Altar Call – Opelika-Auburn News
Walter Albritton
Retirement living is rather demanding during the
football season
A friend
asked me if I had become bored with retirement.
“Boredom is
not an option for a man with 12 grandchildren,” I told him, “especially if nine
of those grandchildren are boys.”
More
especially is that true in the fall, when real men, and boys, enjoy football.
This fall I
miss greatly being on the sidelines with my Opelika Bulldogs. I enjoyed seven
wonderful years serving as chaplain for the Dawgs.
And I still believe this could be the year for my Dawgs
to go to
So what is
life for this retired geezer like this September now that football season has
begun? Let me tell you about it.
Monday nights Joseph, who is 14, plays fullback for
Last
Tuesday night we drove up to Harpersville, north of
Sylacauga, to watch Joseph’s Junior Varsity team play
Joseph
played middle linebacker on defense and made several key tackles to the delight
of his parents who sat beside me cheering for their boy. I remembered cheering
for Joseph’s dad, Tim, some 25 years ago.
Was I
proud? You bet I was. Joseph, who is quick and tough, played extremely well for
a ninth grader. He will get better and hopefully I will see him play many more
games.
Josh is
seven. He plays quarterback for a Wetumpka team, public school. His dad, Steve,
our youngest son, is Josh’s coach.
Josh is
quick also, but small. He plays for the first time this Saturday in a
three-team scramble. His games will be played on Saturdays so I may have to
miss some of the college games to see Josh play.
Will I be
proud of Josh? You bet I will. I am certain he will be the greatest
seven-year-old quarterback in
Mark and
Sherri have three boys. John, a senior, is the oldest. Anthony is in the 11th
grade, and Robert is a 10th grader.
Imagine my
surprise last Friday night to see all three of these grandsons playing first
team for the Jemison Panthers! We drove up to Clanton and watched the Panthers
beat the Tigers 30-14.
I could
hardly believe my eyes when Robert lined up at right tackle beside his older
brother John. Their dad Mark explained that the first-string tackle was
injured, giving Robert the chance to start.
Anthony is
a wide receiver and defensive end. He and another boy alternated running in the
offensive plays called by their coach.
We are
especially excited about seeing John play in his senior year. He is a strong
and talented offensive guard who is called upon to play defense also. John is a
good student, weighs 260, and has surprising quickness for his size.
John has a
lot of potential, so much that he has received letters of inquiry from more
than a half dozen colleges. Several schools, like
My friend
Thomas Samford would be interested to know that John
has received letters from
His parents
and family members are drawing straws for the privilege of going with John to
some of these games. Several of us have volunteered to go with John to see
Georgia Tech play
John tells
me he hopes he can play for
Last Friday
night John looked sharp. He missed few assignments. He made several tackles,
and his brothers Robert and Anthony were in on some bone-jarring tackles
themselves.
Was I
proud? You bet I was. And I expect to be proud again and again this autumn,
whether the leaves turn pretty or not.
Will I be
bored this fall? Not hardly. Not as long as I can find my way to the stadiums
in a dozen
I must admit
that I am mighty thankful that Clair, Hannah, and Sarah have not gone out for
football, yet. They don’t even play soccer. Thank goodness.
So, if you
are bored, come see me, and I will take you to see some exciting football
games. Then, if we have time, we might even watch
Yes,
friends, I love football. Bring it on!