George Slusser – Wall of Champions

George Slusser – War Hero, Wall of Champions

Written by James C. DeLong.  Photos from Massillon Tiger Football Museum collection.

The last of the great passers developed at Washington High School during Paul E. Brown’s coaching career here from 1932 through 1940 was George Slusser, who was also a fine runner.

As a youth, George strengthened his arm by spending many hours in his west side neighborhood tossing the pigskin back and forth with anyone willing to join him.  As a result, when he reported to Coach Elwood W. Kammer at Lorin Andrews Junior High School in the fall of 1935 he already possessed the strong arm that coaches look for in a quarterback.

George had an outstanding career at Lorin Andrews as an apprenticeship to his making the 1937 Washington High School squad.  Like any other Tiger sophomore quarterback, Slusser was unable to become number one field general; however, he did start several games, tossed two passes for touchdowns and ran one.

When his junior year rolled around in 1938, George had the know-how to step in as the starting signal caller.  Directing the Tigers like a seasoned veteran, the Massillon eleven rolled to ten straight impressive victories and 302 points, the highest total of any team in the state.  Slusser had three fine receivers to throw to – ends Horace Gillom and Fred Toles and halfback Ray Getz – as he hit on 8 touchdowns passes.  He also ran for 7 touchdowns totaling 42 points.  His total passing yardage was 885 yards as he passed for 100 yards in six games.

Slusser was nothing less than sensational in his senior year in 1939 as he again quarterbacked the Tigers to ten straight victories, another state title an 480 points for the season, again the most scored by any scholastic grid iron team in Ohio.  In his final year, his running equated his deft passing as he banged over for 18 touchdowns, the most ever scored by a quarterback during Coach Brown’s coaching career here.  He also fired ten touchdown passes.  His favorite receivers were Horace Gillom, Ray Getz and Tommy James.  His total passing yardage for the season was 953 yards as he exceeded 100 yards in five games.

Slusser holds the distinction of being the only quarterback in Massillon’s long football history to lead the Tigers to two consecutive undefeated, untied seasons.  They were 10-0 in both 1938 and 1939 under Slusser’s leadership.

When George completed his career with the Tigers he was the recipient of many college athletic scholarships and after much debate, he selected Dartmouth College as he desired to play under the Indians’ head coach, Earl (Red) Blaik.  Shortly after George completed a great freshman year at Dartmouth as their starting quarterback, Blaik returned to his alma mater, the U.S. Military Academy, as head coach.

With Blaik’s departure, George departed from Dartmouth and in early January 1941, enrolled at Ohio State University to rejoin his former Washington High School teammates, Lin Houston and Earl Martin.  Two weeks later Paul Brown was appointed head coach of the Buckeyes, and after sitting out the 1941 campaign, he played an important role as a sophomore in Brown’s 1942 national champion team at OSU.

In February, 1943, George enlisted in the military service and on January 27, 1945, while piloting an Okinawa-based P-47 Thunderbolt in an air assault on the Japanese mainland, he was shot down and killed by anti-aircraft fire.  His plane crashed on the island of Amami-O-Shima.

Although George’s lifetime was shortened due to the misfortune of war, his outstanding qualities and great contributions to Washington High School football will never be forgotten.

Slusser’s Career with the Tigers

• 1937: 8-1-1, 228-50, 1^st in state
• 1938: 10-0-0, 302-60, 1^st in the state
• 1939: 10-0-0, 460-25, 1^st in the state

Slusser’s Individual Achievements

• Touchdowns passes thrown in career – 20
• Total points scored in career – 157
• Most points scored in one season (1939) – 108
• Total varsity games played – 30
• Longest touchdown pass (to Horace Gillom, Massillon vs. Mansfield, 1938) – 55 yards
• Total yards gained passing in career – 1,938
• All County 1^st Team – 1938 and 1939
• All Ohio 1^st Team – 1939

Tommy James – A Champion at Every Level

Tommy James fashioned one of the most stellar careers of any Tiger player in Massillon’s long history.   As a Wall of Champions honoree, he was indeed worthy of the recognition, for he played on championship teams at all three levels of football: high school, college and pro.  There were state titles at Massillon, a national championship at Ohio State and professional crowns with the Cleveland Browns.  But as rare as it might sound, all of the awards came under the same head coach, the legendary Paul Brown.

