The great Payton Jordan dies

[lkh]

@Charlie_Francis

I just heard this morning.
I’m glad to have had the chance to see him with Ange and James 4 years ago in Santa Barbara while visiting a client and I stayed in touch till he moved back to the LA area about a year ago to be closer to his daughters.
He stayed remarkably fit (12.91e 100m at 70!) and looked pretty much the way I remembered from all those years ago.
It was interesting to find out some of the things he’d done through other parties. For example, while I was with the St Louis Rams, Dick Vermiel told me that Peyton had helped him get his first head coaching job at UCLA after he’d been an assistant at Stanford. He also got my old teammate, Kevin McNair his coaching job at Occidental (Kevin passed away this summer).
I also know he stayed in touch with Tommy Smith and John Carlos over all the years since Mexico City in 1968 when he was the head track coach of the US Olympic team.

I remember watching Payton Jordan run 200 in 34-something at the age of 84 or 85. He died holding these masters world records:

100m 80-84 14.35 (set at the age of 80)
200m 80-84 30.89 (also set at the age of 80)

BTW, Tommie Smith retired a couple of years ago after being the long-time track coach at Santa Monica College.