TicketsThe grandson of a slave, London Gant was born in South Carolina. After his childhood home burnt to the ground, his family relocated to Ohio, where he attended Sandusky High School. Gant was unstoppable on the football field, making his opponents miserable. Even before Gant had graduated from high school, he was a local legend, and his athletic ability was the stuff of modern myth. His 53 career touchdowns still stand as a Sandusky record.
However, Gant's greatest prep legacy was in track and field, where he won a pair of state javelin titles and starred on the national stage alongside Cleveland East Tech star Jesse Owens. Gant set a javelin record at the 1932 National Interscholastic Championship in Chicago. Owens followed a year later with milestones in the 100m and broad jump.
In February 1933, despite overtures from the local University of Toledo, Gant announced he'd be attending the University of Cincinnati. He graduated from Sandusky High School in 1933 after becoming the first athlete in state history to earn 12 varsity letters––in football, basketball, and track.
Once Gant became eligible for varsity sports at Cincinnati as a sophomore, he quickly established himself as one of the era's most dominant athletes. The Bearcats football team was coming off a Buckeye Conference co-championship in 1933. Gant––just the second Black player in program history––bolstered the rushing attack as a fullback while serving on special teams as the conference's premier punter.
He faced discrimination early in his sophomore year. UC secured marquee non-conference games against Kentucky and Vanderbilt in 1934, but the southern opponents refused to face a Black player. At their opponents' request, the Bearcats sidelined Gant and lost 27-0 and 32-0 in consecutive weeks without him.
Gant returned to the field by Buckeye play, and the Bearcats tore through the competition, closing the season 3-0-1, outscoring opponents 41-6, and earning an outright conference title. Gant's impact can be felt in his absence, as the team struggled in games without its star. After a 7-2 season in 1935, Gant dealt with nagging injuries throughout his senior year in 1936, including cramps in a blowout loss to West Virginia and a hip injury in a narrow defeat to Dayton. Finally, in the first quarter of a November matchup with Ohio Wesleyan, Gant tore ligaments in his knee. The team finished 0-1-2 without him, scoring just six points to finish 1-5-3. It was the end of Gant's athletic career.
After graduation, Gant worked in a foundry in Cincinnati during World War II and later as a foreman and tavern operator. He married in 1947 and lived the remainder of his life near his family in Sandusky. London Gant died in 1964 following a long battle with cancer. He was 52 years old.
However, Gant's greatest prep legacy was in track and field, where he won a pair of state javelin titles and starred on the national stage alongside Cleveland East Tech star Jesse Owens. Gant set a javelin record at the 1932 National Interscholastic Championship in Chicago. Owens followed a year later with milestones in the 100m and broad jump.
In February 1933, despite overtures from the local University of Toledo, Gant announced he'd be attending the University of Cincinnati. He graduated from Sandusky High School in 1933 after becoming the first athlete in state history to earn 12 varsity letters––in football, basketball, and track.
Once Gant became eligible for varsity sports at Cincinnati as a sophomore, he quickly established himself as one of the era's most dominant athletes. The Bearcats football team was coming off a Buckeye Conference co-championship in 1933. Gant––just the second Black player in program history––bolstered the rushing attack as a fullback while serving on special teams as the conference's premier punter.
He faced discrimination early in his sophomore year. UC secured marquee non-conference games against Kentucky and Vanderbilt in 1934, but the southern opponents refused to face a Black player. At their opponents' request, the Bearcats sidelined Gant and lost 27-0 and 32-0 in consecutive weeks without him.
Gant returned to the field by Buckeye play, and the Bearcats tore through the competition, closing the season 3-0-1, outscoring opponents 41-6, and earning an outright conference title. Gant's impact can be felt in his absence, as the team struggled in games without its star. After a 7-2 season in 1935, Gant dealt with nagging injuries throughout his senior year in 1936, including cramps in a blowout loss to West Virginia and a hip injury in a narrow defeat to Dayton. Finally, in the first quarter of a November matchup with Ohio Wesleyan, Gant tore ligaments in his knee. The team finished 0-1-2 without him, scoring just six points to finish 1-5-3. It was the end of Gant's athletic career.
After graduation, Gant worked in a foundry in Cincinnati during World War II and later as a foreman and tavern operator. He married in 1947 and lived the remainder of his life near his family in Sandusky. London Gant died in 1964 following a long battle with cancer. He was 52 years old.