Tom James was born on September 16, 1923, and resided on Genoa Avenue in Perry Township.  Since Perry did not have a high school at that time, he was free to choose either Canton Lincoln or Massillon for high school.   But the choice was simple, albeit with a little urging from Tiger assistant coach Bud Houghton: go west to Massillon and play for the state’s best team and one that would give him a better opportunity to play later in college.

MASSILLON

After a year at Longfellow Junior High, James took his skills to the big field and played the next three years under Coach Paul Brown.  In spite of having a diminutive frame (5’-8”, 148 lbs.), he was extremely quick and immediately found a spot at halfback and tailback in the single wing offense.  As all eleven players played on both sides of the ball at that time, he also saw duty at defensive back.

James never lost a game during his three years at Massillon, with his teams going 30-0 and winning the state title each year.  They also won two national titles.  In his junior season, Tommy recorded ten touchdowns and had the distinction of scoring the first TD in the new Tiger Stadium.  The points came against Cleveland Cathedral Latin, which owned a 17-game winning streak, and propelled the Tigers to a 64-0 victory.  James also threw the first touchdown pass in the new stadium, a 50-yard completion to Horace Gillom.  His team punctuated the season by christening newly opened Canton Fawcett stadium with a 20-6 victory over Canton McKinley.  For his effort, Tommy was named 2^nd Team All-County.

In his senior season, James added to his responsibilities by throwing most of the passes. “My senior year I was the tailback (left half) in the old single wing,” he said.  “You handled the ball more, called the signals, did the passing.  The right half was Ray Getz.” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.   He was both the leading rusher (13 TDs) and the leading passer (10 TDs) in a season that included three rushing touchdowns against Erie East, Pennsylvania, and three passing touchdowns against Warren Harding.

“About every game was (special) because he was such a good passer,” said Getz.  “He was a passer, and it was pretty rough to stop a passer in the single wing.  And his running was good.  He was fast.  He could run around end or off-tackle.” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.

James’ 1940 team was utterly dominant, outscoring the opposition 477-6.  They gave Cathedral Latin their only loss of the year.  They played Alliance in the first-ever high school football game at the Akron Rubber Bowl, beating the Aviators 40-0.  They defeated Erie East, 74-0, giving East their worst loss in 20 years.  And they broke Toledo Waite’s 19-game winning streak with a 28-0 victory and prevented them from unseating the Tigers as Ohio’s state champs.  Weirton won the West Virginia state championship, but fell to Massillon, 48-0.

The lone touchdown they surrendered that year was to Canton McKinley.  Ironically, it was the first points of the game.  “We all looked at each other,” he recalled.  “We didn’t know what to do.  We hadn’t been behind.  But I threw a touchdown pass (45 yards) to (Horace) Gillum before the half that put us ahead 7-6.” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.   Massillon would go to win 34-6.

Following the season James was named First Team All-County and First Team All-State, and was later inducted in the Stark County High School Hall of Fame.

For his high school career, he scored 23 touchdowns.

OHIO STATE

The goal for James was always to play collegiately and this was fulfilled when he secured a spot on the Ohio State roster.  He first played in 1942 under Paul Brown and his team captured the National Championship.  But war duties caused a 30-month hiatus, during which Tommy became part of the Army Medical Corps.  James would return in 1946 to play under Coach Paul Bixler and then be elected captain for the 1947 season.  But he passed that up to sign with the Detroit Lions of the NFL.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

James’ time at Detroit was short-lived, however, due to a broken arm and he was released.  But Paul Brown saw an opportunity and signed him to a contract to play for the Cleveland Browns beginning in 1948.

“I started playing defense all the time,” said James.  “I always wanted to play offense.  But when I went into the pros, Paul Brown told me ‘I can find better offensive players, but when I get a good defensive back that’s the place I’ve got to put them.’” – Jim Thomas, Canton Repository, February 2, 2003.  

James played for the championship every year while in Cleveland, first in the All-American Football Conference and then in the NFL.  His teams would capture five AAFC and NFL titles.

