Back in the day, 1975 or 1976 when I was the head mentor at Western Connecticut I was recruiting a blue chip QB from Waterbury, CT. I had all the features and benefits of a great WESCONN education down to a science and was actually able to secure a visit to this young man's home. Got there around 4 o'clock and did my thing, you know, the dog and pony show. Well, when I finished I was sort of set back when his dad shouted, "He's here!" Not knowing what was going on I decided it was time for me to leave.
When I got outside and headed for my state vehicle, a 1971 Ford, I saw this enormous Lincoln Continental parked across the street with two giant bodyguard types sitting in the front and a cool dude wearing aviator shades and a golf sweater in the back seat. One of the big dudes opens the rear door and out steps, Bobby Bowden, head coach the West Virginia Mountaineers, looking like he just stepped off the golf course. He never saw me; but I never forgot that moment. You can probably guess where the blue chipper went.
Well, here we are many years later, he is 80 and I am nearing 66. He has a 388–141–4 record (Second all time) and I am blogging about his achievements. Small world. He did a fanatastic job at Florida State and should be highly respected for taking a university with no name recognition and no football track record to national prominence. Well done, Bobby. I wonder how it would have turned out if the QB took my offer.
2 comments:
Well Bill...you know what they say...you win some and you lose some...at least it wasn't wide left...or was that wide Right? Ask Bobby.....
Nice story, Bill...
Joe Paterno and I had an encounter back in the 1976 ... I was at a local "social club" one day after school and Joe walked in the back door and ordered a Calvert on the rocks ... Nobody recognized him except me, as I knew he was coming to the area to recruit a Freeport QB ...( I think it was Dan Leri ) I went down to greet him and he gave me the Shush sign and said quitely, " Were can I go to relax for an hour and freshen up" ... I suggested my home and he said " Fine, lead the way " .. We spent about a half hour talking and he took a cat-nap ... He signed my son's baby picture and was off ...When the guys at the social club got wind of his visit they about wanted to fry me in boiling oil !!! But they really were mad at themselves for not recognizing him ...
Joe was as cool as one could be and just as down-to-earth as you could expect ... Coaches like Bowden and Paterno come around every fifty years or so ... It was an honor and a thrill to be with him that day ....
Al
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