Mantle moved to Commerce, Oklahoma, with his family when he was four years old. He was an outstanding athlete, excelling in baseball, basketball, and football at Commerce High School. He was offered a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma.
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However, his college playing career didn’t last long because, during one of his practices, he was kicked in his left shin. The incident led to osteomyelitis developing in his left ankle. He was rushed to the hospital by his parents that same night. If it wasn’t for the development of penicillin at the time, his leg might have needed to be amputated.