Tommy stayed in Cleveland for eight years and was released in 1955.  But he would play one more year professionally, for the Baltimore Colts.  For his career he recorded 34 interceptions.

In 1951, 1953 and 1956 he played in the annual College All Stars-NFL Grid Game at Chicago, a contest he participated in while in college in 1943 and 1947.

MISCELLANEOUS

James would spend the professional off-season completing his college education and graduated from Kent State with a BA in Education.

Post-football, Tommy was a salesman for Priority Freight Systems, in Akron.  He had three brothers (Art, Don and John) and two sons (Tommy Jr. and Mike).  Brother Don became head coach of the Washington Huskies and won the National Championship there in 1991.

Tommy James lived a long life and enjoyed watching his two sons and grandson play football for the Tigers.  He died on February 7, 2007, age 83.

Dennis Franklin – A Leader On the Field

Dennis Franklin is remembered by Massillon fans as the starting quarterback for Tigers when they won their last state championship.  In Michigan he is remembered for being the starting quarterback that led the Wolverines to three straight Big Ten titles.  During those years his teams won a lot of games, although Dennis rarely put up great numbers based on today’s standards.  So it was not the running nor was it the passing that made him such a fan favorite.  Instead, it was his leadership ability, the ultimate field general guiding his teammates to victory after victory.  And this attribute wasn’t lost on his coach at Michigan.

“Dennis Franklin is one of the all-time great quarterbacks at the University of Michigan.  For three years he was 30-2-1, and he never went to a bowl game.  That’s why a lot of people don’t know how great Franklin was.  In 1973, when we were undefeated and tied Ohio State, Denny was hit on the blitz and broke his collarbone.  The Big Ten didn’t think we could beat Southern Cal in the Rose Bowl without Denny, so they voted Ohio State to go.   He was a great, great quarterback.” – Bo Schembechler, Legendary Michigan Head Coach. (Masssillon Memories, by Scott H. Shook, 1998)

Franklin was born on August 24, 1953 and attended Massillon Washington High School, graduating in 1971.  After Massillon, he attended the University of Michigan to continue his football career.

As a Massillon junior in 1969, during Coach Bob Commings’ inaugural year, Franklin split time at quarterback with Gary Herring, completing 52% of his passes for 380 yards and three touchdowns.  HIs best passing performances that year came during wins against Cleveland Benedictine (6 for 10, 49 yds.) and Toledo Whitmer (5 of 7 for 91 yds. and a TD), and during a 0-0 tie against Steubenville (9 of 16 for 120 yds.).  The Tigers finished 7-2-1 in that rebuilding season.

The following year it all came together and with just Franklin at the QB position the team exploded with an undefeated 10-0 season.  Massillon led the All-American Conference in both rushing and passing and outscored its opposition 412-29.  In a key Week 4 matchup with state-ranked Niles, Franklin led his team to a 22-3 comeback victory.  He also scored all three touchdowns in a 22-0 victory over Warren Harding and was involved in four TDs against Trotwood Madison.  The magical season was then punctuated by a 28-0 victory over previously undefeated Canton McKinley.

“I think it’s their quarterback who really keeps them going,” said Coach Norm Decker, coach of Tiger opponent Toledo Whitmer.  “We couldn’t key on (all-state running back Mike) Mauger because of him.  He keeps everything honest.  I really think he makes their team.  He’s better than Mauger.”

Massillon was voted as the best team in Ohio by the Associated Press, that campaign coming prior to the introduction of the state playoffs.  It was also the last state championship won by the Tigers.

Franklin had a consistent year throwing the ball, completing 33 of 78 passes for 699 yards and 13 touchdowns.  But it was when he began to showcase his athletic running ability (79 carries for 363 yards and 9 TDs) that he became a complete quarterback.  For his effort, Dennis was named 2^ndTeam All-Ohio and invited to play in the Ohio North-South All-Star Game, where he was the starting quarterback for the North.  Subsequently, he received a scholarship to play football for the University of Michigan.

