And I thought Thom Gossom had it made in the shade at Auburn. He was, after all, a college football player with all the star status that entails.

I knew him as a confident, cheerful hero and a capable sports columnist for the student newspaper, The Plainsman, where we both worked in the 1970s. He certainly was popular with all the other staffers, most of us one kind of misfit or another, certainly not big men or women on campus the way jocks were. We felt honored he’d come around.

It didn’t surprise me, either, that after becoming the first black athlete to graduate fro...

Log-In to view full story or view our Registration Guide.