It seems like almost yesterday that a young man from Farmington high school in Farmington, Missouri joined the University of Missouri football team. Edward Homer Blaine moved quickly from his role as an outstanding “black knight” student and athlete to a stand out Missouri tiger student and athlete.
Between 1959 and 1962 Blaine became one of the greatest players in the history of the University of Missouri. During his playing time at the university he earned three varsity letters, received all-conference honors and in 1961 was named to several all-American teams.
Following his senior year at Mizzou, Blaine was selected to play in the east-west shrine game, the senior bowl and the college all-star game. Although small by professional standards, Blaine was selected by the green bay packers in the 1962 NFL draft, and also by the New York Titans of the American football league.
Although he played in 14 games, Blaine was playing behind two of the greatest linemen in packer history, and after a year was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he immediately became the starting left guard, earning all-conference and all-pro honors.
But, after five years of professional football, Blaine kept a promise he made to his undergraduate advisor, and returned to the University of Missouri and in 1970 earned a P.H.D in pharmacology.
Following two years of research in Melbourne, Australia, Blaine went to work for the Merck Corporation, directing research in the development of drugs to lower blood pressure.
In 1992 Dr. Blaine joined the MU medical faculty as an outstanding scholar and researcher with more than 100 articles published and four patents claimed. A young man from Farmington distinguished on the gridiron, and also in the laboratory.
It seems like almost yesterday…
