Long Overdue Updates, Part I: Troy, AL

A blog is only as good as it is updated. So this one has been sucking lately.

But I can make it up for it.

First, two weeks ago, we loaded Billy in the car and headed for Troy University, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Coach Billy Atkins' 1968 NAIA National Championship. It was a big deal. Billy, his dad (who was born in Troy), and grandma Ty stood on the field at halftime to honor Billy's grandfather. The players all told stories about how much they loved and feared and respected Coach Atkins, and were sweet to Billy.

Some of the players wives were Ace's babysitters when he was Billy's age, and they had a few good stories as well.

It was a long trip over and back, especially in 24 hours. Luckily, Billy loves his cow seat, and mostly slept. Except when we stopped, and he'd startle awake and look like this:
Hilarious.

When he discovered said stop was a doughnut run, though, he perked right up:

He loved everything about the football game: the colors, the noise, the lights. He danced along to the band. At halftime, he stood on the field in his Troy jersey with Atkins on the back that Ty rushed out to find before we arrived. It was a special moment. With Ace, Ty, and Billy on the field, Charlie kept me company up in the good seats. We ate free hot dogs to our heart's content. Or discontent.



Ty took us on the Troy tour: we saw their old house, the church where Ace was christened, and the cute little town. Ty told us old stories with all the eccentric characters you'd expect--including a drugstore delivery girl named Mister Mister.

The players told stories about the time Coach Atkins kicked a disrespectful player off the team bus in the middle of nowhere, or the time he had the team managers sneak an injured player out of a Navy hospital, or the time he taught a player to stop being afraid of being hit by lobbing passes and punts to him while he stood in the street dodging cars.

Billy and Ty had fun.