Ted's Birthday
You don’t have to be a football hero
It must have been meant to be for the baby to be born in September, the month that football gets underway.
His first presents were a little football and a jersey, (size 3 months) with double 00's on the front and back.
It wouldn’t take too many years before it was clear that he had his dad’s passion for the game of football. His dad was not big enough to pursue anything but an occasional touch game among friends, and to hog the couch and remote every weekend from September to January.
The son had his dad’s passion, and his grandfather’s height, size, and strength. A star in the making.
It started with flag football in grade school. In middle school came the Junior Tackle League. The summer between seventh and eighth grade, his grampa’s genes kicked in and he gained thirty pounds and grew six inches.
There wee games when they even took out his shoelaces so he would make weight.
High school was a blast. The Sophomore team won their League for the first time ever.
There were scouts at every game in senior high school
As a senior he was MVP, HS All-American, All-State, and team captain. College scholarship offers poured in. Coaches from all over called, wrote, and visited.
It was mind-boggling for the parents, and overwhelming for him, but he managed to stay grounded.
At the end of the whirlwind, he accepted a scholarship to UW Madison. Dave McLain was the head coach.
He said he only felt whole when in uniform, with his helmet on. People referred to him as "you know him, the football player."
Pretty soon he thought that is all he was, and that is what people expected of him- to be a great player
He left UW in his second year. Who knows why he left the program. The reasons are still up for grabs. Today it doesn’t matter why.
When he left, he had to face the pain and disappointment in his dad’s face. "Dad, I will get recruited again, and I will play football."
Junior College All-American and great stats led to his second recruitment and scholarship, this time at Tulane University in New Orleans. Mack Brown, (now head Coach of the Texas Longhorns) was his coach.
He accomplished what he told his dad he would do. He was on his way to the pros..
Take your thumb and forefinger and make them almost, but not quite touch. That is as close as a pro career came.
Don’t do this, but just imagine running headfirst into a brick wall. That’s what it felt like the day he made his last tackle. The day he was given a medical release, being told one more hit like that could cause paralysis.
Even so, he most likely faced medical problems, lumped together called–football injuries." Life changing. Despite everything he did graduate with a BS.
The ride was over. It wasn’t a free ride, as some call it. We pay our dues in many ways.
I write this today because it is September and another football season is upon us. I write this because it is his birthday and he is watching Mack Brown’s #2 Longhorns getting beat by
#1 Ohio State.
I write this because I want him to know that the years between the last day of football and today have found him with more courage than is ever needed on a football field. And he is much more than a uniform and a helmet. He is a man.
He is no longer a football hero. Better yet, he is a hero who just happened to play football.
Happy Birthday. May this year be a winning season. We love you.
What else could the recipe be today, but a birthday cake. I can cook better than I can bake. So wish me good luck on this one I’m trying for the first time. September is also for apples. What better cake to say Happy Birthday with.
CARMEL-GLAZED FRESH APPLE CAKE
you will need for the cake: For the glaze:
1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar mixed 2 T butter
4-5 apples, chopped ½ cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs 2 T milk
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
nuts (optional)
Coat a greased Bundt pan with the sugar-cinnamon mixture
Mix apples, eggs and oil with mixer
Add rest of dry ingredients
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes
After ten minutes turn upside down onto cake plate
Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil
Spoon over cake and cool. Serve with ice cream
Enjoy!
It must have been meant to be for the baby to be born in September, the month that football gets underway.
His first presents were a little football and a jersey, (size 3 months) with double 00's on the front and back.
It wouldn’t take too many years before it was clear that he had his dad’s passion for the game of football. His dad was not big enough to pursue anything but an occasional touch game among friends, and to hog the couch and remote every weekend from September to January.
The son had his dad’s passion, and his grandfather’s height, size, and strength. A star in the making.
It started with flag football in grade school. In middle school came the Junior Tackle League. The summer between seventh and eighth grade, his grampa’s genes kicked in and he gained thirty pounds and grew six inches.
There wee games when they even took out his shoelaces so he would make weight.
High school was a blast. The Sophomore team won their League for the first time ever.
There were scouts at every game in senior high school
As a senior he was MVP, HS All-American, All-State, and team captain. College scholarship offers poured in. Coaches from all over called, wrote, and visited.
It was mind-boggling for the parents, and overwhelming for him, but he managed to stay grounded.
At the end of the whirlwind, he accepted a scholarship to UW Madison. Dave McLain was the head coach.
He said he only felt whole when in uniform, with his helmet on. People referred to him as "you know him, the football player."
Pretty soon he thought that is all he was, and that is what people expected of him- to be a great player
He left UW in his second year. Who knows why he left the program. The reasons are still up for grabs. Today it doesn’t matter why.
When he left, he had to face the pain and disappointment in his dad’s face. "Dad, I will get recruited again, and I will play football."
Junior College All-American and great stats led to his second recruitment and scholarship, this time at Tulane University in New Orleans. Mack Brown, (now head Coach of the Texas Longhorns) was his coach.
He accomplished what he told his dad he would do. He was on his way to the pros..
Take your thumb and forefinger and make them almost, but not quite touch. That is as close as a pro career came.
Don’t do this, but just imagine running headfirst into a brick wall. That’s what it felt like the day he made his last tackle. The day he was given a medical release, being told one more hit like that could cause paralysis.
Even so, he most likely faced medical problems, lumped together called–football injuries." Life changing. Despite everything he did graduate with a BS.
The ride was over. It wasn’t a free ride, as some call it. We pay our dues in many ways.
I write this today because it is September and another football season is upon us. I write this because it is his birthday and he is watching Mack Brown’s #2 Longhorns getting beat by
#1 Ohio State.
I write this because I want him to know that the years between the last day of football and today have found him with more courage than is ever needed on a football field. And he is much more than a uniform and a helmet. He is a man.
He is no longer a football hero. Better yet, he is a hero who just happened to play football.
Happy Birthday. May this year be a winning season. We love you.
What else could the recipe be today, but a birthday cake. I can cook better than I can bake. So wish me good luck on this one I’m trying for the first time. September is also for apples. What better cake to say Happy Birthday with.
CARMEL-GLAZED FRESH APPLE CAKE
you will need for the cake: For the glaze:
1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar mixed 2 T butter
4-5 apples, chopped ½ cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs 2 T milk
1 cup oil
2 cups flour
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
nuts (optional)
Coat a greased Bundt pan with the sugar-cinnamon mixture
Mix apples, eggs and oil with mixer
Add rest of dry ingredients
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes
After ten minutes turn upside down onto cake plate
Combine glaze ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil
Spoon over cake and cool. Serve with ice cream
Enjoy!
posted by Shirley | 10:21 AM
5 Comments:
Good one Mom, it made me cry! I'm so glad that you are getting it figured out. The next thing we work on is pictures to post.
love ya,
kel xoxoxo
Loved your story about Ted, Shirls. I'm so going to attempt that cake too!
xoxo
Your story is so sweet- and you may have even inspired me to try to cook (something I never ever do)
:) -Brin
Hi Shirley! I always say to people "I am a cooker not a baker" but I really can do both if I try really hard...hehehe. I will definitely do this recipe. It is sooooo perfect for Fall. I would love to be a guest writer or whatever, I just need to get my mind in a better place at the current moment. As I said before, you have a wonderful daughter and it sounds like a wonderful son too! What a great mom you are! Take care!
xoxo
Lori S.
Kella's Boss Lady
I love your writing about your son! What a great mom you must be. We love Kelly and we are all so happy to be able to spend some time with her (even if she is trying really hard to leave us and "go home") Good job Shirley!
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