密歇根新闻广播 11万名球迷感谢越战老兵和密歇根足球俱乐部

During every University of Michigan football game for the past few years, they've honored a veteran, some going back to World War II. But even by those standards, Saturday's was special.

Mike Lantry grew up in Oxford¹, Michigan, where he starred in football and set a shot put record that lasted 50 years.

After he graduated in 1966, he signed up for three years in the Army, joining the famed 82nd Airborne in Vietnam. When he returned in 1970, he enrolled² at Michigan, and joined the football team.

Lantry never wore his Army jacket, or talked about the war. He wanted to get on with his life, which now included a wife and a son, Mike Jr., and kicking for one of the nation's best football teams.

Lantry set Michigan's record for longest field goal in 1973, the same year this photo was taken.

In 1973, Lantry set Michigan's record for the longest field goal, then broke it a few minutes later – just one reason Michigan crushed its first ten opponents.

That set up a showdown with Ohio State for the Big Ten title. The winner would likely have a straight shot at the national title.

With the score tied 10-10, Lantry had a chance to win it, with a kick from the 44-yard line. His kick barely missed, and the game ended in a tie. For the first time in Big Ten history, the athletic³ directors broke the tie by voting to send Ohio State to the Rose Bowl. Michigan stayed home.

The next year Michigan was just as good, once again plowing⁴ through the first ten games undefeated. Lantry set more records and had another chance to beat Ohio State with a last-minute field goal.

He lined up on the far-right side of the field, and blasted the ball so high it was hard to tell if he'd made it. Ohio State fans who sat directly behind Lantry would write letters to Michigan coach Bo Schembechler asserting that Lantry's kick was good.

But the referees⁵ waved it off. No good. As Schembechler later said, "Those refs knew where they were reffing!"

Mike Lantry walked back to the bench, and sat there by himself for an eternity⁶. When the team bus returned to Ann Arbor⁷, he sat in the back, long after his teammates got off, alone with his thoughts.

After an injury ended his NFL career, Lantry started a successful business he still runs today.

When Lantry looks back on his three years in Vietnam and his three years on Michigan's varsity squad⁸, he says the same thing: "I did my best."

But Lantry had never been thanked by his country for his service, or by Michigan fans for his play.

During Saturday's game against Ohio State, the announcer asked the crowd to turn their attention to the north end zone.

There, a 69-year old man with white hair and a white beard stood motionless, while the announcer re-introduced Mike Lantry to the faithful. They cheered while he told them of Lantry's tour of duty in Vietnam, his 33 games as Michigan's starting kicker, and all his records.

The cheering grew word by word, building to a crescendo⁹. The Michigan crowd always cheers loudly for the veterans, and rightly so, but for Lantry, the cheers were a little louder, a little longer. They understood.

When the announcer finished, Lantry raised his hand, and stepped forward to the goal line, while 112,000 fans rose to their feet. They were giving him the bear hug he deserved back in 1970, and 1974.

Lantry stepped back, and the moment was over.

But, he said, "I'll remember that forever."

John U. Bacon is the author of eight books on sports and business. His current book, Playing Hurt: My Journey from Despair to Hope, coauthored with John Saunders, is his fifth New York Times bestseller.

1 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

2 enrolled   

adj.入学登记了的v.[亦作enrol]( enroll的过去式和过去分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They have been studying hard from the moment they enrolled. 从入学时起，他们就一直努力学习。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He enrolled with an employment agency for a teaching position. 他在职业介绍所登了记以谋求一个教师的职位。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

4 plowing   

v.耕( plow的现在分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• "There are things more important now than plowing, Sugar. "如今有比耕种更重要的事情要做呀，宝贝儿。 来自飘（部分）
• Since his wife's death, he has been plowing a lonely furrow. 从他妻子死后，他一直过着孤独的生活。 来自辞典例句

5 referees   

n.裁判员( referee的名词复数 )；证明人；公断人；（专业性强的文章的）审阅人

参考例句：

• The fiery player has had numerous run-ins with referees. 这位脾气暴躁的队员曾和裁判员发生过无数次争吵。
• If you want to appeal, the Court of Referees will decide. 如果你要上诉，可以由仲裁法庭去判决。 来自辞典例句

6 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

7 arbor   

n.凉亭；树木

参考例句：

• They sat in the arbor and chatted over tea.他们坐在凉亭里，边喝茶边聊天。
• You may have heard of Arbor Day at school.你可能在学校里听过植树节。

8 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

9 crescendo   

n.(音乐)渐强，高潮

参考例句：

• The gale reached its crescendo in the evening.狂风在晚上达到高潮。
• There was a crescendo of parliamentary and press criticism.来自议会和新闻界的批评越来越多。