Written by Doug Goodnough
Plan A was for Larry Covey, ’65, to attend Michigan State University on a football scholarship. The Hillsdale High School standout athlete dreamed of playing for the Spartans from an early age and spent his childhood building his mind and body up to accomplish that goal.
“I would do 200 push-ups and 200 sit-ups every night before I went to bed,” said Covey of his childhood workout regimen. “And I ran to school every single day, and I ran home from school every day. I can still tell you the steps that I used to take.”
During his senior year, he visited Michigan State, and when then-head coach Duffy Daugherty offered him a football scholarship, Covey thought his dream was coming true. When signing day arrived, he found out the scholarship offer was no longer there.
“I was devastated,” he said.
Plan B was contacting Western Michigan University, and although the football coach was interested, he didn’t have any scholarships available.
“I came home, and I didn’t know what I was going to do at that point,” he said of his college options.
However, one coach was very interested in Covey, and had a scholarship waiting for him. Hillsdale College football coach Frank “Muddy” Waters had a chance to see Covey play numerous times— including many times on the College field— and quickly offered Covey a Plan C.
“I get a knock on the door, and he comes in,” Covey said of Waters’ visit to his house. “He says, ‘I’ll give you a full-ride scholarship. Do you want to come?’”
The answer was yes. And Covey is still thankful for making that decision. A blend of power and speed as a 6-foot, 200-pound defensive back, he was a four-year starter for the Dales. He was also a track and field standout who even played basketball and wrestled briefly during his time at Hillsdale.
In track and field, he set a school record in the discus as a freshman and was part of nine school records during his time at Hillsdale.
“A lot of them were relays, because I did a lot of relays,” said Covey, who was named a co-captain of the team. “I did them all. I probably scored more points (in track and field) than anyone in the history of the school.”
He spent two seasons playing basketball as a muscular forward before suffering a shoulder injury that ended his career on the court. Dan “Big Daddy” Goldsmith persuaded Covey to compete on the wrestling team for one season. Although he didn’t win any of his 10 matches, “I didn’t lose them all, either.”
On the football field, he started Day One for the Dales, earning most valuable defensive back honors as a freshman. Known for his coverage skills, Covey also returned punts and kickoffs. During the final game of his senior year in 1964, he was returning a punt against Central Michigan when he made a cut and severely injured his knee. Although he recovered enough to finish out track and field and later try out for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, the knee injury eventually ended his playing career.
Covey received the College’s Kimball Award twice for being an outstanding student-athlete and citizen who excelled in both academics and athletics. However, he had an academic wake-up call after his sophomore year.
He met a girl from Toledo, Ohio, and spent an increasing amount of time off campus visiting her. That affected his academics, and for a brief period, he lost his athletic scholarship. However, then-Dean of Men Robert Hendee helped Covey return to good academic standing and back to the playing field. When he eventually married his now-wife of 62 years, Cheryl, and brought her to campus, Covey said his perspective changed.
“After I got married, it was completely different,” he said. “All of a sudden, I was on the dean’s list. It was an amazing transformation for me in the classroom.”
Graduating with his teaching degree in health and physical education, Covey decided to teach and coach. He spent two years at Dowagiac High School and a brief time at Jackson High School but eventually returned to Hillsdale, where he served as an assistant football coach for eight years.
In 1977, he and his wife decided to move to Arizona, with the hopes of landing a high school teaching and coaching job. He received an offer, but it was only $10,000 per year. With three daughters and a wife to provide for, Covey searched for other options.
He first worked on remodeling houses and then was a construction superintendent who supervised the building of new Wendy’s Hamburgers and Godfather’s Pizza locations in the Phoenix area. He later would assist in constructing golf courses and other infrastructure projects for subdivisions.
“I didn’t have any construction background, but I learned fast,” Covey said.
When the construction business slowed, he went back into teaching and coaching for five years. He eventually returned to construction, this time starting his own company in 1996, spending 10 years building residential homes specializing in the Santa Fe style.
“Santa Fe is a unique home,” he said of the southwestern Adobe style design. “I just love them.”
He eventually retired, and he and his wife now reside in Gold Canyon, Arizona. All three of their daughters are grown, and the Coveys have seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer eight years ago, Covey has battled through his health challenges. Those battles have taken a toll physically, preventing him from golfing and playing pickleball, two of his favorite activities.
“I play a lot of cards,” he said.
Able to return to campus for Homecoming last fall, and more recently in April to celebrate his 60-year class reunion, Covey said he wears his Hillsdale College gear with pride.
“I just love the school and what it stands for,” said Covey, who appreciates Hillsdale’s independence from government funding. “Classic education, you’ve got to have it. It’s something I believe in. It’s fantastic.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s senior director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in April 2025
