Denim Millward
Sports Editor
Despite the success of certain athletic programs within ISU, this era of Bengal athletics as a whole can’t objectively be considered to be anything short of a disappointment. The recent lack of success combined with a great deal of time has appeared to have masked the outstanding and world-class athletes that at one time attended, competed for and/or coached at Idaho State University.
Most ISU students have probably heard of Stacy Dragila, or have at least read her name, which adorns the street sign leading into Holt Arena. Dragila, an ISU alumna, was a world-class pole vaulter who, among numerous other achievements, won the first gold medal in women’s pole vaulting in the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
What most probably don’t know is that Dragila is not the first ISU alumnus to win a gold medal. That achievement belongs to Hayes Edward “Big Ed” Sanders. Under the tutelage of legendary Idaho State University boxing coach Milton “Dubby” Holt (after whom the former ASISU Minidome was re-christened Holt Arena in 1988,) Sanders dominated his collegiate competition, never losing a bout in a collegiate dual meet.
Sanders joined the Navy in 1951 and found more notable success with the U.S. Navy Boxing Team. Sanders’ notable accomplishments there included a defeat of Navy Heavyweight Champion Kirby Seals and winning the Golden Gloves tournament in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Sanders then turned his sights to qualifying for the 1952 Olympic team. Sanders suffered a defeat at the hands of Lloyd Willis in the Mid-West Regionals in Omaha, Neb., but still advanced to the finals by virtue of his previous victory over Seals. Sanders and Willis met again in Kansas City, Mo., for the final spot on the Olympic squad. Despite coming into the fight with a broken hand, Sanders quickly exacted revenge, knocking out Willis with a left hook about a minute into the contest.
Sanders made the most of his opportunity in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland, knocking out three of his first four opponents, the other withdrawing due to injury. Sanders’ gold medal bout lives in infamy to this day. His Swedish opponent, who some claim was afraid of Sanders’ devastating power, circled the edges of the ring for the first round, entirely avoiding entering into conflict with Sanders. After this strategy was repeated in the second round, Sanders’ opponent was disqualified and Sanders was declared the victor.
Not only was Ed Sanders an Olympic gold medalist, he was the first African-American Olympic Heavyweight Champion, and the first American to win gold in that weight class since 1904.
As for Sanders’ gold medal opponent, Ingemar Johansson, he would eventually become Heavyweight champion of the world after defeating Floyd Patterson.
Sanders eventually turned professional and fought eight times in nine months, a feat unheard of today.
On Dec. 12, 1954, on what turned out to be Sanders’ final bout, an uncharacteristically-listless Sanders was knocked out by New England Heavyweight Champion Willie James in Boston, Mass. Sanders, who had complained of headaches prior to the fight with James, never regained consciousness and died 18 hours later.
When the phrase “notable ISU athletics alumni” is mentioned, the first name to be mentioned is nearly always Jared Allen, former Bengal football player and current defensive end for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. From his various wacky hairstyles to his penchant for giving quarterbacks nightmares, Allen is certainly memorable to say the least.
What is completely overlooked and one of the most interesting storylines in the NFL from an ISU standpoint can be seen when Allen’s Vikings face off against their arch nemeses, the Green Bay Packers. These contests feature Allen and his defensive line battling with the Green Bay offensive linemen, which includes former Bengal Evan Dietrich-Smith, who starts for the Packers at center.
Dietrich-Smith took a much more circuitous route to NFL stardom than Allen. While Allen was drafted in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft, Dietrich-Smith was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent and eventually cut.
After a brief stint with the Seattle Seahawks, Dietrich-Smith was re-signed by the Packers and gradually worked his way into the starting role. While he may not have the name recognition or notoriety that Allen does in the Gate City, anchoring the offensive line in the confines of historic Lambeau Field for one of the best quarterbacks in the world (Aaron Rodgers,) is no small feat.
