John Tillman was a quiet, unassuming student-athlete during his years at North High School in the 1960s. In the heyday of rock and roll, he was more of a cool jazz type, just chilling even when things heated up.
When the North track coaches left his name off the half-miler’s roster, he didn’t protest. Instead, he calmly gathered his things, then headed for home.
However, before Tillman could reach the parking lot, one of his teammates alerted him that he had been added to the “rinks list” – runners designated to start at the back of the pack in a distance event…