By Gary Ruegsegger
Downtowner Contributing Editor

Weeks before the Monarchs’ inaugural kickoff last year, Art Rudman - Bobby Wilder’s high school championship coach - knew the season would be something special.

Rudman was right and what a year it was! Coach Wilder called his new job, “A dream come true.” His team packed Foreman Field and posted a stellar 9-2 record. It was a season for the ages.

But before the ODU Board of Visitors even voted to restart football or Wilder was ever interviewed, 90- yearold Johnny “Jackrabbit” Brown sparkled as the university’s top pitchman for reviving the sport on the Hampton Blvd. campus.

Brown, often called “Norfolk’s Jim Thorpe,” carried the ball as only he can do. The late George Hughes, an All-Pro lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers, provided some downfield blocking as only Big George could.

A decorated B-29 airman, Hughes was always intrigued by the legend of Major Carl T. Hull Jr. calling it “a story looking for a writer.” George decided I should be that writer.

Hull flew out of West Field on Tinian Island (home base of the Enola Gay). After finishing his full complement of 35 missions, he volunteered to fly his B-29 - affectionately dubbed Hull’s Angel – one last time.

He never came home from that bombing raid on Kobe, Japan. After they dropped their payload, two Japanese fighters attacked the Angel – “a great sheet of flame enveloped the B-29 and the left wing fell off.” Eight parachutes opened.

Captured in their lifeboats, the crew were tried as war criminals and beheaded. A month earlier, Hull had become a father. He never saw his child or his 28th birthday.

Although Hughes had never met Hull, he insisted his story be told: “You’ve got to talk with Johnny Brown. He played with Carl at the Division. Here’s Johnny’s number – call him.”

Nobody ever said “no” to Big George. He could - and often did - crack walnuts in his bare hands. I respectfully made the call.

“In Search of Carl T. Hull Jr.” appeared in the August 2005 issue of “The Downtowner,” but Johnny had more than one article in mind. Like Big George, nobody says “no” to the Jackrabbit. A tank commander under Gen. Patton in World War II, Brown knew only one way to fight – attack, attack, attack. Like John Paul Jones, I had not yet begun to write.

Soon a cover story “ODU’s Gridiron Ghosts” (Nov. 17, 2007) appeared in “The Compass” saluting Division football coach Tommy Scott. In the meantime, Johnny and several of his Division teammates appeared on the cover of “Old Dominion University: A Magazine for Alumni and Friends.” At the spring practice game, the “legends of Old Dominion football,” adorned in green and gold replica jerseys (compliments of Brown), were honored by the university.

Two Compass stories (5-24-09 and 8-30-09) and a couple more Downtowner articles (March and August 2009) followed. And then the book “Before They Were Monarchs,” co-authored with Johnny Brown, was published in August 2009. The title is still available at Prince Books and the Old Dominion University Bookstore.

Then a call from WAVY-TV anchor Tom Schaad. He and photojournalist Colin McIntyre teamed up to do the series “Monarch Madness” which won four regional Emmys (National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter). Their piece on “Johnny ‘Jackrabbit’ Brown” earned the Emmy for Best Sports News Story.

“His story is so far removed from today’s generation of athletes. I was in awe as he explained the tales of sacrifice and lessons learned from those rough and tumble days of Depression-era football, and how they helped shape a man of true character and grit,” recalled Schaad.

Rooster Cogburn has nothing on Jackrabbit Brown.

Forever the coach, Johnny had to take the anchorman down on the field to run some drills. For 20 minutes, they zigged, jigged and jagged on Foreman Field’s new turf. Johnny later assessed Schaad’s performance: “Tom’s got some real athletic ability. He needs a little coaching, but I could have used him at Granby. He throws a nice tight spiral.”

On Sept. 5, 2009 - in the school’s first football game in almost 70 years - cheerleaders, a marching band, a contingent of 20,000 screaming fans and Johnny Brown welcomed the Monarch team.

Just like at Normandy, the 82nd Airborne dropped from the sky. Parachutes opened. This time – rather than guns and grenades – they delivered the game ball. As three paratroopers handed the pigskin to the old tank commander, a broad smile came to the Jackrabbit’s lips.

He eventually tossed the ball to Sugie Jarrett, wife of ODU athletic director Jim Jarrett and daughter of Tommy Scott. Johnny Brown and Carl Hull once babysat her when they played for Scott.

As the Monarchs tee up for another exciting season, the old Jackrabbit is still ready, willing and able to run.

Go, Monarchs! Win one for the Jackrabbit!