Yes, the St. Mary’s grammar school eighth grade boys decided to play the Plandome Road School boys in an informal game of football. They didn’t plan well, because not everybody had a helmet, and Plandome Road had a player nobody yet knew. His name was Jim Brown, and he was from the Valley. (That’s the same Jim Brown who went on to play all sports at Manhasset High, on to Syracuse and the NFL.)
Well, the St. Mary’s boys soon realized they had a “good” opponent, and he was big for an eighth grader, but John, who later became a dentist, said, “Wait ‘til he carries the ball. I’ll tackle him.”
So, the next time Jim came around the end with the ball, John was a halfback. He zeroed in on Jim Brown – and bounced right off him. Well, God took care of both Jim Brown and John. Jim Brown was on the sports page most of his life, and John took care of my teeth.
Civilization 