Freshmen were not permitted to participate in Division 1 college football at that time, so he had to tone his skills for a year and await his chance.  It was a year well spent, documented by receipt of the John Maulbetsch Award, given to a freshman football candidate after spring practice on the basis of desire, character, capacity for leadership and future success both on and off the field.  Bo Schemblecher always said that Franklin would have been his starting QB that first year if the NCAA had allowed it.

In Franklin’s sophomore year he was named starting quarterback.  Sportswriters immediately jumped on the novelty that he was the first ever black quarterback at Michigan.  And the writers continued to pound that theme throughout Franklin’s career.  “Every time I’d do an interview, they’d throw that tag on me,” Dennis said.  “It became annoying.  Eventually, it went away.”

Michigan was stellar during those three years with Dennis at the helm, compiling a record of 30-2-1 and winning or tying the Big Ten Championship each year.  Franklin led his team in passing yards and total offense every year and he was voted team captain his senior year.

In spite of the great team record, the nemesis was always Ohio State, coached by the legendary Woody Hayes.  Against OSU, Michigan lost twice (14-11 in 1972 and 12-10 in 1974) and tied once (10-10 in 1973).  In that 1973 game, Ohio State scored 10 points in the second quarter to take an early 10-0 lead.  But Franklin engineered a comeback in the fourth quarter, scoring himself on a 10-yard run off an option play.  Michigan led in total offense 303-234 and Dennis passed for 99 yards.  In spite of the tie, the Wolverines had achieved success, recording their first undefeated season since 1948.  Also, they were named co-national champs by National Championship Foundation and Poling System.

But the tie created a national controversy regarding post-season play.  During that era, the Big Ten sent just one team to a bowl game and traditionally no team went two years in a row.  But although OSU had represented the Big Ten in the Rose Bowl the previous year, the league athletic directors voted 6-4 to snub Michigan in favor of the Buckeyes.  The decision was presumably based on the fact that Franklin had broken his collar bone late in that final game and Michigan would be at a disadvantage without him.  Thus OSU made the trip, to the ire of the Wolverines and Dennis Franklin himself.

“We felt that we had played better than they did,” said Franklin.  “We felt that we should have gone to the Rose Bowl.  I don’t really think it (the injury) should have any impact.  The issue is, ‘do you deserve to go?’  The fact that Ohio State had gone the year before and we played better in the Michigan-Ohio State Game.” – BTN Original documentary “Tiebreaker”

In the 1974 game, Michigan scored first on a 42-yard pass from Franklin to Gil Chapman.  However, they missed a 33-yard field goal at the end that would have won the game.

After the season, Franklin was named 1^st Team All-Big Ten and Honorable Mention All-American.  He also received the Meyer Morton Award, given by M Club of Chicago for the football player that shows the greatest development and most promise as a result of spring practice.

Dennis finished 6th in the voting for the Heisman Trophy that year and concluded his collegiate career by playing in the East-West Shrine Game and the Hula Bowl.

Following college, he was drafted by the Detroit Lions as a wide receiver.  But an injury early in his second season interrupted his career and he finished with just 6 catches for 125 yards.

In 2007, Franklin was inducted into the Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame.  But he was quick to attribute his success to others.  “Whenever you get an honor such as this, that’s exactly what you think,” he said.  “You think of all the friends you met and made … you never make it to something like this on your own.  It takes a lot of cooperation and I’m thankful for all the teammates and coaches that instructed me and had a role in developing me as both an individual and a football player.”  “At Michigan, Coach Schembechler was simply looking for the best player to play the position.  That turned out to be me at that time.” – David Harpster, The Independent

Post-football, Dennis Franklin was vice president of King World Productions for 13 years.  He is currently working in real estate in Beverly Hills, CA.

Story by Don Engelhardt

Homer C. Floyd – Destined To Become a Difference…

Homer Floyd was destined to become a difference maker capable of drawing harmony out of discord.  “In some respects I was a community project,” Floyd recalled. “My mother was ill a lot. I Iived on the Hill, I lived on Tremont Street, I lived with the Toles family in a foster home and I lived with Mrs. Dandridge. I had a lot of people touch my life in a variety of ways. I think all for the good.” (1). “Massillon helped me to get my start,” he said. “I was fortunate for the people involved in my life; they were all nice. Massillon was always nice to me and made certain I got the things I needed to be successful.”

