Isavelt Amison (1981) - Hall of Fame - University of Akron Athletics

Isavelt Amison

Induction:
1981
Class:
1971

1967-71
Football
Safety
‘71
He was rather quiet and just went out and did his job! He was small in stature but large in heart! He was a winner! He was and still is a gentleman! These statements describe Isavelt Amison to a “T”. “Ike” as he was known on campus displayed his talents on the football field and on the track from 1967-1971. He lettered four years in both sports and has UA football coach, Gordon Larson, and track coaches Tom Evans and Al Campbell rejoicing over his exploits. The 5-9, 160-pound Amison, who was recruited out of Sandusky by current head football coach, Jim Dennison, asserted himself rather quickly as a freshman—earning the starting safety spot the last three games of 1967. No one outset him from his position throughout his remaining playing days at the Zips compiled a 27-10-1 record. His last three seasons, “Ike” led all Zip defensive backs with 100 solo and 68 assists, while his 12 interceptions were twice s as many as the next back. However, the highlight of his UA football playing days was performing in the 1968 Grantland Rice Bowl against one of the greatest of all quarterbacks, Terry Bradshaw. It was in track, however, that Ike earned the most honors and enjoyed the greatest successes on the national scene. A long and triple jumper, Amison earned All-American status in 1969 when he finished second in the long jump at NCAA College Division Championships at Ashland College and again in 1971 with fourth place finish at the NCAA Sacramento, CA. During that senior campaign in 1971, Amison established school records in the long jump of 24’9” and in the triple jump of 48’9 ¼ “, which are still intact today. His record-breaking triple jump came in a victory over Cincinnati’s Al Lanier, a premier NCAA I performer. The two-time All-American was voted UA’s Most Valuable Trackman in 1971 and then topped that off by being selected, along with four-year teammate Jack Beidleman, as Athlete of the Year. Amison, has been with Ohio Bell since he graduated in 1971 and currently, he is a Manager if Network Service in the Cleveland office. He and his wife, the former Lynn Daniels, a 1973 UA graduate, have two sons, Brian and Kevin. The Amison’s reside in Lorain.