Franklin Jacobs
Encyclopedia
Franklin Jacobs is a former high jump
er from the United States
. His personal best of 2.32 metre was a world indoor record in 1978, and at 59 centimetres (23.2 in) above Jacobs' own height of 1.73 metre, it remains the record for height differential, now held jointly with Stefan Holm
, and the record for jump at highest rate of one's size.
. His parents separated when he was young. The impoverished family moved to Paterson, New Jersey
when he was three and lived with four cousins. His first love was basketball
, and he played for Paterson East-side High. He only started high jumping in his senior year, after the end of the basketball season. He cleared 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) that year. His natural talent overcame his lack of technique: he called his style the "Jacobs Slop", as opposed to the Fosbury Flop
; but later renamed it the "Slope", from the trajectory of his launch.
Jacobs barely graduated high school and got no athletic scholarship
, but enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University
in Teaneck, New Jersey
with a federal grant. He cleared 7 in 1 in (2.16 m) in his freshman year. In March 1977 he tore cartilage
in his right leg playing basketball, but competed for over a year without surgery. He established a rivalry with Dwight Stones
over the next two years, with media emphasizing the contrast between Jacobs, a short inner-city African American
, and Stones, a tall blond California
n. Stones antagonized Jacobs by criticizing his unorthodox jumping style. Jacobs beat Stones at the 1978 Millrose Games
in Madison Square Garden
, at which he set a world indoor record of 2.32 metre. He waived his right to try for an even higher record, saying he "didn't feel nervous enough". The next day, Vladimir Yashchenko
broke the record in Milan. In July, at a highly publicized international between the U.S. and the Soviet Union
, Jacobs lost to Yashchenko on countback. In August, Jacobs won the Tanqueray
Award for outstanding amateur athlete
; by then he had won 27 collegiate events.
Jacobs anticipated gaining lucrative endorsements from the 1980 Olympics
, but the U.S. boycott of the Games precluded this. He was extremely disappointed and wanted to skip the U.S. "Olympic Trials"; he attended by request of his college, but failed his opening height. He gave up the high jump and did not return to college. A planned return to competition in 1982 did not happen. In 1991, he commented, "I was upset and my dreams were shattered. I probably could have come back in 1984
, but I was a naive kid. It was like the floor fell in."
He subsequently had various jobs around Paterson, working for a construction company 1986–91. He married Naomi Livingston c.1990 and had a daughter Shannon in 1992. Around 1995, they moved to Gilbert, Arizona
. In 1998 he was working for an electrical installation company. That year, he attended a Millrose Games tribute to stars of memorable previous meets.
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
er from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. His personal best of 2.32 metre was a world indoor record in 1978, and at 59 centimetres (23.2 in) above Jacobs' own height of 1.73 metre, it remains the record for height differential, now held jointly with Stefan Holm
Stefan Holm
Stefan Christian Holm is a retired Swedish high jumper. He has won an Olympic gold medal, a silver in the World Championships, and one silver and one bronze medal in the European Championships...
, and the record for jump at highest rate of one's size.
Biography
Jacobs was one of ten children of Jannie Jacobs, living in a shack in Mullins, South CarolinaMullins, South Carolina
Mullins is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 5,029.Incorporated on March 4, 1872, Mullins was named after Col. William S...
. His parents separated when he was young. The impoverished family moved to Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
when he was three and lived with four cousins. His first love was basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and he played for Paterson East-side High. He only started high jumping in his senior year, after the end of the basketball season. He cleared 6 in 8 in (2.03 m) that year. His natural talent overcame his lack of technique: he called his style the "Jacobs Slop", as opposed to the Fosbury Flop
Fosbury Flop
The Fosbury Flop is a style used in the athletics event of high jump. It was popularized and perfected by American athlete Dick Fosbury, whose gold medal in the 1968 Summer Olympics brought it to the world's attention...
; but later renamed it the "Slope", from the trajectory of his launch.
Jacobs barely graduated high school and got no athletic scholarship
Athletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
, but enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university founded as a junior college in 1942. It now has several campuses located in New Jersey, Canada, and the United Kingdom.-Description:...
in Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
with a federal grant. He cleared 7 in 1 in (2.16 m) in his freshman year. In March 1977 he tore cartilage
Articular cartilage injuries
Cartilage structures and functions can relatively easily be harmed, often resulting in damage. Such damage can result from a variety of causes, resulting from a bad fall or sport-accident , previous knee injuries or wear and tear over time...
in his right leg playing basketball, but competed for over a year without surgery. He established a rivalry with Dwight Stones
Dwight Stones
Dwight Edwin Stones is an American television commentator and a two-time Olympic bronze medalist and former three-time world record holder in the men's high jump. During his 16-year career, he won 19 national championships. In 1984, Stones became the first athlete to both compete and announce at...
