Hall of Fame
William "Wirt" Downing, a Columbia native, played football for the Bulldogs between 1926-30. He earned All-Conference recognition in 1926 and 1927 as a center and was described by the 1927 Echo Yearbook as a "bear on defense." After graduation, Wirt compiled a 144-18-7 football coaching record for 16 years at East St. Louis (Illinois) High School and directed his teams to ten conference championships and four co-championships. He was also a successful track and wrestling coach at East St. Louis High School, guiding his track teams to fifteen conference and seventeen district championships and his wrestling squads to ten conference titles. In 1977 he was inducted into the Illinois Football Coaches Hall of Fame. One of the honors he has really cherished was being appointed as Honorary Referee at the 1968 State Track Meet and later the Mayor of East St. Louis proclaimed Wirt Downing Day in the community.