Homer played running back and defensive back for the Tigers from 1952 to 1954.  His championship career started in 1950 when he was a player on the Jones Junior High Undefeated City Championship Team. In his three years playing for the Tigers Massillon was 29-1, beating McKinley all three years.   In 1952 and 1953 under Coach Chuck Mather the Tigers were 10-0 both years, capturing the Ohio State Championship and National Championship each year. In his senior year the team suffered their only defeat in Homer’s three years: a loss at Alliance, 19-7. “Homer Floyd looked like a thoroughbred,” said Coach Tom Harp. “He just bounced when he walked – it was like twinkle-toes or something. Nice looking, streamlined kid. Didn’t weigh much, 155 pounds. Could run like the wind, cut on a dime.” (1)

In his junior year Homer led his team with 78 rushing points and was second in total points with 84. He was named All-County and Honorable Mention All-Ohio. As a senior and Tiger Co-Captain in 1954 under Coach Harp, Homer had an incredible year. He set a school record with a 103-yard pass interception return for a touchdown against Barberton. He was No. 1 in rushing touchdown points with 84, and No. 1 in total points with 104. That year he rushed for 1372 yards with an 8.9 avg. per carry.  Verses McKinley that year, he rushed for 263 yards on 28 carries and scored two touchdowns.  The 263 yards was an all-time single game record and all-time single game vs. McKinley record that stood for 37 years until Travis McGuire rushed for 302 yards against McKinley in 1991.  Homer was Stark County Player of the Year and First Team All-Ohio running back in 1954. Currently Homer ranks fourth in Single Game Rushing All-Time and third in Single Game Rushing All-Time vs. McKinley, having just been passed in both categories by Jamir Thomas in 2018.

ON TO KANSAS

Homer joined former Massillon coach Chuck Mather at the University of Kansas in 1955 after receiving scholarship offers from an estimated 50 schools, including Woody Hayes from Ohio State. But life would be different in Lawrence Kansas. He faced personal rejections. “You and your wife cannot live here,” they said. “You cannot eat here.”  In the theaters African-Americans had to sit in the balcony. Only two of the three theaters in Lawrence had balconies. Homer would use these life experiences to make the world a better place.

Homer was the best football player at Kansas and at the same time Wilt Chamberlain was the best basketball player at Kansas.  From 1956-1958 Homer lettered all three years. He led his team in rushing those three years and led his team in tackles two out of three years. Homer was also Big 8 All-Conference at Kansas in 1958. In his final home game he scored two touchdowns against rival Nebraska for a 29 – 7 victory. It was the biggest margin of victory in the two team’s 66-game series.

During a 1957 game against TCU in Fort Worth Texas, the African -American players had to stay at a different hotel.  Homer shared that on one hand this was a very negative situation, but on the other hand it was a motivating factor in the sense that Chancellor Murphy got promises that it would never happen again. Homer said, “Our coach, Chuck Mather, was very much in the forefront of leading fights for African-Americans and Chancellor Franklin D. Murphy as well. Chancellor Murphy took it up himself to try to correct any issues that came up.”

In October of 2018 Homer shared this story.  In the 1890s Kansas had African-American players on the team. But because of a lawsuit African-American players were not allowed to play football.  No African-American played football for Kansas in the 1900s until John Francisco and John Traylor both from Massillon joined their former Massillon coach Chuck Mather in 1954. It was a year later that Homer Floyd joined the team.  In 1958 Homer enjoyed one of his proudest moments.  He was voted by the players to be co-captain of the team which including himself had only six African-American players. For him to be accepted by his teammates continues to be one of his fondest memories. He shared that many of his white teammates had never been around African-American players. This meant a great deal to Homer. He called his experience at Kansas “Terrific, Absolutely.”

WITH Permission of the University of Kansas Libraries

After Kansas Homer would play a year of Pro Football for the Canadian Football League Edmonton Eskimos in 1959 after being cut by the Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown. “That (getting cut) could have been a blessing in disguise because I went on to have a successful career in other areas,” Floyd said. He realized that there was life after football.

