An athlete can receive many accolades during his or her playing career, though the crowning jewel for some may come long after their playing days are over. That jewel came recently for a former Logansport resident when he was named to the class of 2010 for Purdue University’s Hall of Fame.
Carl McNulty of Kokomo actually received a call from Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke several months ago telling him of his selection. Burke asked McNulty to inform only his family until Purdue made the official announcement, which it did last week.
When I spoke with McNulty, he fondly remembered the beginning to his playing days here in the Logansport area.
“I went to high school at tiny Washington Township and played ball for a great man named Joe Long. He was instrumental in turning me into the player and man that I became,” said McNulty.
“I played some basketball at Riverside Park and also played a lot of softball down there,” he added.
Unsure of the year, McNulty remembers playing in an outdoor tournament at Riverside against a team from Indianapolis featuring the great Oscar Robertson.
“The two things I remember about that game was they were a very good team and at one point during the game I tipped in a basket over Oscar. Now Oscar probably wouldn’t remember that happening, but to this day I do,” said McNulty.
McNulty graduated from Washington Township in 1948 and was off to Purdue to continue his playing career. Though he may have felt like a little fish in a big pond, McNulty says he adjusted rather quickly.
“The folks at Purdue were just fantastic when I got there. Everyone made me feel welcome and the coaching staff helped me a lot also,” said McNulty. “I didn’t play my freshman year because freshman weren’t eligible back then. When I was a sophomore, Purdue hired a new head coach and I had the opportunity to play for another great coach in Ray Eddy.”
While playing for the Boilermakers, McNulty garnered many accolades and still holds the school’s single-game rebounding record.
Before McNulty began his high school coaching career, he had a shot at the NBA. He was drafted by the Minneapolis Lakers but had already been hired to coach basketball. McNulty told the Lakers he wasn’t interested and they sold his rights to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks were relentless in their pursuit of McNulty and after numerous phone calls from the team, he agreed to give a pro career a shot. The team flew him to New York where he played against the Knickerbockers at famed Madison Square Garden. He then played a home game in Milwaukee, but with a wife and young son, McNulty made the decision to return home.
Upon returning to Indiana he started his first high school coaching job at Rochester. The rest as they say is history.
Among others to join McNulty in the Hall of Fame this year will be former Purdue men’s basketball coach Gene Keady.
“Getting the call from Morgan Burke was really an unexpected thing for me,” says McNulty. “I never really expected anything like this when you consider all the great athletes that have gone through Purdue over the years and they’re not in yet, though I’m sure they will be eventually. I consider it a great honor and I think it’s a good thing for my family.
“To this day, I still have a warm spot in my heart for Purdue and the time that I spent there.”
McNulty and the rest of the class of 2010 will be enshrined at a banquet next month.
Congratulations, Coach!
• Rick Conrad may be reached through the Pharos-Tribune sports department at sports@pharostribune.com.
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