Rafer Johnson

Rafer Johnson died yesterday.

I met Rafer Johnson at UCLA just before he became the world's greatist athlete. He was a freshman. He would go on to play basketball for Coach Wooden and to set new world records in the decathalon three times. 

Johnson was one of the men who tackled the armed Sirhan Sirhan after he'd murdered Robert Kennedy. 

My encounter with Johnson mostly consisted of one pingpong game in which we were partners in a doubles match. We won!