CIVIL RIGHTS

Homer Floyd has been involved in civil rights for 50 years dealing with racial segregation, school integration, equal pay for women, and the resurgence of hate groups.  It was January 19, 1968 when Mr. Floyd, who was Executive Director of the Kansas Commission on Civil Rights, shared the stage with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This would be Dr. King’s last speech to a college audience.  When Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968; found in his coat pocket was note with the name Homer C. Floyd written on it.

On the Washington High School Distinguished Citizen Plague in Massillon, Ohio — it reads:

• 2013
• Homer C. Floyd
• Athletics/Civil Rights
• Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (civil rights enforcement agency) 1970 – 2011
• Settled and/or litigated landmark race and sex discrimination cases in the 70’s and 80’s which opened up opportunities for minorities and women in employment, housing, public accommodations, education.
• Settled numerous cases for persons with disabilities, including a 6.4 million dollar case in the 80’s that improved access to public places statewide.
• Precedence setting race cases in housing involving predatory lending and modification of housing for persons with disabilities.
• From June 1999 to 2011 led the processing and resolution of approximately 55,000 cases resulting in benefits (directly or indirectly) to over 8,000,000 individuals, including $121,000,000 in financial award.
• Executive Director of the Kansas Commission on Civil Rights 1966 – 1970, the Omaha Human Relations Board 1965 – 1966, and the Topeka Human Relations Commission 1964 – 1965.
• Served as a Consultant to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights 1966 – 1970.
• Consultant to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission 1965.
• Consultant to the Government of the Virgin Islands (Labor Dept.) 1980’s.
• Received numerous awards in Civil Rights, including New Pittsburgh Courier (newspaper) Top Hat Award 1970, Outstanding Service Award PA. State NAACP 1979, and 2010.
• Distinguished Pennsylvanian Award by William Penn Committee 1981: IAOHRA Presidents award for outstanding Service 1987, 1993 and 2010: Pa House of Representatives Distinguished Service 2011: the Pa. Senate for Distinguished Service 2010; Talk Magazine Person of the Year 2008; Central Pa Martin Luther King Center ‘Keeper of the Dream Award 2012.”
• U. S. Post Office Legacy Award 2004.
• U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Outstanding Achievement Award 1999 and 2002.
• Pa. State System of Higher Education Cornerstone of Excellence Award 2008.

EDUCATION

Washington High School (1955); B. S. University of Kansas (1961)

picture on the citizens award

In addition Mr. Floyd has done additional work at Fisk University and Washburn University.

Mr. Floyd retired January 2011 after 41 years as Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission. He was honored by The University of Kansas, his alma mater’s Black Alumni Chapter’s African-American Leaders and Innovators Project.

On Mr. Floyd’s 80th birthday he was honored as the “Dean of Civil Rights in Pennsylvania” by the Martin Luther King Leadership Development Institute.

In October of 2018 Mr. Floyd was asked “after your distinguished career what thought or idea would you like to leave with the community of Massillon?”

His answer was profound.  “Access.  Access for the young people.  Access of information, access of people, access of life.”

People from Massillon and Stark County recognize Homer Floyd as a Massillon Tiger Football Hero. But better said – more accurately – Mr. Homer C. Floyd is a true American Hero who happened to be from Massillon and played football for the Tigers.

Mr. Floyd’s Hall of Fame Inductions include:

• Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame, 2007
• Massillon, Ohio Washington High School Wall of Champions, 2012
• Massillon, Ohio Washington High School Distinguished Citizen, 2013
• The University of Kansas K Club Once a Jayhawk, Always a Jayhawk, 2015
• Massillon, Ohio Washington High School Tiger Hall of Fame, 2018

Written by Mike Riordan
Special Thank You to Mr. Homer Floyd
Contributors Ed Grier, Brock Herring, Gary Vogt, Linda Sasavicz

(1) Massillon Memories by Scott H. Shook

** Massillon Players in the 1956 Team Photo with Coach Chuck Mather

# 80 Bruce Brenner
# 33 Homer Floyd
# 43 John Francisco
# 63 Bob Kraus
# 71 Frank Gibson
# 32 Ray Lane
# 84 Jim Letcavits
# 45 Ernie Russell
# 22 John Traylor