When They Call Your Number

I enjoyed watching the Heisman presentation this week-end. The show reminded of another great player from my hometown.

He was the great grandson of an early Oklahoma United State Senator. He stood 6 foot 5 inches, weighed 245 and he could fly like a sprinter. And man, could he ever zing the football on a line. He could flat out “bring it”. He had all the impressive stats and stature of today's pro quarterback.

But the year was 1962, and he would become later known even to this day as the greatest athlete to ever come out of Lawton High School. For many years, he held the state high school record for high hurdles. He was member of the heralded 1962 Lawton High School Track Team who that year won the state championships. Lawton’s 1962 track team was named the 44th best high school athletic team of the past 100 years by the Daily Oklahoman.  He led Lawton to its only state high school basketball championship in 1962 beating the number one rated team Tulsa Central coached by a twenty six year old coach in his first high school basketball season named Eddie Sutton. He was The Daily Oklahoman Football Player of the year in 1962 filling the sports page with a full three column photo under the caption, “The Blond Bomber” .He was the starting quarterback in the 1962 All –State football game and later quarterbacked Oklahoma to a victory over Texas in the 1962 Oil Bowl Game. He had over 41 offers to Division I schools, and chose The University of Oklahoma.

He was the scheduled starter for his first season at OU until knee injuries side lined him for a year of rehab. He came back the next season as the starting deep safety and held that position for the next three years. He intercepted two passes in Oklahoma’s victory in the 1964 Gator Bowl. In 1965, he won the low hurdles event in the Big Eight Track and Field Championships in Oklahoma. He was drafted by The Oakland Raiders.

There was another player who was a member of Lawton’s 1962 basketball squad. He was at the other end of the skill set and rarely played unless several of the regulars were severely injured, missing, or if we had a comfortable double digit lead that began with a three. It was one of those opportunities to sit, reflect and be ready if your number was called. They never called my number during those days of “pine therapy”.  Probably just as well under the circumstances. Better to ride the bench and let people wonder about your basketball skills than to take the court and confirm what most suspicion by an absence of significant playing time. I remember our basketball coach (who fancied himself as an amateur comedian) telling a local Lions Club that “Anderson is not particularly fast, but I did see some interesting foot speed when he got off the team bus for the pre-game meal at a buffet in Chickasha”. That’s not the sort of clipping you want to show your grandchildren.

 “The Blond Bomber”, or better known as my longtime friend Bill Thomas, went on to enjoy a wonderful family and a successful career in real estate, and later until his retirement in teaching and coaching. I was stunned to learn that the “Blond Bomber” died in Sun Lakes, Arizona earlier this year after a long bout with bone cancer. Those of us who remembered his quiet but powerful leadership were sadden by his passing.

I remember the agony of “riding the pine: in those days. I wondered if the coach would ever “call my number” to get in the big game. How insignificant those feelings have become.

Three of my closest high school experienced adversity this past year. Each now live within 30 miles of each other in southern Arizona.  Bill died of cancer. Our class president went through the heartache of being abandoned by a wife who no longer wished to married. Our head cheerleader experienced a similar situation only to experience a subsequent unexplainable and unexpected death of her only son. Each called to ask me where was God in these situations. Each asked why God allowed these tragedies to invade their lives. I missed my chance with Bill who died before we could visit. I have not been back to Arizona since most of you know why and when.

I won’t miss this chance again, because when God calls your number……