Glouster High School class of 1937

Letters:

Football - 3

Basketball - 2

Baseball - 2

Honors:

Football

All Big Six - 1935

All Big Six - 1936 - Captain 

Basketball

All Big Six - 1937

Dr. Darling was a tackle on back-to-back Big Six championship football teams. During his junior year, the Big Six Conference selected their first ever All-Conference team, during this time there were no All District selections and only 22 players were picked All Ohio (the 1936 All-Ohio team featured only one player South of Columbus, from Cincinnati Withrow). Dr. Darling would go on to star in football at the Eastern Kentucky University. An article in 1942 sums up his playing ability at Eastern Kentucky "Fred Darling all-KIAC tackle and greatest lineman in the school's history". He would be an All-American at EKU. Dr. Darling would also be a member of the EKU Basketball and Track teams. In 2006 he was inducted into the EKU Athletic Hall of Fame and in 2014 he was once again honored when the 1940 undefeated EKU football team was recognized as a team of distinction.

Dr. Darling turned down a pro football offer with the Detroit Lions to enlist in the field artillery during World War II. After the war, he returned to EKU and and was the head track coach from 1948-1958 leading them to an undefeated season while also working as the line coach for the football team. In 1961 Dr. Darling ended his coaching career to focus on teaching.

Dr. Darling would obtain his PhD at Indiana University and return to EKU as the Dean of the College of Health and Physical Education.