Infinite Tucker Meets 1949 Huntington Track Star
He was standing there along the railing in the Blue Devil Stadium bleachers watching the Dennis Walker Championship Classic last Saturday. An older man wearing a hat that proclaimed him a Korean War veteran, few people in the crowd knew that Paul Johnson was once a Huntington High School track star himself and still retains an interest in the sport.
A member of Huntington’s Class of 1949, Mr. Johnson served in the US Army in Korea before enjoying a long career with the Long Island Lighting Company. As a Blue Devil, he was one of the best ever.
When Mr. Johnson attended Huntington High School it was located on Main Street in what today serves as Town Hall. Baseball and football games and track and field meets were held across the street on the Heckscher Park athletic fields. A cinder track oval surrounded the football field. If you know where to look, you can still spot cinder remains from that track near the present day tennis court complex.
Last Saturday, Mr. Johnson was in a very good mood, smiling broadly as he discussed his high school years, including a legendary run-in with Principal Robert L. Simpson. That’s a story for another time.
Nicknamed “Johnny,” the 1949 yearbook notes that Mr. Johnson was an “active, energetic track star” and that he liked “girls, photography and good times” but that he “dislikes work.” That last notation is ironic since the Huntington alum is widely known as one of the hardest working individuals a person can come across. Even at 85 years old, he can still put in a full day of activity.
That same yearbook noted that Mr. Johnson’s future plans included becoming an “x-ray technician.” That never happened, but in addition to his work at LILCO, he did become a community activist that worked tirelessly for what he felt was right.
When someone spotted Mr. Johnson in the bleachers last Saturday they asked recently retired district Director of Facilities Alvin White to bring the former track star down to the field.
It just so happened that Blue Devil head coach Ron Wilson, who knows Mr. Johnson quite well and retired coach Dennis Walker, who was honored at the meet that bears his name were both nearby. The two coaches quickly came over and warmly greeted Mr. Johnson, who seemed to revel in being treated as a celebrity of sorts.
Blue Devil track and field star Infinite Tucker was walking nearby, too. Someone asked Mr. Tucker to come and meet Mr. Johnson, who is 67 years removed from his days as one of Huntington’s most fleet-footed athletes ever.
Mr. Tucker responded as he always does when meeting new people, introducing himself in his own charismatic way and putting his arm around Mr. Johnson while a series of photographs were snapped.
When Mr. Johnson was told that Mr. Tucker is one of the top high school track athletes in the country, his eyes lit up. When it was mentioned that the Huntington senior is headed to the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the 1949 alum’s eyes got even bigger.
But, Mr. Johnson didn’t want to talk about Mr. Tucker’s swift times in the hurdles or relay events or how far he can long jump. Instead, he urged the teenager to study hard and to remember that he is going to college to get an education, not just to be an athlete. The two chatted cordially for several minutes before it was time for Mr. Tucker to begin warming up for his next event.
“It was an absolutely beautiful sight to see these two Huntington track stars separated by nearly seven decades making the connection they did and getting along so well,” Mr. Wilson said. “It was a priceless moment in time and something very special for all of us.”
Mr. Johnson walked away happy that his alma mater still remembers him and his achievements.