My guardian angle watched over me…

Another familar story from days gone by…

When I was in school in Texas I was rather large for my age.

Being a large person in a Texas school gets the attention of the Football coach quickly.

In Texas you need a guardian angel on your side if you play football or any sport.

These folks take football very serious and you can get hurt playing ball if you do not have an angel on your side.

I was invited to join the football team. As football practice continued, the first year I played football, I found I was good at knocking guys down, running, getting the football away from others and catching the football. I was not quarter back material but I did manage to play as a running back and as a defensive end.

My guardian angel was very good; I was not hurt that many times in practice or in games.

I know I had an angel with a sense of humor who liked football because I was able to tackle people twice my size and weight, cause hundreds of fumbles and even intercept a pass or two.

Heck, I even intercepted a pass one time, and while I was running for the touch down, my pants were pulled off by the player trying to stop me. I made the touch down with a smile, a jersey and a jock strap on!

I was not that good a player folks but my guardian angel kept me safe and sound in those days of sweat and pain.

Over the years I lettered in football and track (440-yard dash and the mile relay) and was the Captain of both the track and football teams.
I knew I had an angle on my side and wore an angle pin on my letter jacket.

No one ask what the pin was for nor would they have cared as long as I played and played well.

As the years (1966, 1967, 1968, & 1969) sped by I had a great time playing football and running track. My teams did not win every game or every meet but we did ok and I lettered on the all District Teams as well as on my regular school teams.

In Texas Football is a big deal and you better have fun playing.

In the last game of the season and the last football game I ever played, I made two touch downs, intercepted three passes, and recovered two fumbles.

I was a very happy football player that game.

The only picture taken of me in that game was of me as a defensive end about to tackle an opposing player (he scored) as he was about to make a touch down.

It was a cold and damp that night, and there was a mist hanging low over the field. In the picture that made the Waco Tribune the next day, you could just make out what looked like an angel in the mist and the angel was smiling.

Who knew I would not get the football or track scholarship I wanted (the angel knew) and that I would find college football and track to be to life threatening.

My guardian angle must have tired of sports (the smile said it all) and decided it was time for me to move on to other exciting times in other places around the world.

Gave up football, ROTC, College, and Police work for a safer time in the US Army and Viet Nam…When you are 19 nothing scares you…smiles and frowns

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