Rouse's grandfather played for the historic 1963 Loyola men's basketball team. The Vikings' young left tackle is driven by what Loyola went through to win.
EAGAN — If you gave Minnesota Vikings rookie Walter Rouse a time machine, he would know instantly where he wanted to go. Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky, on March 23, 1963.
“I give thanks to my family tremendously because I wasn’t able to meet him but through them I feel like I know him,” Rouse said. Walter Rouse’s grandfather wasn’t just a starting forward for a winning team, he was the starting forward for a basketball team that carried a torch for progress. A team that was honored by the President of the United States in 2013.Four members of the ‘63 Loyola Ramblers meet President Obama in 2013 / Loyola University
The documentary begins with head coach of the ‘63 Loyola team George Ireland looking for answers. In the late 50s he was under fire after producing back-to-back sub-.500 seasons so he decided that he needed to either do something drastic or lose his job. At the time, the best black prospects like Wilt Chamberlain were getting the attention of big schools but the next level down — the average very good black prospect — was often overlooked.
In 1962 Loyola lost in the NIT to Dayton while still sticking to the three-black-player unwritten rule. Ireland decided he wasn’t going to suffer more defeats with his best on the bench. He broke the code in the consolation game. Rouse, Hunter, Harkness and Miller started alongside white point guard Jack Eagan.
Yep, I’d say that he got the right DNA passed down from Vic. Rouse said that he is hoping to someday pioneer 3D-printed organs for transplants. “When I was learning the details of the story when I was on the project, I was like, ‘oh my god, I had no idea,’” Williamson said. “I expected them to go through what they went through down south but I wasn’t expected them to be treated how they were on campus. It was an eerie feeling to learn about the struggle that they went through on campus…and then go walk campus and be celebrated after our Final Four.
In ‘63 the issue came to a head. Mississippi State wanted to go to the tournament and face Loyola. Two state senators in Mississippi obtained an injunction to keep the team from leaving the state. So the roster split up — the backup players went on a bus to the Starkville airport as decoys. Had they been arrested, another bus was set to drive to another airport. No such arrest took place and they were off to become the first Mississippi team to take the floor with black players.
The Ramblers struggled and fell behind at halftime. Normally that would not be a big deal but there was no shot clock and the Bearcats could hold onto the ball and run clock. They were trailing by as much as 15 points in the second half. “There will always be more work to do, more unwritten rules to break, more ways to make the world better for the next generation. To me that’s the inspiration we can all carry forward. That’s the legacy of the ‘63 Ramblers.”“I have chills right now,” Williamson said.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Vikings Valhalla' Season 3 Review - The Age of Vikings Comes to an EndPoster art for Vikings: Valhalla Season 3
Read more »
Matthew Coller's Vikings training camp preview: SafetiesHarry is back. What does that mean for everyone else?
Read more »
Matthew Coller's Vikings training camp preview: Offensive lineThe Minnesota Vikings offensive line has been solidified over the past few seasons by two very good tackles but there are still questions about the interior.
Read more »
Matthew Coller's Vikings training camp preview: Wide receivers, tight endsIs there a battle for WR3? Who steps in if TJ Hockenson is out?
Read more »
Matthew Coller's Vikings training camp preview: Running backsAaron Jones is a game changer but how much of a workload is he going to have?
Read more »
Matthew Coller: A difficult juxtaposition in Vikings' camp-opening press conferenceVikings head coach and GM addressed Khyree Jackson's tragic death and Jordan Addison's off-field trouble in opening presser.
Read more »