Family pointed the way for Houston
BRUCE MARSHALL
Tribune Staff Writer
Growing up in a large, poor family, Jim Houston was told by his mother early on that if he wanted to go to college, he'd have to pay for it himself.
You might think being the youngest of nine children would be an obstacle, but it proved to be an advantage by providing three older brothers to point the way for Houston.
"I remember sitting in the stadium in Cleveland, in a seat that cost twenty-five cents, when I was nine years old and watching my oldest brother, Lin, play for the Browns," said Houston. "I wondered what it would take to be down on that field playing."
Houston, a native of Massillon, Ohio, figured out what it would take, because he went on to win a state championship for Washington High School of Massillon, a national championship at Ohio State (1957) and an NFL championship (1964) with the Cleveland Browns.
Three championships, all in his home state of Ohio.
He figured it out so well that he will be enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame on August 12, in South Bend.
"My brother Lin (born in 1921) led the way for all three of us. My brothers Jack and Walt both played at Purdue and I got to Ohio State," said Houston. "We all got full, four-year scholarships and college degrees. That's pretty good for the sons of a steelworker who knew nothing about sports.
"Lin really had it the best," Houston continued, "he only played for one coach, Paul Brown, in high school (Washington H.S. of Massillon), college (Ohio State) and the pros (Cleveland Browns). But I played for a great college coach in Woody Hayes. He was very bright and always knew what was going on."
Playing for Ohio State from 1957 to 1959, Houston was a fierce competitor and team leader. In 1958 he was a first team All-American selection. Houston was invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game in 1959, "my coach in the Shrine Game was Otto Graham and that was exciting."
Houston was a two-time first team Big Ten All-Conference selection, named Ohio State team MVP twice and led the Buckeyes to a 9-1 record, a Big Ten title and a national championship in 1957.
In his senior year at Ohio State, Houston averaged an incredible 56 minutes per game, playing both defense and offense and was selected All-Big Ten Conference and All-American for the second year in a row. He averaged 51 minutes per game in his three year career at Ohio State.
"I remember one play when we were playing Michigan the last game of the year," Houston said. "Michigan ran a 'belly' play, faking the ball to the fullback, then pitching to the halfback. They were on our six yard line.
"I took the fake and tackled the fullback for a loss, but the halfback had the ball and he scored. This was just before halftime. We went into the locker and I sat in my usual seat on the far left side of the front row where Woody couldn't easily reach to hit me.
"Well, he started yelling and screaming at me for that play and really let me have it. It fired up the whole team and we went out and won the game in the second half.
"I saw Woody about a month later and asked him why he yelled at me like that when I'd played something like 1,445 minutes out of 1,600 minutes that season with very few mistakes. He said, 'It wasn't about your mistake, I just figured that if I yelled and screamed at the best player on the field, the others would take notice.' They did; Woody was a master at that."
Hayes recruited Houston personally; he thought that much of him. "When Woody came to my house, he walked in and shook my hand and said 'Hi.' Then he went and talked to my mother.
"I never talked to Woody again until I showed up at Ohio State that fall. He knew what he was doing though, because Purdue was heavily recruiting me. But the Purdue recruiters never got past my mother; she always just told them I was going to Ohio State."
Houston's brother Walt played in the pros for two years, "but he figured out he could make more money digging ditches than playing football. And he did, the most he ever made playing was $7,500 and he made $10,000 digging ditches.
"My brother Lin played for the Browns for eight years and never made more than $9,000. So when a fraternity brother asked me what I planned to do after graduation (from Ohio State), I told him I was playing pro football somewhere. He said I should have a plan for something else and he introduced me to insurance sales. I got my license in my senior year and have been selling insurance since."
Houston, age 68, follows college football today and is a season ticket holder at Ohio State. "I like the game today and, yes, I could play today's game. When I played for the Browns, I was 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds. Ray Nitschke (linebacker-Green Bay Packers '58-'72) and I were the prototypes for today's big linebackers. Even at that size I was fast enough to keep up with the smaller guys."
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This is the article that I got my point from and until I read this article I never even knew that Woody punched his own players. I guess you had all better jump all over Houston for his "bashing" of Woody as well.....
