Today I got to talk to Steve Peyton of the Mercer County Sheriff's office. Steve told me he was a senior at Mercer County HS in the fall of 1972. He played against my Dad's Boyle teams and remembered my Dad as the football coach at Boyle.
Steve said one night he was running the ball back on a kickoff. One Rebel had him by the leg. When he tried to spin out of the tackle, another Rebel came in and cracked him in the ribs. Steve said when he got hurt, he remembered my Dad being the first person to run onto the field to make sure he was alright. Steve added, "Your Dad had a gift when it came to working with young people."
It wasn't a long story and nothing that is unusual on a Friday night in HS... guys get their ribs cracked all the time. But, every time someone tells me a story about my Dad, it feels like he is standing right there with me for just a second.
Friday, August 16th, is my Dad's birthday. It only seemed right that he would have his birthday right before the football season gets started. I will miss him but will also thank God that he gave me a wonderful Dad. One of the best parts of being back home is to hear those stories. Those moments are comforting and help me count my blessings.
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