George Short

George Douglas Short (born 5 May 1941) is a Canadian former sprinter and football player. From Saskatoon, he began competing in track and field in high school and won the Saskatchewan championships in two events in 1958. The following year, he the national high school record in the 100-yard dash and participated in the 1959 Pan American Games in three events, with a best finish of sixth in the 4 × 100 metres relay. He set the Saskatchewan record in the 100 metres in the Olympic trials and then competed in the men's 100 metres and the 4 × 100 metres relay at the 1960 Summer Olympics.

Also a football player in high school, Short was a member of the national champion Saskatoon Hilltops junior team in 1959 and enrolled at the University of Iowa in 1960 to compete in track and play for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team. After being the leading scorer for Iowa's freshman football team, he transferred to Oregon State University in 1961, before returning to Canada in 1962 and joining the University of Alberta, where he played football. He was selected in the fourth round of the 1964 CFL draft by the Calgary Stampeders and retired from track to focus on football, signing with the Stampeders in 1965, though he did not make the team. Short continued playing football while studying at the University of Calgary in 1967 and at the University of Windsor in 1969, receiving selection as first-team All-Canadian with the latter. After his graduation from Windsor, he served many years as an administrator at Sir George Williams University and then Concordia University. Short is an inductee to the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Early life Short was born on 5 May 1941 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He attended Bedford Road Collegiate where he competed in football and track and field. He started training in track for the first time in 1958, at age 17, and quickly showed talent. That year, he participated at the Saskatchewan Open Track and Field Championships and became the champion in the 100 metres and the 220-yard dash, qualifying for the Canadian national championships.

At an unsanctioned meet in 1959, Short ran a time of 9.8 seconds in the 100-yard dash, the national record for high school students. Short also remained active in football, playing junior football for the Saskatoon Hilltops and helping them to the Manitoba–Saskatchewan Junior League championship title and then the national title.

Olympics At the 1960 Canadian Olympic trials, Short won the semifinals with a time of 10.2 seconds, which would have been a national record, but was unable to be recorded due to there being wind of four miles per hour. In the finals, he placed third, behind Lynn Eves and Harry Jerome, who had a world-record time of 10.0 seconds. He thus qualified for the Olympics, competing in the 100 metres and the 4 × 100 metres relay. Describing his career, he later recalled that he "came out of nowhere" and said that he had much less experience and training than others.

Football career Later that year, Short decided to enroll at the University of Iowa in the U.S. on a track and American football scholarship. He had decided to go Iowa after a chance encounter with Deacon Jones, who competed there, at the Olympic Village. He was the fastest player on Iowa's freshman football team in 1960 and finished as their leading scorer. Short transferred to Oregon State University in 1961 and trained with the Oregon State Beavers football team, though he was ineligible to play due to transfer rules. He competed at the 1964 Western Canadian track championships, winning silver in the 400 metres and a gold medal in the 4 × 400m relay. Short later announced his retirement to focus solely on football. After a third season of football at Alberta in 1964, he signed with the Stampeders in May 1965. However, he later left the team in July at the start of the season. He later explained that "I was cut during camp ... without any explanation. It was quite a blow. I really wanted to play professional football". He received a Bachelor of Education degree from Calgary, already having a Bachelor of Physical Education from the University of Alberta. After graduating from Calgary, he enrolled at the University of Windsor studying for a master's degree and joined the Windsor Lancers football team, at 28 years old. Short was claimed by the Stampeders in 1969, but then released by them in February 1970.

Later life Short started living in Windsor, Ontario, in 1969, and eventually graduated from the University of Windsor with a master's degree in physical education. At the same time, he worked as director of physical education for Sandwich High School and served six years as their coach in football and track and field, later adding the duties of wrestling coach and basketball coach. He has also ran several sports programs, starting with a soccer camp in 1984, under the brand "Future Stars". Short married and had two daughters.