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Jim Swink
Comes Home
by Bob Bowman |
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Jim
Swink, the lanky halfback who thrilled high school and Texas Christian
University football fans in the 1950s, has returned home to his roots.
Born in 1936 at Sacul
in Nacogdoches County, Swink grew up “in the country” and attended
school in Cushing before moving to Rusk
at thirteen to live with the Obie Walkers and fulfill a desire to
play sports in high school.
Known as “the Rusk Rambler,” he became one of the most famous high
school athletes in East Texas
during the 1950s, excelling in football and basketball, and went on
to Texas Christian University in Fort
Worth to become a star halfback, leading TCU to a Cotton Bowl
championship in 1957.
Jim resisted the advances of George Halas to play professional football
with the Chicago Bears, but Lamar Hunt persuaded him to play with
the Dallas Texans.
But Jim had his heart set on becoming a physician, so he left the
Texans after three years to enter medical school, becoming a Tyler
physician and later an orthopedic surgeon.
He became an Army medic during the Vietnam War and earned a Purple
Heart.
In
2006, Swink was honored with the eighth Doak Walker Legends Award
during a ceremony in Dallas. As he looked over the crowd, including
former Rusk teammates Jim Perkins and James (Bubba) Jared, he joked
about his career, never talking about his accomplishments.
Sportswriter Dan Jenkins, who covered Swink’s games with TCU, said
he was a great field runner because he had “eyes on each side of his
head.”
Jim’s coach at TCU, Abe Martin, once called Swink “just a little ol’
rubber legged outfit that nobody could catch.”
Despite the numerous awards for his athletic skills, Swink has always
maintained his roots in Cherokee County, owning a farm where he raises
Angus cattle, and recently moved back home with his wife Jeanie to
live in Rusk and be
with his old friends.
Famous for his warm smile and sense of belonging to the land which
gave him a wealth of opportunities, Jim Swink remains a humble, unassuming
individual. Put another way, he’s just a darn nice guy.
On September 7, a display of Swink’s career can be seen for two weeks
in the lobby of Citizens 1st Bank in downtown Rusk.
If you remember the 1950s and Jim Swink, you’ll want to visit Rusk.
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