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Littlejohn left legacy at Butler

He had not competed in sports for Butler in 12 years.

Yet Calvin Littlejohn’s name never seemed to go away.

Maybe it was because he was such an electrifying athlete, a multi-talented kid in multiple sports. Maybe it was his personality, a confident smile that told everybody he knew he could dominate.

Now Calvin is gone. He didn’t reach his 31st birthday.

Littlejohn died Wednesday after battling lupus and other autoimmune diseases. His body eventually succumbed.

It’s hard to imagine such a thing happening to an athlete who appeared almost indestructible at times in high school.

During his senior year at Butler, Littlejohn ran on the fastest 400-meter relay unit in the county. Logan Renwick — who went on to a stellar track career at Notre Dame — joined him on that relay that posted a time of 44.0 seconds.

That same track season, Littlejohn topped all of Butler County with a high jump of six feet, seven inches, a long jump of 23-3.5 and triple jump of 47-7.25. He seemed on top of the world.

His long jump is still a Butler County record.

As a running back in football, Littlejohn rushed for more than 1,100 yards his senior year. In his final Quad North game against Seneca Valley, he had 28 carries for 172 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-7 win over the Raiders.

One of those scores was on an 81-yard run. Another was on a 99-yard interception return. That’s the kind of player Littlejohn was. He could run over defenders. If he got to the corner, he was gone.

Unfortunately, Calvin did have off-the-field issues that prevented him from moving on to college athletics. And only a few years after high school, he was diagnosed with lupus.

One of Littlejohn’s best friends on the Golden Tornado football team — Trevor Leyland — became his brother when Hank and Terry Leyland became Calvin’s foster parents. Hank Leyland was an assistant coach with Butler football.

Calvin’s legacy may live on through his son, Braylon, who is developing into a fine young athlete in his own right.

It’s just hard to fathom Calvin not being around anymore.

He was one of the most exciting athletes to come through Butler during my 19 years in this town. He broke through as a varsity football player in a big way as a sophomore, rushing for over 200 yards in an early-season win at Indiana.

After that final section game against Seneca Valley, when he became the Tornado’s first 1,000-yard rusher in seven years, Calvin thanked his offensive linemen for their efforts in helping him achieve that milestone.

Calvin Littlejohn’s adult life was rough. He battled, but eventually lost.

If his story teaches us anything, it should be to appreciate life. None of us knows how long we’re going to have it. Calvin’s life was ended far too short.

The vision of his dynamic athletic play won’t leave me anytime soon.

---- @End Tag:John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle.

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