The first sense that Abie Grossfeld was cut from a different cloth came when the teenaged Abie dove into the Harlem River to save a 5-year-old from drowning.

As would become his persona during a Hall of Fame gymnastics career, the selfless act was rarely mentioned or highlighted in Grossfeld’s dealings with others.

True to his nature, Grossfeld was an unassuming figure — at least as unassuming as a three-time U.S. Olympic head coach could be — during a 41-year run as the gymnastics coach at Southern Connecticut.

Read Jim Fuller's complete story.