Dave Alston was an amazing athlete who won
lasting fame in his home county (and considerably beyond) in spite
of the fact that his career and life were tragically ended by a
blood clot at the age of 20. In four
years at Midland high school (1937-1941), he earned a record 12
letters: four letters each
in football, baseball, and basketball. Dave then received a football
scholarship to Penn State and the 6-foot 200-pound halfback led the
1941 freshman team to five straight wins. The following summer, Dave
was taking summer courses at Penn State when doctors decided that he
should have his tonsils removed at Centre Country Hospital in
Bellefonte, near State College. The tonsillectomy was performed at
9am on August 15, 1942, and seemed to be successful, but a blood clot
unexpectedly formed an hour later and blocked the oxygen supply to
his lungs. Dave died at 11:45am after both of his lungs
collapsed. Bob Higgins, head football coach at Penn State at the time, described Dave
Alston as "the greatest football prospect I ever coached, and the
first player I have seen who had all the qualities that made
Jim Thorpe an all time great". There could be no finer tribute to any
athlete.
Dave Alston was an amazing athlete who won
lasting fame in his home county (and considerably beyond) in spite
of the fact that his career and life were tragically ended by a
blood clot at the age of 20. In four
years at Midland high school (1937-1941), he earned a record 12
letters: four letters each
in football, baseball, and basketball. Dave then received a football
scholarship to Penn State and the 6-foot 200-pound halfback led the
1941 freshman team to five straight wins. The following summer, Dave
was taking summer courses at Penn State when doctors decided that he
should have his tonsils removed at Centre Country Hospital in
Bellefonte, near State College. The tonsillectomy was performed at
9am on August 15, 1942, and seemed to be successful, but a blood clot
unexpectedly formed an hour later and blocked the oxygen supply to
his lungs. Dave died at 11:45am after both of his lungs
collapsed. Bob Higgins, head football coach at Penn State at the time, described Dave
Alston as "the greatest football prospect I ever coached, and the
first player I have seen who had all the qualities that made
Jim Thorpe an all time great". There could be no finer tribute to any
athlete.