A discus athlete competes at a high school track and field meet at Bishop T.K. Gorman Catholic School in Tyler, Texas, on Tuesday, March 27, 2018. (Chelsea Purgahn/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

For 25 years, the Rev. Jerome Milton turned Bishop Gorman Catholic School into one of the premier track programs in not only Texas, but around the nation.

Rev. Milton led the Crusaders and Lady Crusaders to 10 TAPPS state track & field championships, including eight straight from 1999 to 2006, along with 16 district titles. Three times TKG won both the both and girls state titles. Seven times his boys’ teams finished as state runners-up. Also, some 125 athletes during his tenure earned college scholarships.

On Tuesday, the track at McCallum Stadium was dedicated as the Rev. Jerome Rocky Milton Track Home of Champions by Gorman athletic director Rod Kaspar and blessed by Chaplain Charles Vreeland and Deacon Bill Necessary.

Two of his former athletes — Kristina Ross and Patrick Cunningham — gave emotional testimonies about Rev. Milton.

Ross, who was a part of three state title teams from 1999-2001 and later went to Dartmouth College and is now a lawyer with the Tyler firm of Beard & Harris, called Rev. Milton her “poppa, second father and mentor” and touted the “love and respect” from his former athletes.

An emotional Cunningham, who competed for Rev. Milton from 2011 to 2014, said the reverend “pushed us to our limits and inspired us to see the potential we could achieve.”

When Milton took over the track program the team consisted of seven athletes. He made the students want to be a part of his program, eventually suiting up close to 100 athletes each season. After his retirement from coaching, Rev. Milton became the athletic scholarship facilitator. His achievements earned him a spot in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd.

Rev. Milton, one of the top orators around gave a number of “thank yous” beginning “with the Lord to Monsignor Milam Joseph to former Gorman AD Joe Prud’homme (now head football coach at Texas Wesleyan University) for hiring him to Bishop Joe Strickland to his wife Charlnee and his nine children to Gorman parents and teachers.

Rev. Milton, also pastor at Greater New Pleasant Hill Missionary Baptist Church, added, “In conclusion, to all my athletes; we will forever be one team with one dream; one vision with one mission; we will run for fun we will run for number one with pride in every stride and grace in every place. God bless you.”

Father Vreeland prayed to God “for those who use this track, for the enrichment of companionship and together offer You praise that is Your due.”

Milton was put into a foster home with terrible conditions and abuse as a youngster. He was placed in 13 different foster homes and suffered more abuse before he landed in his final home with Florence Johnson Brown, who told him, “Don’t let your abuse be your excuse.”

Milton accepted Christ and went on to play football and run track at UCLA.

 

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