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StumbleuponNardiello: Miami was always No. 1 to Pont
Sunday, July 06, 2008
John Pont had only one goal after he visited the Miami University campus in Oxford. That was the only school he wanted to attend.
Pont, a native of Canton who died Tuesday, July 1, had Miami as his
No. 1 choice, he always said. He fell in love with the place, and he made it his home for the rest of his life.
He got off to a rough start at Miami. Sid Gillman, coach of the Redskins in 1945, was the man Pont talked to first about his prospects of attending Miami. Pont weighed 149 pounds back then.
Gillman told Pont to gain some weight, and he'd talk with him when he grew up.
Pont joined the Navy upon graduating from high school where a doctor tried to convince him to accept a scholarship to play football at Minnesota. Pont turned down the offer because, he said, Miami was his home.
Thus began a love affair that stayed with Pont throughout his life.
Pont got off to a good start playing for Coach Woody Hayes. He returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown against Wichita, and he was on his way toward becoming one of the all-time greats at Miami.
I met the great football player when Miami retired his No. 42 jersey. I attended the banquet because a couple of former Middletown Middies were to receive letters that evening.
I always found Pont to be friendly. I looked forward to attending basketball games at Millett Hall because it always gave me the opportunity to talk a little football with Pont. He would always talk about Middletown's talent and which players I thought were worthy of scholarships.
He was a fabulous coach who didn't make Miami his only coaching job, because the "Cradle of Coaches" never could pay the coaches the salaries to make them stay. Pont also coached at Yale, Indiana and Northwestern.
Pont had a wonderful playing career and an equally great coaching career at Miami.
But more importantly, he was a wonderful fellow.
Jerry Nardiello is sports editor emeritus at The Journal.
Visitation for John Pont
Visitation for John Pont, will be from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 6, at Smith and Ogle Funeral Home in Oxford.
A Mass of Christian burial will be at 10 a.m. Monday at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Oxford.
Burial will be in the Miami University section of the Oxford Cemetery. The public is invited to attend all of the observances.
