Loran - Smith

Loran

In the last fortnight, Theron Sapp was among the ten inductees elected to the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He was a 200-pound, hard charging fullback who was undersized for the National Football League— but his intangibles such as heart, determination and any superlative that ranks at the top of the charts, especially when it comes to commitment and courage—enabled him to flourish.

If you make up a list of his injuries (broken neck, broken leg, broken hands (both left and right), broken pelvis, broken nose, and loss of teeth), you could easily ask the question— has anyone wanted to play football more than this man?

If his story were to take place today, you suspect that following the broken neck, he would not be allowed to continue playing his favorite sport. The liability factor would be too overwhelming in today’s litigious society.

Theron grew up in the “stick your head in there” era. Butt ‘em in the numbers, but he spent four years practicing and playing at Georgia and then seven years with the Eagles and Steelers in the NFL. His toughness was never questioned.

Wisely, he did not “stick his head” in any scrimmage or pileup but his broad shoulders enabled him to gain big yards for his teams. He never lowered his head. He ran upright which meant that his shoulders and lower body took all the blows. It would have been too risky to duck his head.

The quarterback for those Eagle teams, Sonny Jurgensen, who followed Norm Van Brocklin, always gave Sapp high marks as a runner and included a nuance that made for a colorful insight. Known as a the “Drought Breaker,” Sapp had a habit of imitating a car’s motor when the ball was handed to him. Imagine a child playing with a toy car and revving up the motor vocally as he moves the car across the floor—that was part of Sapp’s modus operandi as a running back.

A Macon native, Sapp was nominated for the Georgia Hall years ago by his longtime friend Harley Bowers, sports editor of the Macon Telegraph, but Sapp showed no interest. He never succumbed to currying favor with any Hall official or influencer. The last thing he would do is to campaign for the honor. He exclaimed with the same thunder that his feet created when he ran the football that he did not deserve membership in the Hall. I’ve never known a nominee for this honor to take such a stance. Many resort to self-promotion.

With total disinterest from Thundering Theron, his candidacy went dormant until recently re-nominated. He became the sentimental favorite of the Honors Court last October.

Now 89 and experiencing memory challenges, he lives in Evans where continued from page

he built a home and stables for his late wife, Kay, a Doris Day look-alike, who was an equestrian aficionado. The acreage provided room for barns and outbuildings to accommodate Kay’s riding habits. There was a pool and acres of shade trees, a recreation haven, the centerpiece being a house with bedrooms for each of the Sapp’s offspring— Jan, Theron Jr., Wade and Molly all coming to the induction ceremony with the highest of appreciation for the honoring of their father, their All-American hero.

Halls of Fame are challenged by narrowing elections down to a manageable number. There will always be issues, even controversies, about who gets elected. Or doesn’t. It is easy to conclude that in many cases such Halls are recognized for those they keep out rather than those they elect.

In Sapp’s case, he initially resisted admission out of unassuming modesty but a supporter got his nomination reconnected to the process. This time around there was great sentiment to honor him with admission into the state’s Hall of Fame.

He greatly enjoyed the weekend although he was ready to return home soon after he arrived. After all, he became a confirmed homebody some time back and couldn’t wait to return to Evans. However, the interlude when he signed hundreds of autograph requests, which brought about gratitude of being in the limelight when his days of yore were recalled.

While his one yard run to end an eight year losing streak to Georgia Tech in 1957 on Grant Field was not his greatest performance, it became associated with greatness for what it represented. He became beloved by the Georgia people. The state Hall of Fame induction banquet confirmed how much the drought breaker remains beloved.