Long before Sterling Marlin became the third driver to win back-to-back Daytona 500s, Brud Spickard recognized Marlin was an unusual athlete. “Sterling was coachable. He would listen and do what you’d tell him,” said Spickard, who coached Marlin when Marlin was a standout quarterback at Spring Hill High. “He could have gone on and played a little football, but with his family background, we pretty much knew he wanted to go into racing. But the athletic skills he had in football soft hands and good peripheral vision helped in racing, too. He’s given lots of thrills to lots of people.” Marlin will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame on Feb. 29.(Tennessean)(12-4-2007)
