Chapter 49

Wednesday arrived. We had a normal breakfast with Dad. Lunch was intentionally a light meal. We had finished eating and cleaning up by one.

Miz Jones and a cameraman showed up promptly at one. While Willis, the cameraman, set up the camera and set out the microphones to be clipped to the collars of our tops. We just let the wires run down. We sat on the couch together holding hands. Miz Jones was talking with my mother. Mom served lemonade to everyone. Mom sat down out of the way to watch and listen. Miz Jones was wearing slacks and sat on the couch next to Alice. She said, “This is Angela Jones and I’m at the home of Judge and Missus Short to talk with their son, Jerry Short, and his girl, Alice Meadows.” She smiled.

“Alice, you’ve become quite well-known for leading the cheering with a number of other coeds. Many of them have been introduced to members of the football team. It’s surprising to see a group of young ladies with parents of theirs and of players in a group. How did that come about?”

“Most of the players on the ‘Cats this year are freshmen like Jerry. We had met during orientation and found a solid connection of friendship and faith. Jerry made the team as a walk-on, non-scholarship player. When school started, his practices were in the afternoon when I had free time. I went to cheer him on and enjoy some sun. His roommate during try-outs and my roommate were both lonely and we introduced them. They found a connection. Marilyn had started going with me to the practices to cheer Jerry and now had an additional reason. Other girls in our dorm started coming with us and met other players who were lonely. We make a big group at church, too.

“We ladies have become friends while watching our guys play. The guys seem to like having us out there to cheer them on in a wholesome way.”

Alice stopped and looked at Angela. Angela asked, “Jerry, how does it make you feel to see Alice in the stands during practices and games?”

I responded. “I enjoy it. I like to look at my fair Alice up in the stands. I’ve missed her in the last two games. The costs of those games and the associated travel were too high for her to attend. That was true for most of the students of our college. That seems to be typical of playoffs.”

She asked me another. “Jerry, you weren’t the starting quarterback at the beginning of the season. What happened?”

“I was playing on defense when the team buses were involved in a bad wreck returning from a game. Among others, our quarterback was killed. The coaches asked for help. I had been a reserve in high school and knew our playbook. I was given a chance to play.”

Angela said, “That seems to have worked out well. In the two playoff games, you were selected most valuable player. How did that feel?”

I blushed. “I felt humbled. There are others on offense and on defense who deserved that recognition more than I do.”

Alice smirked, “Jerry’s always been ‘my’ most valuable player.” I blushed some more.

“Jerry, I understand that you don’t have a football scholarship. Please comment on that.”

“The head coach prior to Coach Marshall took a strong attitude regarding two-sport athletes. I was recruited by him but declined. I would have had to give up both baseball and track and have to change my major. All of that was unacceptable. When Coach Marshall came in, his defensive coordinator, Coach Johnson, reached out to me. I agreed to attend tryouts and made the team as a linebacker, my usual position. I was offered a scholarship then but already had one each for baseball and track plus an academic scholarship.”

“You have an academic scholarship? I would think that’s rare. Tell me about that.”

“My parents have always stressed scholarship. My mother taught until she retired to stay home. My father is a judge. My athletics were encouraged as long as academics remained first. That remains true. I managed to make the dean’s list for this last semester.”

“What is your major?”

“Either Math or Physics. After my bachelor’s degree, I will have to make decisions about post graduate work.”

She looked at Alice. “You made the dean’s list, too, I understand.”

Alice blushed a bit. “Yes, I did.”

“What is your major, Alice?”

“Chemistry.”

“I guess you’re on a scholarship, also?”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’m the first from my family to go to a four-year college with a non-agricultural major.”

Miz Jones smiled. “I want to talk about the cheering section that you lead, Alice. How did that actually begin?”

“At the beginning, it was just me sitting out in the stands cheering Jerry. My roommate asked me over supper where I had gone and I told her. She was eating with Jerry and me. She asked to join me the next day and the two of us went. While we were watching the practice, she told me that she wanted to meet a nice guy like Jerry.” Alice smiled dreamily and gave my hand a squeeze. “I talked with Jerry on the way to supper that afternoon and he chuckled. Some of his teammates wanted to meet some nice girls, not groupies. It just mushroomed from there. We became a group meeting parents at games but trying to sit in the same area consistently. Some of the couples worked out and some didn’t. We go to churches together. Jerry and I lead the Methodists. There is a large contingent going to each of the Baptist and Presbyterian churches, too.”

Miz Jones then asked, “Changing the subject a little, what about the trophies?”

“I put them up upon arriving here. We have a study and they are in that room with the rest of mine as well as those of my parents.”

“What trophies do your parents have?”

“My father was involved in sports as was my mother. They did well. We have a pool in back that is longer than most for swimming laps. That helps build endurance for my sports as well as keeps my parents fit for the aquatic sports in which they participated in high school and college.”

Miz Jones said, “Then, Jerry, you come from a sports family?”