over the next two years, with media emphasizing the contrast between Jacobs, a short inner-city African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, and Stones, a tall blond California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n. Stones antagonized Jacobs by criticizing his unorthodox jumping style. Jacobs beat Stones at the 1978 Millrose Games
Millrose Games
The Millrose Games is an annual indoor athletics meet held on the first Friday in February in New York City. They will be held at the Armory in Washington Heights in 2012, after having taken place in Madison Square Garden from 1914 to 2011...
in Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, at which he set a world indoor record of 2.32 metre. He waived his right to try for an even higher record, saying he "didn't feel nervous enough". The next day, Vladimir Yashchenko
Vladimir Yashchenko
Vladimir Ilyich Yashchenko or Volodymyr Yashchenko was a member of the USSR national team and former world record holder in the high jump . He first broke the record at age 18, at the USA-USSR dual meet in Richmond, Virginia, 1977...
broke the record in Milan. In July, at a highly publicized international between the U.S. and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Jacobs lost to Yashchenko on countback. In August, Jacobs won the Tanqueray
Tanqueray
Tanqueray is a brand of British gin produced in Scotland by Diageo Plc and marketed world-wide.-History:Tanqueray Gin was initially distilled in 1830 by Charles Tanqueray in the Bloomsbury district of London. When Charles died in 1868, his son Charles Waugh Tanqueray inherited the distillery, which...
Award for outstanding amateur athlete
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
; by then he had won 27 collegiate events.
Jacobs anticipated gaining lucrative endorsements from the 1980 Olympics
Athletics at the 1980 Summer Olympics - Men's high jump
The Men's High Jump event at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union had an entrylist of 30 competitors. The final was held on Friday 1980-08-01.-Athletes absent because of the boycott :-Medalists:-Qualification:*Held on Thursday July 31, 1980...
, but the U.S. boycott of the Games precluded this. He was extremely disappointed and wanted to skip the U.S. "Olympic Trials"; he attended by request of his college, but failed his opening height. He gave up the high jump and did not return to college. A planned return to competition in 1982 did not happen. In 1991, he commented, "I was upset and my dreams were shattered. I probably could have come back in 1984
Athletics at the 1984 Summer Olympics - Men's High Jump
These are the official results of the Men's High Jump event at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. The final was held on Saturday August 11, 1984.-Medalists:-Abbreviations:*All results shown are in metres-Records:...
, but I was a naive kid. It was like the floor fell in."
He subsequently had various jobs around Paterson, working for a construction company 1986–91. He married Naomi Livingston c.1990 and had a daughter Shannon in 1992. Around 1995, they moved to Gilbert, Arizona
Gilbert, Arizona
-Demographics:As of July 1, 2009, Maricopa Association of Governments, Census 2000. United States Census Bureau. there were 217,521 people, 74,147 housing units, and 3.01 persons per household....
. In 1998 he was working for an electrical installation company. That year, he attended a Millrose Games tribute to stars of memorable previous meets.
Championship results
| Year | Tournament | Venue | Result | Height (m) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | NCAA Outdoor NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and... |
Champaign, Illinois Champaign, Illinois Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of... |
2nd | 2.26 |
| 1977 | US Nationals | Los Angeles, California Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California... |
2nd | 2.27 |
| 1978 | NCAA Indoor NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship NCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions... |
Detroit, Michigan Detroit, Michigan Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River... |
1st | 2.25Officially, 7 ft 5 in; NCAA switched to metric in 1979. |
| 1978 | NCAA Outdoor NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship The NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship is an annual collegiate outdoor track and field competition for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It has three divisions: Division I, II, and III. Athlete's individual performances earn points for their institution and... |
Eugene, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S... |
1st | 2.26 |
| 1978 | US Nationals | Los Angeles, California | 2nd | 2.24 |
| 1979 | US Nationals | Walnut, California Walnut, California Walnut is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 29,172 at the 2010 census and its current mayor is Tom King, a former Detective from the Los Angeles Police Department.... |
1st | 2.26Officially, 7 ft 5 in; USATF switched to metric in 2003. |
| 1979 | Pan American Games Athletics at the 1979 Pan American Games The Athletics Competition at the 1979 Pan American Games was held in San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:*... |
San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of... |
1st | 2.26 |
| 1979 | World Cup 1979 IAAF World Cup The 2nd IAAF World Cup in Athletics was an international track and field sporting event sponsored by the International Association of Athletics Federations, held on August 24–26, 1979, at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada.-Men:|width="50"| ... |
Montreal, Canada | 1st | 2.27 |
| 1980 | NCAA Indoor NCAA Men's Indoor Track and Field Championship NCAA team champions for Men's Indoor Track and Field-See also:*NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Indoor Track and Field Championship*NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championship*Pre-NCAA Indoor Track and Field Champions... |
Detroit, Michigan | 1st | 2.24 |
| 1980 | US Indoor Nationals | New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
1st | 2.24Officially, 7 ft 4 1/4 in; USATF switched to metric in 2003. |
| 1980 | US Nationals | Walnut, California | 1st | 2.24 |