Eight
Member
years ago knew a guy who had been a head coach at a port arthur high school back in the late 60's early 70's. one year he has a defensive end who was being recruited by arkansas and this was going to be the first plane ride of the kid's life.
friday after school hc drives the de to the beaumont airport and drops him off out front. later that night a coach from the arkansas staff calls wanting to know what happened with the de. hc says he has no idea and that he saw the de go into the airport.
monday at school he waits outside the de's first period class and here comes the kid in a brand new suit. hc asks the kid what happened and he tells him it is the damnest thing. he gets in the beaumont airport and a guy is waiting inside with a sign with his name, greets the kid, takes him to a gate, hands the attendent two tickets, and they board the plane.
plane lands in oxford, mississippi where a car is waiting for them and takes them to a hotel. guy checks the kid in and only when he gets to the room does the kid work up the courage to tell the guy he is in the wrong place and kid feels terrible because everyone has been so nice to him.
guy so no problem and he might as well stay the weekend because they are having a big dinner so the kid should go ahead and put on the suit he brought with him. kid is poor and tells the guy he only brought jeans and a couple of shirts. guy so no problem, takes him downstairs to the car, gives the driver some money and tells him to take him to a certain store in downtown oxford and to make sure the kid has some pocket money to keep the change.
de never would say how much pocket change was leftover and the hc never found out who the guy was at the airport, but it does make for a good story that wouldn't happen this way today.
