All-American
touchdowner when at Linfield, Dengenis extoled the merits of Griffin, the
basketballer. ‘Fantastic’ was a word he often used in describing the
youngster.”
--By Joe Much, Sports Editor, Salem Capital Journal, March 2, 1966 – Ed Griffin is the “Wildcat with
the bored look and middle-age spread. He’s listed as a six-footer, but looks
two inches shorter and a step slower … That’s until they throw up the
basketball. The he turns into a player who puts the “gosh-awful go in
Linfield’s fastbreak, rebounding, stealing the ball, setting up the thing and
whipping murderous passes right under the nostrils of startled enemies. When
that isn’t working, the portly soph transfer from Virginia State just fills the
hall with soft little jumpshots that get home in amazing profusion.” In the
NAIA District 2 championship game Eastern Oregon College at Linfield in
McMinnville, Linfield won, 74-49. Interim coach Roy Helser (filling in for Ted
Wilson, recovering from a heart attack) “admitted some early agony in the game
and his thankfulness Griffin has come all the way from Hartford, Conn., to
sample Rain Belt basketball. ‘You shouldn’t be hasty about these things I
know,’ said Helser, ‘but this guy shows me more than anyone I’ve ever seen
here. And that goes a long way back through a lot of people.” EOC coach Bob
Quinn said about Griffin: ‘He’s unbelievable. I believe he could score anytime
he wanted to and I know he could against anyone we could put on him.’
-- Lee, Griffin Insure ‘Cats Future by sports writer Dick
Fishback, March 6, 1966, Oregonian – “(Cousins) Ed (Griffin), a 5-10 sophomore,
and John (Lee), a 6-0 junior, are links in a chain that has fed Linfield a
number of Hartford athletes.” … The cousins “played their way through grammar
school and kept their close ties through the recreation programs. But in high
school they were rivals, Griffin played for Hartford Public and Lee for Weaver
(high schools).” After graduating high school, from Griffin went on to Virginia
State and was a starter on its basketball team, but left school after his
father died. ‘I went to work to help my mom and stayed out a year and a
semester,’ he said. Then, he followed Lee to Linfield, but had to sit out a
year before being eligible to compete in athletics. Roy Helser, Linfield’s
basketball coach (filling in after coach Ted Wilson had a heart attack) said of
Griffin: ‘There are a couple of things that make him great… First, he’s a
terrific shooter and a good rebounder. But what probably distinguishes him most
is his ability to take the ball from an opponent. He has the quickest hands
I’ve ever seen.’ Lee and Griffin can both “come up with great plays.” Griffin
has “all the tools – dribbling between the legs and behind the back, the
dipsy-doodle layup and the defensive skill that can drive an opposing team into
a frenzy.”
-- By Bob Schwartz, sports news editor, Salem Oregon Statesman, Oct. 23, 1966, edition – In the 1966 Linfield
Homecoming football game versus Pacific, John Lee scored TD on a 26-yard pass
reception. Ed Griffin intercepted a pass and was Linfield’s leading rusher with
49 yards in 13 carries. Lee gained 60 yards on two receptions.
-- “Dodging with Durham” sports column by Paul Durham, McMinnville
News-Register, Sept. 4, 1966 – “Three
members of the Linfield student body, from Hartford, Conn., traveled across the
country by bus from the east coast to the west to get to the local campus for
football drills. There were two gridders, John Lee and Eddie Griffin, and an
All-American of a couple of seasons ago, now a member of the coaching staff as
a student coach, Pete Dengenis. They made the jaunt in three-and-a-half days
and except for sleeping problems once or twice, thoroughly enjoyed seeing the
country first hand. They made several friends along the way and Dengenis became
particularly well acquainted with a pretty young miss who unfortunately
debarked at Chicago but prior to that time found the Linfield man’s shoulder
very, very soft whenever she felt drowsy. But even some of life’s most pleasant
moments are sometimes tinged with sadness, according to Dengenis.”
-- Salem Capital Journal,
Nov. 13, 1966, about Linfield football – “The Wildcat running back has been
somewhat crippled, however, by the loss of fullback Ed Griffin with a broken
leg last week. Griffin also played defensive back.”
-- Column in Salem Capital
Journal, Dec. 1, 1966 – About Linfield’s men’s basketball:: “The Wildcats
this year will put a pair of polished pogo sticks named Ed Griffin and Johnny
Lee into action for a reasonable demonstration of how the game in played in
Connecticut. But the two New Englanders may be quite yet a full cry, both having
squandered the autumn playing football.”
-- Honolulu Sunday Star
Bulletin & Advertiser, Sept. 24, 1967 – One of the reasons Linfield won
its historical game, 15-13, in Honolulu over the University of Hawaii was Ed
Griffin. Story in the Star Bulletin & Advertiser said Linfield’s go-ahead
touchdown (11-yard pass from Mike Barrow to Rogers Ishizu) was set up on a
drive which was a “march” of 60 yards in 13 plays. “The passing of Barrow to
Ishizu and Maurice Okumura plus the running of Griffin highlighted the drive.”
Later in the game, setting up a 31-yard field goal by Tim Kubli, was a drive in
which “Griffin and Ishizu were the main guns”
-- About a Linfield football, Oct. 2, 1967, Salem Capital Journal – “Then suddenly a small
hole opened in the middle of the (Linfield) line and thick-legged fullback Ed
Griffin popped through. He veered past two linebackers, then outran three deep
defenders 81 yards to the goal line.”
