YA GOTA PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK-SOMETIMES!

       During my sophomore year in high school at Laurel, Iowa, we had a new football coach by the name of Spitznagle.(spelling could be wrong) Of course he didn't know any of us guys and I wanted to make sure that I got a plug in to him as to where I believed my talents were in the sport of football.

       My point was that Larry Laverty, a cousin and an upperclassman, had been playing a lineman or a Center to be exact. Larry was bigger and built more like a lineman. I was 135 pounds and not that tall. I was afraid of being type-cast in that I didn't want coach to think us Laverty's were just destined to be lineman.

       I knew that I was a pretty fast runner as my mother ran in races semi-professionally when she was young and as her dad was an outstanding runner.   My grandfather did run professionally for money at local events back around the turn of the Twentieth Century(early 1900's)

       I met with the coach and gave him my pitch. To much the matter, I mentioned that I knew I could kick the football a long ways. I got hired. My sophomore, Junior, and Senior year in high school I was a staring halfback and did all the punting and kick-offs. 

        Maybe it would have all worked out anyway. But, I still am glad that I visited with the new coach and was grateful to be given the chance. I never regretted doing that and I believe neither did the new coach. Those three years, Laurel football was very fortunate to have had a very gifted and special group of young guys and had an outstanding team. It is OK to "Toot your own horn" on ocassion!