There was a time when Loyola athletes reigned supreme in this city. So much so that a candy bar was named after one and another made the cover of a Wheaties box, the same distinction and veneration reserved for the likes of Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan.
They were Olympians. They were gold medalists.
They became professionals in the NBA, MLB and NFL.
They were led by legendary coaches like Tad Gormley, Jack Orsley and Clark Shaughnessy.
There was a time when they played in grand stages known then as the Loyola Stadium, Field House (both on campus) and Pelican Stadium (on the corner of Carrolton and Tulane avenues). The same facilities hosted both the New Orleans Buccaneers and Pelicans. It was in these notorious arenas where Loyola took on powerhouses like Notre Dame, Georgetown and LSU – and, at times, beat them.
They routinely made the cover of every daily newspaper in town where an entire community supported them. They didn’t just play for Loyola, they played for New Orleans.
They were rock stars before the Reggie Bushes and Drew Breeses of today.
They took on adorned and feared names like the “Human Bullet,” (1932 gold medalist Emmett Toppino) “Dixie Flyer” (1926 college player of the year Bucky Moore) and the “Fighting Flynns” (amateur boxers and national champions Eddie and Dennis Flynn).
I often feel like I was born in the wrong era, that I came to Loyola decades too late. Surely it was a different time. It was a time when players wore jerseys of wool and football players ran fearlessly without helmets. It was a time when we rubbed elbows with the best of the country and on the Olympic stage with the best in the world.
For the most part these athletes came from New Orleans and the surrounding area. They were the best of the best and all chose Loyola despite receiving national attention.
The incentives were they were close to home, a fine coaching staff and an entire community behind them.
What’s changed?
Well, many things have changed. Railroad travel – in that day the main source of transportation – is now a thing of the past. Even our once-revered streetcar is limited to its Canal Street line in these post-Katrina days.
What hasn’t changed is that New Orleans is still a sports town. Still producing great athletes. You don’t have to look far to find the kind of talent in Joe McKnight.
Today’s Loyola students never had the pleasure of watching these athletes. They played during the Great Depression, through wars and the civil rights movement. There are many parallels to what Loyola did for New Orleans during a time of crisis to what the Saints did for New Orleans post-Katrina.
They brought hope. They eased pain. When life handed residents a whipping, they broke away to the St. Charles Avenue school to watch the Wolfpack as they fought back and did some whipping of their own.
