Iron Ranger Profile No. 2
Floyd Sommers.

Marquette Mirror. January 20, 1971

Several years ago, in North Marquette, a little blond kid haunted the sheets of ice, wherever they may be formed, hockey stick in hand and Saturday Evening Posts wrapped around his shins for shin pads, all set for the drop of the puck.

Since that time long ago that little blond kid has turned into a large blond man and a tremendously versatile hockey player. "Pigeon" is six-foot tall and makes the scale register at 180 lbs. All of this combined with his natural skating ability and outstanding desire make him well-respected in the U.S.H.L., with TWO unanimous decisions over Gordie Yewman. This season coach Oakie Brumm has switched him from defense to wing as "Pige" has responded with the best hockey of his career. A lot of the credit for his success must be given directly to "Pigeon" himself because he is in the best physical condition he has ever been in and this makes everything a lot easier.

During the summer the 24-year-old native of Marquette is employed by the U.S. Government in the  Sports Fishery Department and due to his job gets to travel all over the U.P. checking weirs, counting, treating lakes and rivers and generally doing his best to insure the continuation of the fish population in the area. The job works out ideally for him in the winter because his services
are not needed and he has time to play hockey and this year he has the added chore of coaching the Mobile Special in the Marquette Junior Hockey League. "Pigeon" should be the personification of the ideal Junior Hockey Coach as he himself came up through the Marquette Junior Hockey ranks and knows every trick in the book for Junior Hockey and for getting around in the Palestra. He must be doing the job right because at this writing his team is in first place.

The U.S. Army claimed him for two years, a lot of which was spent in Korea as an infantry Sergeant. Previous to being drafted he played briefly with the Iron Rangers in their formative years both as a defenseman and a wing. The Army matured him however and he now has the needed size, speed, experience and attitude to play many more seasons.

Palestra regulars know of his own personal cheering section in the northeast corner of the building. He is single with no immediate plans for a trip to the alter. There is an old saying, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going". That phrase was invented for Floyd "Pigeon" Sommers.