A Hurdler’s Hurdler

In September 1972, Rodney Milburn of Opelousas, Louisiana, won the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 110-meter high hurdles. Raised amid segregation and poverty in the 1950s and 60s, Milburn honed his skills on a grass track over wooden hurdles. In a career that spanned more than a decade, he established himself as the greatest hurdler of his era and one of the greatest athletes in track history.
This biography chronicles Milburn’s rise from poverty to international athletic stardom. Loved ones, as well as track legends Renaldo Nehemiah, Dwight Stones, Tonie Campbell, Brian Oldfield and Bill Collins, relate Milburn’s remarkable achievements and humble nature.

Steven McGill has been a high school English teacher for the past 24 years. He currently serves as English instructor and English department chair at Davidson Day School in Davidson, North Carolina. He is also a track coach, specializing in the hurdling events.

Steven McGill

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 203
Bibliographic Info: 7 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7097-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3242-1
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments viii
Introduction 1
One—Out of the Blocks: Up from Opelousas 3
Two—First Hurdle: Wooden Hurdles on a Grass Track 10
Three—Second Hurdle: Rod and Willie at Southern U. 27
Four—Third Hurdle: On a Winning Streak 35
Five—Fourth Hurdle: Reaching for the Gold 47
Six—Hurdle Five: Date with Destiny 59
Seven—Hurdle Six: From College to the Pros 82
Eight—Hurdle Seven: The ITA Blues 96
Nine—Hurdle Eight: Hero Without a Country 110
Ten—Hurdle Nine: The Quiet Champion 126
Eleven—Hurdle Ten: Into the Sunset 138
Twelve—Across the Finish Line:
The Final Transition 153
Chapter Notes 163
Bibliography 180
Index 189