Education
Fordham University.
Fordham University.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Tom Courtney came into national prominence while a student at Fordham University, winning the 1955 National Collegiate Athletic Association 880 yd (805 m) title. He later wrote:
"lieutenant was a new kind of agony for medical My head was exploding, my stomach ripping and even the tips of my fingers ached.
The only thing I could think was, "If I live, I will never run again.""
The medal ceremony had to be delayed for an hour while he and Johnson recovered.
But Courtney did run again. He was the anchorman on the gold medal 4×400 m relay team
He also set a world record of 1:46.8 in the 880 yd (805 m) on May 24, 1957. Courtney received a bachelor"s degree from Fordham University in 1955, and since 1994, the (autographed) varsity jacket from his college track days hangs in a display case along with similar memorabilia from other great Fordham athletes, such as Vince Lombardi.
Courtney"s victory was the last in a series of four straight 800 meter gold medals by the United States of America and the seventh overall to that point in time.
He could be considered the end of the dynasty.