A Steeler's Fan
By Brian Holtzapple
AROUND THE COUNTRY, MILLIONS of young boys dream of becoming professional football players. Milton's Gene Hubka got to live that dream, albeit for just one year. Hubka, who's 86 and still spry for his age, was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers' famed 1947 team, which posted the first winning record in club history by going 8-4. And it was his love for the game of football, and also baseball, that brought Hubka to the Northumberland County town for the first time 67 years ago and then back again for good many years later.
A CHANGE OF COLLEGES, A CHANGE OF FATE A three-sport star in football, basketball and baseball during his days at Perth Amboy High School in New Jersey, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Hubka was awarded a football scholarship to Temple University in Philadelphia in 1942. In those days, players had to play more than one position, and by the second game, Hubka was the Owls' starting quarterback in addition to playing at halfback and safety while also being the team's punter. He went on to earn honorable mention All- America honors following his first season. In the spring of 1943, Hubka tried out for the Temple baseball team and became the Owls' back-up catcher. He would soon become the starter when the guy he was playing behind was drafted to serve in World War II.
One of the games Hubka and his Temple teammates were scheduled to play early that spring season happened to take place in Milton. But with four inches of snow still on the ground, the game was canceled, giving the players time to get some lunch before they caught the train back to Philadelphia. Hubka found his way to a local diner. The place was busy, and there was only one empty seat left. And as fate would have it, the last place available for Hubka to sit was next to a young telephone operator by the name of Martha Reed. She told him to give her a call if he was ever back in town.
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