I had the pleasure of tackling Drew in high school and he was an awesome athlete.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

I guess he was already in the end zone by the time you got to him.

If he had been in the endzone I wouldn't have had to tackle him, actually we stopped him for all but two plays that year, unfortunately, it was those two plays that beat us.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

Basmati's tackling story:

I played outside linebacker in high school. I forget who we were playing, but I remember it was in Avondale stadium. The other team ran a sweep to my side, and my job was to nail the tailback.

I had him in my sites, threw myself at him...and this guy turns on an incredible burst of speed and I am grasping at nothing but the air around where he USED to be.

What made this twice as embarrasing? The field-level video camera was pointed right at my face...you can see my eyes bug out when I missed him and then I hit the ground "cage first" (cage=face protection on a helmet) and chewed up about 2 feet of sod.

Why did this scar me for life? Well, back in the Stone Age when I played there wasn't such a thing as "cable TV". There was, however, ABC Wide World Of Sports, which had a thrilling introduction each week about "the thrill of victory...and the agony of defeat!"

Well, the football banquet that year put together a great highlight film based on ABC Wide World of Sports. When the intro played, and they got to "the agony of defeat"...there was MY little misplay, my only missed tackle in YEARS of football on the screen as "the agony of defeat". Twas mortifying.

To make matters worse, the highlight film was such a hit that for the next TWELVE YEARS my high school used that introduction (with my misplay) with freshly interspersed highlights, at the end of season banquets.

Many people have fifteen minutes of fame...I had twelve years of infamy!

Hey hutch. If you don't mind telling me, what high school did you attend?

I don't mind, I went to North Clayton, class of 75.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

I knew someone (a long time ago) that graduated from NCHS around that timeframe. I am reluctant to put his name out, but I'll describe him! He came to my 1989 wedding wearing a spandex, snakeskin tuxedo complete with white boots (short) and an earring that was big and hung down to his shoulder. He "had" fairly long blond hair and played the drums. He lived in Forest Park for a long time and had dreams of making it big in music. Sound like anyone you know? Initals: RD

not ringing any bells, maybe give me just a first or last name.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

The last name is Davis. I knew him through his second wife. The last time I saw him was at MMS (I was a teacher and he had a child there) in the 90s. He wasn't wearing spandex.

Got him now, first name rhymes with hicky, we're from the same subdivision. I can believe the spandex.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

You got it!

I can't believe it took me that long to figure it out, he was, or is, a flamboyant devil

I yam what I yam...Popeye

I knew Jeff back in HS and can tell you that he was not only a fine athlete but a great guy. Jeff worked hard on the basketball courts (ask anyone that went to MHS then) but worked just as hard on his studies. His mom and dad kept his feet grounded.

Because of the kind of man that Jeff is, I even cheered for him when Kentucky would come to Athens. Sheep had about 10 UGA students cheering him on.

Excellent choice!

What about Derrick Steagall from Newnan? He was fast. I mean super-fast. At the old track at MHS, I saw him run the 100 meter in 10.25 seconds. Wow!

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money.

Shepherd was a class act.

How about Calvin Johnson?

He was a man among boys playing receiver at Sandy Creek.

Fine young man.
The Falcons should have kept the quarterback they traded, and traded Vick for Calvin Johnson!

My children saw Calvin Johnson play, they tell me he is awesome.