Gene Rock

Eugene O. Rock


Born:
November 4, 1921
Carruthers, CA

Died:
October 31, 2002
San Diego, CA


Career
1937-38 Huntington Park High School - California (High School)
1938-39 Huntington Park High School - California (High School)
1939-40 Huntington Park High School - California (High School)
1940-41 USC (College) Freshmen
1941-42 USC (College)
1942-43 USC (College) 
1946-47 USC (College)
1947-48 Birmingham Skyhawks (PBLA)
1947-48 Chicago Stags (BAA)
1948-49 Los Angeles Police (Independent)

Rock starred at Huntington Park before enrolling at USC. He joined the Marines during World War two before returning to college after the war. 
After a brief basketball career, Rock returned to California where he worked for the L.A.P.D. as a captain in the robbery and homicide detective. In 1959, he took his son, Eugene Jr., and some friends on a weekend trip to the desert, where among other things, teaching them how to use firearms. When the boys went out later to shoot again, Eugene Jr. was shot when the gun accidentally discharged, Only 15, Junior died that night.

After retiring from the LAPD, he moved to San Diego, where he dies of cancer in 2002.

He married Jeanette Winstead and they had one daughter and three sons.

Source:
L.A. Times, April 6, 1959
USC Obituary

Stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/rockge01.html
http://www.justsportsstats.com/basketballstatsindex.php?player_id=rockge01