Editor’s note: The profile on Ed Ackley was researched and written by Pete Smith, a 1963 Norwich High School graduate. This is the fourth of in our series of articles on the inaugural Norwich Sports Hall of Fame class. The induction ceremony is Saturday, June 18 at Canasawacta Country Club. Please contact the Norwich High School athletics office for more details on the banquet.

Edward H. Ackley,

Class of 1953

On a late fall Sunday morning in 1952, readers of the Syracuse Herald-American opened their papers, peeled their way through to find the sports section, and read the headline proclaiming: “ACKLEY OF NORWICH RATED STANDOUT SCHOLASTIC GRIDDER.” The sub headline read, “Back Named Captain of All Star ‘11’” and the sub-sub headline read, “Set New Offense Pace for Team.”

The first paragraph of the article read: “Amazing Ed Ackley of Norwich was the outstanding high school football player of the 1952 season in Central, Northern and Southern New York. So the classy back is honored with the captaincy of the Herald-American all star eleven chosen annually.”

Ed Ackley was a terrific all-around athlete for Norwich High. He made the varsity football team as a freshman, but did not play enough to earn a letter on a team that wound up its season at 6-1.