I had done a very brave thing.
I had looked Reggie White, a man almost three times my size, in the face and said to him "ROLL TIDE!!!!!"
Now anyone from this part of the world will tell you that "them's fightin' words" if you say it to the wrong person and if anyone was the wrong person, it could have very easily been Reggie, perhaps the University of Tennessee's greatest defensive lineman.
But of course Reggie didn't kill me, he just smiled and laughed at the silly little blonde Alabama fan next to him, asked me my name and then carefully signed my ProSet card. And of course I was never REALLY scared he would kill me ............. come on .......... this was Reggie White, one of the most gentle giants to ever grace a gridiron.
It was at the Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga that I had "cheated death." One of our city's favorite sons had returned home to hold a football camp for any child who wanted to come, free of charge. This was something he did quite often, took time out of his summer (he was still playing at the time) to give back to his native city. The actual event I was attending was a kind of motivational thing for kids to encourage them to stay on the straight and narrow and to teach the importance of keeping God in their lives. I'll confess I didn't go to see Reggie but to see Herschel Walker, my all time favorite football player.
Well, unfortunately Herschel wasn't there so I didn't come home with any of my Herschel cards autographed.
But what I did come away with was a great deal of pride. Pride in a man with whom I shared a common home town. Pride that he not only had never done anything to embarrass us. Never been in trouble, never had any baby drama, seemingly never did ANYTHING but GOOD. We could all say with pride that "he's a Chattanoogan!"
I had pride in a man who spent his own time and money to encourage kids, help them work on their football skills, teach them to love and obey God and sign a few autographs. Why, he even had time to sign an autograph for a fully grown adult Alabama fan like me.
I don't have even one Tempts' autograph...... but I have Reggie's.
When I heard of his death, the normally loud and busy restaurant my family and I visit every Sunday after church was silent, save for the sound of ESPN coming from the television in the bar. Grown men were visably shaken. Someone who knew about my signed card mentioned that it would be worth a lot of money now. I shot them a dirty look.
I'll never sell that card just like I'll never forget meeting Reggie that night at the Memorial Auditorium.
His family held a memorial service for him there Tuesday night.
