FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Freedom Middle School’s students and staff held a pre-game ceremony Thursday honoring coach Fred Lane Sr. He retired in July after more than 30 years in the school district. Lane’s son, Fred Jr., became a star running back for the Carolina Panthers. Before the coach became a leader at FMS, he graduated from Franklin High School as part of the first desegregated class. “I had a wonderful ride here with the Franklin Special School District,” Lane Sr. said. “This field here, I built with my own two hands for about two years. We finally got it, and we can finally say we made it.” After the former coach spoke, the school unveiled its new name: Fred Lane Field. Sources: http://www.wsmv.com/news/21118120/detail.
After their Olympic win, the virtually-intact Navy Olympic Crew remained undefeated through the 1953 and 1954 seasons. The coach who managed to finally unseat Navy in 1955 was none other than Callow’s own protege at Penn, 1930s champion sculler Joe Burk. At the end of World War II, Joe had no idea what he would do with his life. “I was coming back after my tour of duty in the Navy, and my executive officer, Charlie Black, had said to be sure to stop in and say hello to his folks in San Francisco. “Of course, coming out of the Pacific I was a pretty grungy looking guy, with hair down over my ears and so forth, so I went to a barber shop to get a haircut. “There was a fellow on the chair there, and when the barber finished with him, I looked up, and it was Tom Bolles. “Bolles had brought his Harvard crew to Henley back in 1939, the second time I rowed there, and that’s how I got to know him, and that’s how I got into coaching. At that barber shop he said to me, ‘What are you going to do
Coach Fred Lane remained at the Franklin Special School District for so long because of his deep roots there. His son, Fred Lane Jr., played football here and went on to a career in the NFL. He said that he helped build the stadium that now bears his name with his own hands. It stands to reason that he would be interested in its continued success. Sources: My source of information is this web site: http://www.wsmv.com/news/21118120/detail.