RR at Eureka reunion
 

Posted on Fri, Jun. 11, 2004

Who says there isn't life after football?

By Mark Story
HERALD-LEADER (KY) SPORTS COLUMNIST


Stubborn idealists have long clung to the belief that college athletics should be more about college than athletics.

We realists long ago accepted that football players mostly go to college to play football.

The aspiring offensive lineman was among the latter.

Like so many college athletes, he came from a background of humble means.

There was never enough money. Today, we'd say his dad had a "substance-abuse" problem. Back then, the non-charitable just called him the town drunk.

Like so many of our athletes, he became especially close to his mom. In many ways, this God-fearing woman raised her two boys on her own.

Even though no one in his family had ever gone to college, the youngest of the two children decided that he would.

He had his heart set -- funny how this works -- on the very school his girlfriend, the preacher's daughter, had already chosen.

"I'd like to say I went to college for love of learning," he would say, "but probably I was more motivated by love for a pretty girl and a love for football."

On his campus visit, he went out of his way to look up the football coach.

I want to go to college and I want to play football and I want to do it here, but I don't have much money ...

A football program can NEVER have enough offensive linemen, of course, so the coach went to bat and found the aspiring guard enough aid money to get into school.

It all went wrong from the start.

The young player spent his freshman year glued to the bench, sat over there and fumed and sulked.

By the time the year was over, he had decided to quit. Not only football -- college.

So he went back home and got an outdoors job with a surveyor, was gonna work and make money and forget about this coach who, he was sure, had no use for him.

Yet, on the first day of college for what would have been his sophomore year, the now ex-college football player couldn't go to work.

The rain was falling so hard, several bearded men in robes started building Arks.

What the heck, he figured he'd go back to campus for the day, say hello to his old frat buddies in the TKE House, be with his girl.

When he got there, the pangs inside his chest felt like earthquake tremors. Only then did he realize how badly he wanted to return to school.

So, he went back to the football coach, Ralph McKinzie -- the man on whom he had quit -- and again asked for help.

God bless the college coach who really does put helping kids above his own ego. You never know if the player you save could go on to change the world.

McKinzie got a player to whom he didn't owe a darned thing back in school and with his financial aid intact.

Yet, midway through his sophomore season, the guard STILL wasn't playing -- had started the year fifth string.

And it was killing him.

Finally, one day in practice, McKinzie installed a running play that called for the right guard to pull, get out on the perimeter and put a defensive back on his bottom.

In practice, they were using an assistant coach as the "defender" to be blocked; problem was, even against a coach, nobody on the team could get out there in time to make the block.

At long last, the head coach turned to one of his scrubs, essentially said, let's see what you've got.

Nothing improves a football player's mobility -- nor his hostility -- like desperation combined with unexpected opportunity.

At 'Hut!' the lowly scrub roared around end and delivered a block so ferocious, the poor assistant coach/defender "ascended as if he'd been hurled by a shot-putter and seemed to dangle in mid-air for several seconds."

Next game, there was a new starter at right guard.

Funny thing. It was such a long struggle for him to win the job he coveted; but when he did, he was bullet-proof. For the rest of his college term, nobody could beat him out.

Of course, in the Hollywood ending, the blooming of his football career would've awakened an equal passion in the new starter for his schoolwork.

Instead, by his own account, the right guard worked just hard enough to stay above the 2.0 it took to keep him eligible for sports.

Give him this: In doing that, at least he remained in school and got an Economics degree. Many, many college football players don't even do that, of course.

Then, college -- football -- was over.

He took a job out of state. Moved way out west, got married, had kids, got divorced, re-married, had more kids, switched careers three different times, moved back east and then -- where does the time go? -- it had been 50 years.

And they were planning a celebration for his graduating class back at the old campus.

All his buddies wondered if the old right guard would show.

He did.

Stood up in front of every body, and delivered a mea culpa to satisfy even the most snooty academician.

He recalled that the graph of his college academic performance tracked much closer to the 2.0 needed to stay eligible for football than the 4.0 that represented genuine scholastic excellence.

Looking everyone in the eye, he said, "Even now I wonder if I had made better grades, what more in life I might have been able to accomplish?"

Which was when every soul in the place burst out laughing.

Now, it may help you to know the college in question was Eureka College.

And on May 9, 1982, when the old football player stood at his alma mater, tongue planted firmly in cheek, to lament his indifferent academic record and the opportunities it must surely have cost him ...

... Ronald Reagan was in the second year of his first term ...

... as President of the United States.

Rest in Peace, Dutch, Rest in Peace.

