Mason's legacy continues to grow
Still sidelined by a spinal cord injury, he has two more proteges in NFL camps
A few years ago, the Washington Nationals staged a Negro Leagues "Tribute Night," honoring players who had toiled in the '50s for the Homestead Grays, the New York Cubans, the Indianapolis Clowns and the Kansas City Monarchs. Among those in attendance was Henry (Hank) Mason, a right-handed pitcher who had two brief stints in 1958 and 1960 with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Mason made a name for himself while pitching for the Monarchs -- crossing paths with the likes of Buck O'Neil and Satchel Paige -- before signing with the Phils. In two minor league seasons, he won 29 games with Schenectady, N.Y. In 1956, he led the Eastern League with seven shutouts. That was the same year that his son was born, and he took his name, Henry Mason.
Today, the Rev. Hank Mason, 76, is living in Richmond, Va., while Madison is still home for Henry Mason, 51, who made a name for himself as a University of Wisconsin wide receivers coach and recruiter.
"I talk with my dad just about every day, and it's interesting because we still talk baseball," Henry Mason said. "He's like me: He watches a lot of games. And he'll give me the scoop on why one guy is having a good year and another guy is not. We visit quite a bit -- actually, more than we did in the past. He had open-heart surgery recently, so we have some stories to compare."
And tell. Almost a year removed from a spinal cord injury that short-circuited his UW coaching career, Henry Mason continues to move forward in his rehab and recovery. Some days are better than others, he acknowledged. Some things are just better left unsaid, too, knowing how unforgiving this type of rehabilitation can be physically and mentally. "I'm progressing," he noted. "I'm on schedule where the doctors think I should be."
During his leave of absence from coaching, Mason has tried to stay in touch with the outside world, especially the world of college football. "I probably watched a little bit more of the NFL draft and paid more attention to it," he said. "I had a lot of time to digest the information and to watch how teams jockeyed for position (by trading up or down). It was pretty interesting to see who they took and why they took them where they did."
Mason was humored by the endless commentary that accompanied each draft selection and the biting critiques. "It never ceases to amaze me to watch the pro guys talk themselves out of taking a guy," he said, mindful of his past experiences with NFL scouts and personnel directors on the UW campus. "They'll have their mind set on drafting one player. Two picks later they're going to take another guy, and it goes back and forth. With all the information they're able to gather, I don't understand why it ends up being that type of production."
Two of Mason's star pupils, Chris Chambers and Lee Evans -- the Bedford, Ohio, connection -- are still productive members in the NFL with the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills, respectively. Evans was in Madison a few weeks ago and touched base with Mason, while Chambers has also been in contact with his former mentor. "It's good to see those guys still earning a living by playing football," Mason said. "They were not only great players here, but great people, and that's translated to the next level."
When Mason last visited with the local press corps in mid-October, he admitted then that he was "disheartened" by the hamstring injury that sidelined Luke Swan for the remainder of the 2007 season, and the knee injury that put Paul Hubbard on the shelf for five games. "You feel their pain," Mason said at the time, "because they have given so much and worked so hard."
Both will now get the opportunity to extend their playing careers. Hubbard was a sixth-round selection of the Cleveland Browns, while Swan was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Chiefs. "They'll have to be in the right place at the right time for them to stick," Mason opined. "But the bottom line is that they each have a chance. Is it a different game in the NFL? Absolutely. It's more about matchups. There's more information to digest and more adjustments to be made between the quarterback and the receiver.''
Hubbard has already made a favorable first impression on the Browns with his athleticism. He's being groomed to replaced Joe Jurevicius, according to Cleveland general manager Phil Savage. What about Hubbard's tendency to run hot or cold, depending on his first catch or drop? "You'd be surprised. There are more players like that than you'd think," Mason suggested. "The key for Paul is to learn the offense and understand where he needs to be, and when he needs to be there."
Timing is also of the essence for the industrious Swan, who picked his spot wisely given the shortage of proven wide receivers in Kansas City. It can't hurt, either, that Chiefs coach Herm Edwards was a free agent who wound up playing 10 years in the NFL. "Luke's precise route-running," Mason said, "and his quickness and ability to get himself open are things that will help him override his lack of top-end speed."
Nobody has a better grasp of what it takes to override certain limitations than Mason. Like father, like son.
"My dad never dwelled on the hardships that Negro players had coming up," said Henry Mason, who is also reluctant to dwell on the negative. "He always talks about the good times. Baseball was my love, too. That was probably my best sport. But I gravitated to football and that's where I ended up." And where he would like to end up again some day.
File photo/Henry A. Koshollek/The Capital Times
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Henry Mason continues to move forward in his rehab and recovery from a spinal cord injury.
