Saturday, September 10, 2011

Do What You Love

As I watched Alabama and Penn State play on ABC sports this afternoon they zoomed in on Dick Coffee. He's the ESPN #1 Superfan in America. 
I had the good fortune to interview him last fall at his home in Mountain Brook, Alabama. What does it take to become the ESPN #1 Superfan in America? Well you have to attend a lot of football games.
Dick has attended a LOT of Alabama football games. In fact, he hasn't missed an Alabama football game since Harry S. Truman was in the White House in 1946.
When they played USC, he was there; when they played Miami, he was there; he's been to Hawaii twice to see the men in crimson play. He has been all over the country and when he travels, he spends a great deal of time signing autographs. He's like a rock star in the world of college football.
If you do the math, he's attended well over 750 games. 
He's had a few health problems over the years, but his wife said that he had the good fortune to get sick during the off season, which hasn't interfered with his attendance streak.
He loved attending the games so much, that he started his own small advertising/media business so he'd have the flexibility to travel during football season.
A stroke some years back has robbed him of some of his ability to recall some of his experiences, but one look at his beaming smile today on national television, and it's clear his love of the game has not diminished. 
He told me during the interview that he was doing what he loved, and that as long as the Good Lord gave him the strength, he would keep doing just that.
He must have been very proud of his team today as Alabama cruised to a 27-10 win at Penn State.
May you live to see a thousand games Dick.

8 comments:

  1. Wow, that's a lot of games. Good for him.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I don't know this Alabama guy but people who follow their passions are happy. I do know that. My husbands passion was baseball and football was a close second. He was bat boy for the Washington Senators when "The Babe" was playing for Boston. Goes back a long time. But he lived his passion his whole life.
    Good post.
    Manzanita@Wannabuyaduck

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good for Dick!!! Have a great Sunday! take care
    x

    ReplyDelete
  4. That's a wonderful story, and a great reminder or today, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great story about and amazing fan and awesome man! You must feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to meet and interview him

    ReplyDelete
  6. nice pic with him...

    JJRod'z

    ReplyDelete
  7. I love that story, and I love to see people who are able to follow a passion and do what they love.

    ReplyDelete

Please consider sharing

Email Signup Form

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required