Our National Philanthropy has always been Alzheimers Disease but I truly feel that for many of us, it was a terrible disease but one we could not really personalize. After all this, I know that many of us now have a face to go with the illness & hopefully this will encourage everyone to find a possible cure for this.

To all those who just want to get picky with details, get a life. You know who you are.

Was Alzheimers even discovered when you were founded? :confused:

From the Alzheimer's Association website:

Alzheimer’s disease is one of several disorders that cause the gradual loss of brain cells. The disease was first described in 1906 by German physician Dr. Alois Alzheimer. Although the disease was once considered rare, research has shown that it is the leading cause of dementia.

From the Sigma Kappa HQ Website:

In 1984 Sigma Kappa responded to an increasingly critical problem facing older Americans by adding Alzheimer's Disease research and education to its philanthropic activities. Research grants are made each year to universities and other institutions actively engaged in the fight against Alzheimer's Disease.

The website also stated that Sigma Kappa was the first sorority to recognize the need for work on the study of aging (gerontology) in 1954.

1984=always

O.K. For you nitpicky bastards who obviously spend time on these boards not to actually give real insight into anything but instead to waste everyone's time on meaningless posts, obviously it's not always. That's just an expression in case you didn't pick that up.
This philanthropy was chosen for a reason. If I say always, it's b/c obviously no one previously thought it was worth the time or effort to do something about it.

Instead of finding reasons to rag on someone on these boards, why don't you do something constructive with your time and actually try to help YOUR philanthropies in constructive ways instead of knocking someone else.

Kelly & Heather, thank you for the links. While the week was a bit wearing on us all, today has been one of tremendous eulogies and patriotism. How moving!!

Oh Jeez. I have cried quite a bit this week but I have truly lost it. When I saw Nancy clutching his casket as if she'd never let go & openly weeping my heart broke for her all over again. She has held up so gracefully & dignified throughout this week.

I still am crying right now as I see the people gong up to pay their final respects to President Reagan.

I felt so bad for Nancy when she said goodbye and placed her head on the coffin and began to cry.

It was such a personal moment surrounded by her family and all you could hear was the clicking of the damn cameras. Would make anyone think twice about being a celeb/politician you truely do give up your privacy and become a public figure.

Wasnt Maggie Thatcher great today? Shes looking so old though. Sad.

Oh crap. These images are making me cry again. And I do agree that it was extremely annoying to hear the constant clicking of the stupid cameras when Nancy laid her head on the casket.
I need to stop crying but I can't seem to. He lived a good and fruitful life. It seemed that he accomplished things that the ordinary man can only dream of.
I don't know if my tears are tears of grief, tears for Nancy, or tears of joy over his wonderful life & the rest he so rightfully deserves after his long battle with his illness.

At first, I was disgusted by the applause...but then I realized, well, how ELSE can you show your love and support in a place that huge? I think it was heartfelt, and I am glad so many people were there to show their love.

To be honest, Reagan IMO wasn't the best President ever. Then again...are any of them perfect? No. But as a MAN...I have nothing but respect for him. What a wonderful man he was, and what a life he lived. I am glad America has shown such an outpouring of love and patriotism.

Rest in peace, President Reagan.

Ron Reagan summed up his father the best when he called him, "plainly decent". I think that was pretty good. Unfortunately, not many Presidents can be characterized that way.

Jono

I too was very moved by today's events - I cried several times. I thought Lady Thatcher's speech was lovely and that Mr. Bush Sr.'s speech was touching too. I have to admit that I cried when they carried the casket out from the cathedral and played "Hail to the Chief". :(

It was very nice to hear from the children as they recounted their happy memories and shared about their respect for their father. I'm with you CASIGKAP, it was heartwrenching to see Mrs. Reagan clutching the casket with tears in her eyes. As I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's Disease, my heart goes out to the Reagan family.

Finally, special condolences to the brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon on the loss of your brother.


.....Kelly

I didnt get to see all of the service from this morning, so I am watching it on CSPAN right now. Theyre showing everyone coming in and getting situated. Its so interesting seeing all the politicos, and world leaders, ex-presidents and candidates and justices and former staffers and senators and the such all together reconnecting. It has to be a huge social event where a lot of these people who dont interact that often or havent seen each other in years get to reconnect.

It is interesting to note the liberals are in one area kicking it, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Kofi Anan, Clinton, Carter, Al Gore, John Kerry and a ways away the conservatives are all together too, Guilaini, Jerry Ford, Maggie Thatcher, Alan Greenspan, Brian Mulrooney, Tom Ridge, Antonin Scalia, and interestingly enough, Mikahial Gorbachev. Gorby seems to be hanging out with the conservatives. It so wierd to see Gorby and Guilaini hanging out.