As word of Houston McTear’s death started spreading Nov. 1, I did what everyone does when trying to confirm the death of someone famous.
I checked the internet.
Within minutes, I got a call from a Baker resident, who is close friends with the McTear family, telling me of Houston’s passing.
A week after his death, it seems as if Houston McTear has been forgotten by the media that couldn’t get enough of him in the mid-1970s to early 1980s.
There have been no stories on espn.com or Sports Illustrated's website. News of Houston’s death has been best chronicled and reported locally, both in the News Bulletin and our sister paper, the Northwest Florida Daily News.
It is as if Houston McTear has been lost in another time four decades ago.
I know that’s not the case, as “9 Seconds,” a movie about Houston, is scheduled to be released next year. But one would think the death of someone of Houston’s one-time stature in the track world would capture more attention.
One's legacy is more than newspaper or web stories. Most lives' impact goes beyond the printed or spoken word.
Houston McTear’s legacy is more than track and field. His legacy is of brothers and sisters, a wife, children and grandchildren.
He doesn’t need another story to secure his legacy.
When I posted on my Facebook page that Houston had passed away, several classmates and teammates shared their memories of Houston’s amazing feats on the track.
One friend told a story of Houston running an anchor leg of a 220-yard relay in less than 20 seconds. If he turned in that time on the first leg, it might have counted as a world record.
Another friend talked about running next to Houston in a 100-yard relay one day. He said everyone else was pushing for all they had and Houston seemed to be running on air. Houston was that kind of runner.
I was a shy kid in high school. And although I competed in some of the same meets as Houston, I never had the nerve to go talk to him.
Looking back, I wish I had taken some time to know Houston McTear, the man, and not just know about history's greatest high school sprinter.
I believe Houston’s legacy lives on in all of us who were fortunate enough to see him run with a raw power and grace that were uniquely his own.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: DICKSON: The legacy of Houston McTear