--About Whitman at Linfield football game by Joe Much, sports
editor, Salem Capital Journal, Oct.
23, 1967 – In the game, “Ed Griffin used the occasion to run 140 yards nearer
possible All-American recognition in 17 carries. One was a sensational 80-yard
scamper from scrimmage on a delayed rip off tackle. The fullback Coach Paul
Durham thinks may be his best runner ever also caught a pass for a 45-yard
touchdown that required some twinkle toes and finished with 24” of his team’s
40 points in the 40-7 win.
-- Salem Capital Journal,
Nov. 14, 1967, about Willamette at Linfield football game – Linfield QB Mike
Barrow “pitched out to the right to fullback Ed Griffin, while split end John
Sadowski moseyed downfield. Suddenly Griffin stopped and flung the ball.
Sadowski had been left so open that a decent pass would have sent him speeding
to a touchdown. As it was, he had to circle back and make his catch just 25
yards away for a first down at the Linfield 39.” Linfield football Coach Paul
Durham called it the ‘first pass Griffin ever threw for Linfield.’ Durham
clarified, ‘Actually, (Ed) didn’t throw that… but he got it there and it
started us rolling.’ ”
-- Linfield Grid Coach Durham Pleased with 8-1 Season, Nov. 23,
1967, Salem Oregon Statesman –
Linfield football coach Paul Durham said, “In my 20 years at Linfield I would
say that this year’s players did more with their ability than any team I have
coached. The team just wanted to win and did the job. ‘Ed Griffin, Mike Barrow
and Rogers Ishizu were the keys to our offense. I believe that Griffin is the
best fullback to come along in the conference for several years.’
-- By Joe Much, sports editor, Salem Capital Journal, Dec. 23, 1967 – Linfield men’s basketball played
the University of the Pacific (of California, not to be confused with Pacific
University of Oregon) at the Portland Memorial Coliseum and lost 103-78. But,
Griffin shined. “Ed Griffin was working a clever con act on his keepers. Then
Grif made a mistake. He added insult to injury. Pacific’s Fred Carpenter has
this cute little behind the back dribble bit and was getting away with it. But
late in the half, Griffin coaxed him into giving it another go, then
side-slipped quickly and swiped the ball for an easy lay-in … Griffin later
frisked two other Pacific guards for the ball and baskets” giving the “sizeable
Linfield crowd” thrills. Carpenter led his team with 22 points, but Griffin was
the game’s leading scorer with 26 (12 field goals and 3-3 free throws).
-- Salem Capital Journal,
Jan. 26, 1968 about upcoming Willamette vs. Linfield men’s basketball game.
Story includes, “The return of Ed Griffin has added to Linfield’s fluid
motion.” Jim Boutin, Willamette coach, knows Griffin must be controlled because
Griffin is ‘the key to Linfield’s success.’ Griffin is the “lad who keeps
Linfield in high gear with his passing finesse and playmaking.”
-- “Dodging with Durham” McMinnville
News Register sports column by Paul Durham, March 16, 1968 – Gil Brandt, Director of Player
Personnel for the Dallas Cowboys … of the National Football League, “flew to
Portland Monday afternoon and drove down to McMinnville Tuesday morning to sign
Linfield’s Ed Griffin to a professional (free agent) football contract.
Considered to be an astute judge of raw grid talent, Brandt has picked up
numerous football ‘diamonds in the rough’ which were completely passed up in
the pro grid draft …” In the column, Durham wrote that Ed Griffin is a “truly
great athlete. He is a competitor who performs best against the toughest
opponent. He has quick hands and quick feet. And in sports quickness is about
as important as anything can be.” Durham said Brandt was convinced Griffin was
worthy of a contract because of one of the Dallas scouts, who lives in San
Francisco. The scout stopped at the Linfield Athletic Office and was impressed
after watching Griffin playing for the Wildcats in a film of the
Linfield-Hawaii game last fall.” Durham wrote that he thought Griffin had a
“terrific” chance to make the Dallas team. Griffin is fast and “what we call a
‘glider’ when he runs and covers ground must faster than he appears to. When he
got out in front on his long runs (for Linfield) no one ever caught him. But
even more important in football than pure speed is that quickness that is the
Griffin trademark.”
-- Wildcatville guesses that the NFL Dallas Cowboys did not have
preseason workouts at Linfield College in McMinnville.
It’s likely Cowboys’ Gil Brandt (Cowboys VP player personnel, 1960-1988, he ran the Dallas scouting department) or his representative came to Linfield during Wildcat football preseason and ran some Linfield players through workouts on Maxwell Field ... timed them, etc. Bet Linfield players Gene Forman, a tackle, was “worked out” and Ed Griffin, a fullback, too.
=Ed did not make the Cowboys team. An Associated Press story in the Tue. July 16, 1968, Oregonian reported that “Ed Griffin, ex-Linfield star, was among the 12 free agents cut from the squad Monday as the Dallas Cowboys stepped up training (on the California Lutheran College campus in Thousand Oaks, Calif.)”
=“In 1954, 1955 and 1958, the NFL's New York (Football) Giants held their training camp at McCulloch Stadium in Salem, and in those six weeks each season became part of the community. The players spent their nights at Baxter Hall on the Willamette University campus and their days at the athletics fields in Bush's Pasture Park.”
=“The Dallas Cowboys, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns used Pacific University facilities (in Forest Grove) for (NFL) football training camps in the late 1950s to early 1960s.”
#
