Jerry Olson is shown at the Astoria Library.

Jerry Olson has experienced a lot in his 83 years. His name is mentioned among the greats in Astoria athletics as a multisport athlete during the late 1950s with highlights in football and track.

As he gets ready to attend his 65th year high school reunion on Sept. 11, Olson reflected on his experiences, which includes being part of the first Astoria Hall of Fame when the celebration started in 1998.

Olson, who graduated in 1959, was part of the 1958 Fishermen football team that won a Metro League championship before losing in the state semifinals.

“The only bad part about class reunions now is looking around and not seeing your former teammates,” Olson said. “I’m the last remaining member of our 1958 backfield.”

In addition to his athletic excellence, Olson also coached track at St. Mary, Star of the Sea and saw four of his athletes go on to become state champions at the high school level. He was also a longshoresman for many years before retiring two decades ago.

Though Olson’s best sport in high school was football, he said track and field is his favorite to watch and be around. He remembers Star of the Sea not having a track and taking students to the nearby middle school. He recalls using the field behind his old house in Lewis and Clark to build a track, which ended up playing host to neighborhood kids.

“You line up a bunch of kids and the first one to get across the finish line is the winner, that’s what I like about it,” he said. “There’s less politics as it’s just which kid or team ran the fastest.”

His love of track and field has made him a die-hard University of Oregon fan. Anyone who talks sports with Olson knows the Ducks are going to be mentioned.

Two of his four children are also in the Astoria Hall of Fame. His son, Brandon, from the Class of 1989, was a standout in basketball. His daughter, Jennifer, from the Class of 1998, was a star in cross-country and track .

As a sports lover, Olson would often be seen at Fishermen football and basketball games before a recent surgery slowed him down a bit.

“I’m grateful to Howard Rub and Astoria athletics for giving me a lifetime pass to all the games,” he said.