I hope everyone is having a great off season and that the anticipation of Spring football and the next great season of Bama football is high with everyone. I just wanted to relay a little story I was a part of this past weekend. I think you guys/ gals will like this.
I was on a Delta Connection flight this past Friday, February 23, from Atlanta to Columbus/ Starkville to pick up my daughters in Reform, AL. Anyway, when I boarded the plane and found my seat, I was seated next to a very friendly older gentleman. As we were taxiing out to the runway, he pulled out a notepad and started jotting down notes. I never asked him what he was doing but he volunteered that he was on his way to Columbus for a football reunion at the old Lee High School. It seems the old ball coach from Lee High is getting up in age and his old players were going to roast him last Saturday night. He was writing notes for his speech. Well, I also noticed the largest ring I have ever seen in my life on the guys hand and also noticed it was a National Championship ring. It was huge, the top encrusted in diamonds shaped like a football and AU overlayed in silver. Not thinking much about it I assumed it was a NC ring from the last time Auburn won a real NC back in 1957. So I struck a conversation about Auburn football. He was very forthcoming with info. He was very generous to Bama football concerning our facilities and our recruiting class this year. We talked for the better part of an hour and he told me about his condo in Auburn that he uses during football season, his conversations with Tubs during the recruiting season, and told me all about his being in Tubs office on National Signing Day. I figured he was a very good friend of the program but I asked him if he was a player from yesteryear or a coach. He told me that he was neither. So I asked him about the ring and he got a little red faced and quiet. That is when I noticed on the side of the ring just outside of all the diamonds it said, "04". I almost could not control my laughter but chuckled to myself as the first thought crossed my mind. The Peoples National Championship ring, I had finally seen one in person. The man's name was Jim Lawson and I enjoyed our conversation. I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoy telling the story of seeing an Auburn self proclaimed NC ring.
I was on a Delta Connection flight this past Friday, February 23, from Atlanta to Columbus/ Starkville to pick up my daughters in Reform, AL. Anyway, when I boarded the plane and found my seat, I was seated next to a very friendly older gentleman. As we were taxiing out to the runway, he pulled out a notepad and started jotting down notes. I never asked him what he was doing but he volunteered that he was on his way to Columbus for a football reunion at the old Lee High School. It seems the old ball coach from Lee High is getting up in age and his old players were going to roast him last Saturday night. He was writing notes for his speech. Well, I also noticed the largest ring I have ever seen in my life on the guys hand and also noticed it was a National Championship ring. It was huge, the top encrusted in diamonds shaped like a football and AU overlayed in silver. Not thinking much about it I assumed it was a NC ring from the last time Auburn won a real NC back in 1957. So I struck a conversation about Auburn football. He was very forthcoming with info. He was very generous to Bama football concerning our facilities and our recruiting class this year. We talked for the better part of an hour and he told me about his condo in Auburn that he uses during football season, his conversations with Tubs during the recruiting season, and told me all about his being in Tubs office on National Signing Day. I figured he was a very good friend of the program but I asked him if he was a player from yesteryear or a coach. He told me that he was neither. So I asked him about the ring and he got a little red faced and quiet. That is when I noticed on the side of the ring just outside of all the diamonds it said, "04". I almost could not control my laughter but chuckled to myself as the first thought crossed my mind. The Peoples National Championship ring, I had finally seen one in person. The man's name was Jim Lawson and I enjoyed our conversation. I enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoy telling the story of seeing an Auburn self proclaimed NC ring.