CHARLIE WATERS & THE ALLIGATOR SHOES

"If I had 45 players that tried as hard and cared as much as Charlie did, we would not lose a football game." Dallas Cowboys Coach Tom Landry

SMILING SAMMY WALKER

I was in eighth grade. I was the big champ in the eighth grade, big champ in the ninth grade, and got ready to go to the summer amateur state championships down in Tyler Station. That was my ninth grade year. I said, “Dad, what are my chances of winning state?” And he goes, “Son, this is a big state.” Got down there, and there was a boy that had a big old black hairy chest, throwing over 60 feet in warm ups. My best throw, at that particular time was like 58 feet. My first throw was 60 feet, and the big hair chest guy, he choked. So, I beat him about three feet.

JOHN FITZGERALD BOOTY PART 2

You end your NFL career, 102 games, 37 starts, 14 picks, 4 sacks, 6 fumble recoveries, 4 fumbles, a blocked punt, a pass reception for 48 and a kickoff return. You picked off two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Marino and Aikman. I mean, the kid that played one year of football until your junior year of high school, the kid that got cut from the JV, the kid that Mom put in a car and made go back to college because he didn't want to be there - but he stuck it out. That was John Booty.

JOHN FITZGERALD BOOTY

Oh, I wanted to be a Carthage Bulldog soooo bad. And I remember hearing about my brother playing for Carthage. From first grade on; You’re seeing that Carthage football team, I wanna be one of those guys, wear that red uniform. I said, “I can’t wait until its my turn.

LOUANN’S – PART 4

"It is somewhat odd to learn more about your parents after their deaths than while they are living, but that is exactly what happened in my case. Indeed, the first inkling of just how exceptional they were occurred at my mother’s 80th birthday party where guests were invited to bring Louann’s memorabilia in lieu of gifts, and a 1947 Newsweek magazine was among the cache. The article inside provided a surprising insight into how multi-dimensional Lou and Ann Bovis were. I say “surprising” because I had no prior knowledge of that article, and it turned out to be just one of many discoveries ahead. Shortly after the death of my mother in 1993, I uncovered a treasure trove of old photos, newspapers, and magazines from the closets and files at her ranch. There were also deeds, contracts, wills, journals, adoption papers, 16mm family movies, scrapbooks, menus, greeting and post cards. Old letters were nestled inside the books of her vast library. Most of it I had never seen before. As I struggled with grief over my mother’s death, each old piece of my parents’ past brought fresh tears along with new respect and admiration." Chelle Bovis Banks