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NCAA tournament in those days, meaning Purdue were mostly a pleasant experience Merriweather's college career ended with a for Merriweather. Robertson, he said, expe93-87 win at Ohio State. Along with his Allrienced more conflict at Cincinnati. MerriBig Ten honor, he was voted a Helms Founweather avoided the potential for trouble by dation All-American. keeping to himself, mostly by focusing on That '59 team certainly made an impreshis studies. He majored in physical therapy sion on Terry Dischinger, a freshman at Purand biology, and says he made the Dean's due that season. Freshmen were not eligible List a few times. He thought about becomto play on the varsity then, but Dischinger ing an athletic trainer, and worked some saw the team first-hand every day in prac- Merriweather enters under Purdue's legendary trainer of the Purdue's Hall of Fame time, Pinky Newell. He pursued his love for tice and at its games. this fall. "That Purdue team was as good as it science instead — he took 64 hours of it — gets," Dischinger said. "Nowadays they'd with an eye on teaching. He also tutored his have a long run in the NCAA. But only one team went. roommate, Austin, to help keep him eligible. And (the seniors) were quality guys. They treated us He was drafted with the 59th pick by the St. Loufreshmen with a lot of respect. is Hawks of the NBA, but was unable to participate "I felt Merriweather was such a smooth player. It in training camp because of his military obligation. didn't seem like he was ever in a panic mode or ex- He could receive a deferment only by taking a teachtending more energy than he needed. And he was very ing position, so he taught science classes at Attucks good fundamentally." for two years. He also began playing for the Holland, Merriweather enjoyed his time at Purdue, largely Mich., team in the North American Basketball League, because he was able to navigate the social norms of a semi-professional league that featured high-qualithe time. He had attended an all-white school in India- ty talent in an era when the NBA had just eight or napolis from Grades 4 through 8, so the adjustment to nine teams. He then moved to Detroit to be closer to Purdue's campus wasn't as difficult as it had been for Holland, and took a teaching job there. He wound up other blacks. Purdue's enrollment included only a few working in five different schools, moving up from juhundred blacks at the time. According to Merriweath- nior high school teacher to high school teacher to aser, only a handful of them were female. sistant principal to principal. He also coached some, "And all of them were ugly," he said, laughing. and was the de-facto head coach (although another "They had all the dates they wanted. Purdue was an man held the title) at Martin Luther King High School engineering school, so it didn't attract any good-look- when future Naismith Hall of Famer George Gervin ing girls." played there. Black athletes, however, were expected not to soMerriweather was a father figure for Gervin, who cialize with the white girls. When Mackey found out came from a single-parent home, and they have reAustin had been seen talking with a white girl, he mained close. Gervin once offered Merriweather a threatened to send him back to his hometown of Buf- one-acre lot off his property outside of San Antonio falo. He then called in Merriweather and said he would (Merriweather turned it down because of all the pay him $100 per month — well beyond the monthly snakes and rodents), and the two recently traveled to stipend given athletes for laundry and other inciden- China together on behalf of the NBA. tals — to warn the other black athletes against talking Gervin was a skinny, troubled 13-year-old when Merwith the white girls. Merriweather did so, but without riweather came into his life and instilled discipline much conviction. and a work ethic. If one of Merriweather's players "They're paying me to keep you guys in line, so stay didn't shoot a layup correctly — with both hands on in line," he'd tell them. the ball and laying it off the backboard — and missed, "You're like the coach's son," they'd jokingly reply. he had to run over to the coach and accept a swat on Given the nature of the time, however, the years at his behind with a whistle lanyard or jump rope. The 89 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 1 f