By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplay.com contributor
FORK UNION — Fork Union Military Academy has produced a litany of impressive graduates who have gone on to greatness. Probably none, with the exception of a few, have reached the heights of former NFL standout Eddie George.
Well, on Saturday at the Gus Lacy Track Classic, FUMA was able to give the former Heisman Trophy winner and member of the College Football Hall of Fame the afternoon he so deserved as the honoree of the meet.
The day belonged to George and how his days on the Blue Devils’ track drove him to stardom.
“I was committed to getting faster on the football field and I worked every single day in indoor and outdoor track. My coach forced me into the hurdles — I hated that race,” George, the former Tennessee Titans star recalled. “But over time I was able to improve my endurance, confidence and technique and win a state championship.”
George hardly lost a race in high school, capturing a pair of state titles in the 300-meter hurdles as well as in the 4×400 relay. He rushed for over 2,500 yards and scored 38 touchdowns in his final two years at FUMA.
George, 40, used the skills he honed in high school to such accomplishments as Heisman Trophy winner, standout running back at Ohio State, NFL first-round draft choice, NFL Rookie of the Year and the owner of numerous NFL records.
More importantly since his NFL retirement, the Fox analyst has gone on to get his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University to go along with his recent acting career. He is currently a judge on on the NBC television series “American Dream Builders.”
George, who recently accepted a position on the FUMA Board of Trustees, credits his work ethic to his days at FUMA.
“I learned to push myself beyond my limits and set a new standard for how to work on the field, in the classroom and in my life,” George said. “And that set a blueprint for me in everything that I do.”
