Once again, there is one less living storyteller, with the passing of Gene Fekete last Thursday, as reported in Bob Hunters Column today. Gene of course was one of the few remaining survivors of the '42 National Championship team.

I met Gene when I first started this project and he graciously spent an hour talking into my recorder in his kitchen one night. Gene has a special place in this heart because he was one of the first "big names" to grant me an interview. I remember several things about the day he welcomed me into his Upper Arlington home not far from campus. First was the shrine he showed me with all of his awards, photos, and memorabilia. Second was his sense of humor and his big hearty laugh. Third, and most lasting, was the tenderness and love he showed that evening in caring for his wife, who he explained was beginning to suffer from dementia.

As we sat and talked about the good old days, about Woody, about Esco, Gene had me splitting my side. He was genuine nice guy, a good guy. I was on the sideline when the honored the '42 team in the stadium, in 2007 I think it was. I snapped a picture of Gene waving to the crowd with a smile a mile wide and sent it to him.

The thing I remember most about Gene though was his telling me how he became the good running back that he was. Gene hailed from Findlay Ohio, about 20 miles down the road from here. He told me his brother, I believe it was, made him go out into the farm fields and practice running sprints across the plowed fields. So that's what he did. And did. And did. As an old soil conservationist, I've walked a few rough plowed fields in my day. If you have every tried that, well then you know how that made Gene Fekete, and why he holds the mark for the longest Ohio State run from scrimmage at 89 yards - a mark that has stood for 68 years, a mark that has never been beaten, and a mark that just last year was tied for the very first time.

Rest in peace my friend.